How to hire a web designer
A web designer builds and maintains websites for small businesses — where ownership of the domain, the hosting and the site itself is the thing most often lost.
Can be done online. Many web designers work over video, so you are not limited to who is nearby. On Region Beacon, pick Online when you post a request and it reaches online businesses anywhere. All services
What the job usually involves
- New websites and redesigns.
- E-commerce and booking systems.
- Hosting, domains and email setup.
- Maintenance, updates and backups.
- Local SEO basics and Google Business Profile setup.
What to ask before you agree to anything
- Whose name is the domain registered in — mine?
- Do I own the site files and have admin access to hosting?
- What happens if I stop working with you — can I take the site?
- Is this a custom build or a template, and on which platform?
- What ongoing costs exist — hosting, plugins, licences?
- Who handles updates and backups after launch?
Warning signs
- A domain registered in the designer's name rather than yours.
- No admin access given to your own site or hosting.
- A monthly fee with no clarity on what you own if you leave.
- Guaranteed first-page Google rankings — nobody can promise that.
Common questions
Who should own my domain name?
You, registered in your business's name with your email as the contact. Handing domain ownership to whoever built the site is how businesses end up locked out of their own web address, and recovering it can be slow and expensive.
Can a web designer guarantee first-page Google rankings?
No. Nobody controls Google's ranking, and anyone guaranteeing a position is either buying ads and calling it SEO, or misleading you. Legitimate work improves your chances; it does not promise a place.
What happens to my website if I stop paying?
It depends entirely on the arrangement, and this is the question worth settling before you start. Establish in writing whether you own the files, whether hosting is in your name, and what you can take with you.
How does Region Beacon work for web designers?
You describe the job once. The first nearby business that takes it gets your details and contacts you; nobody else does. You deal with whoever you pick directly, and you pay them directly — Region Beacon never handles the money and takes no commission, so nothing is added to your price for using it.
How do I know if a web designer's quote is fair?
Get more than one. A single quote tells you what one business charges; three tell you what the job is worth where you live. Ask each for the same scope in writing, and treat a quote far below the others as probably missing something rather than a bargain.
Get quotes from web designers near you
Describe the job once and the first nearby business to take it contacts you. Only that one gets your details, no commission is added, and your details are not sold on to anyone.