The freelance web design market is well-established and competitive. A quick Google search will return dozens of candidates in your area alone, and reaching further afield opens up hundreds more. Having plenty of choice sounds like a good thing, but it also means the task of choosing the right person for your project requires real care.
Here are ten things worth checking before you make a decision.
1. Do they have a portfolio of relevant work?
Any credible freelance web designer should have a portfolio of previous projects they can share. Look for examples that are relevant to what you need: similar industry, similar functionality, similar scale. A portfolio of brochure sites from a designer who has never built an ecommerce platform tells you something important about where their experience lies.
Also check that the portfolio sites are still live and working. A designer who builds sites that clients subsequently abandon or replace is worth noting.
2. Who do they typically work with?
Some freelancers work primarily with agencies as a subcontractor, some work directly with end clients, and some do both. This affects the dynamic of the relationship: a designer accustomed to working through intermediaries may not be used to the level of direct client communication you expect. Understanding their typical client relationship is worth clarifying early.
3. What are their actual skill sets?
Web design and web development are related but distinct disciplines. Not every designer can build what they design, and not every developer has the visual design skills to produce something that looks professional without external design input. Establish clearly what the person you are speaking to can deliver themselves and what they might need to bring in someone else for.
Also consider: do they cover SEO basics, website hosting, domain management, and ongoing maintenance? Or will you need to find additional people for those things?
4. Have they done their homework before your first conversation?
A good freelancer should show genuine curiosity about your business and your goals before discussing their own services at length. If the first conversation feels like a sales pitch rather than a discovery conversation, that is a telling signal. You want someone who asks the right questions, listens carefully, and demonstrates that they understand what you are trying to achieve.
5. Are they clear communicators?
Communication quality is often more important than technical skill, particularly for a client who is not technical themselves. A designer who responds promptly, explains things clearly, and flags potential issues early is worth considerably more than one with a more impressive portfolio who is slow to reply and vague about timelines.
Pay attention to how a potential freelancer communicates from the very first exchange. Are their emails clear? Do they answer the questions asked? Do they provide useful feedback or just affirmation?
6. Can they provide testimonials or references?
Testimonials on a freelancer's own website are worth reading, but they are self-selected. If you want a more objective picture, ask whether they can provide a reference from a previous client you can speak to directly. A freelancer confident in their work should be happy to facilitate this.
7. Are they recommended by someone you know?
A personal recommendation from someone whose judgement you trust remains one of the most reliable ways to find a good freelancer. If you know a business that has recently had good work done on their website, asking who they used is a much shorter route to a reliable result than starting from scratch with a Google search.
8. Is their quotation detailed and realistic?
A well-prepared quotation should break down the project into clear phases with associated costs, specify what is and is not included, and set out the payment schedule. Vague, single-line quotations are a warning sign: they either indicate limited project experience or leave significant room for scope disagreements later.
The cheapest quotation is not always the best value. A quotation that reflects a proper understanding of the project scope and delivers clear value for the cost is worth more than a low number that turns out to exclude critical elements.
9. What is their availability?
Check that the freelancer can start and deliver within your timeline. A designer who is fully booked for the next three months may be worth waiting for, or they may not, depending on your situation. Be clear about your timeline requirements from the outset rather than discovering a mismatch after you have committed.
10. Are you confident in the ongoing relationship?
Most business websites require ongoing work after launch: content updates, technical maintenance, security patches, performance improvements, and eventual redesigns or expansions. The freelancer you choose for the initial build is likely to be your first call for this ongoing work. Consider whether the relationship feels like one that would work well over years, not just for the initial project.
A website is a long-term business asset. The person who builds it should feel like a long-term professional contact, not just a one-off contractor.
If you are looking for a freelance web developer and would like to discuss your project, get in touch and I would be happy to have a conversation about what you need.