Elliot Web Designs
Choose a designer by how well they understand your business, explain their decisions and define what you will own—not just by the appearance of their homepage.
Start with the problem you need to solve
Before comparing agencies, write down what is wrong with your current website. Be specific. “It looks dated” is a useful starting point, but “customers cannot tell which services we offer” or “we spend too long answering unsuitable enquiries” gives a designer something concrete to work with.
Then describe a successful outcome. A local electrician might want more enquiries for planned installations rather than emergency call-outs. A consultant might need a website that explains a specialist service to buyers who have never encountered it before. Those are different design problems, even if both businesses need five pages.
Prepare a short brief covering your audience, most important services, geographical reach, existing content and any systems the website must connect to. You do not need to know the technology. You do need to explain how the business works.
Look beyond the first screen of a portfolio
A striking homepage shows visual ability. To understand the designer’s judgement, ask to see a service page, a mobile layout and the enquiry journey. Read the copy. Can you understand the business without extra explanation? Does each page help you take a sensible next step?
Ask what the designer actually delivered on a project. Design, development, content, SEO and ongoing maintenance are different contributions. A credible answer should distinguish them. If results are quoted, ask for the measurement period, the starting point and what else changed at the time.
Try a portfolio website on your own phone. Find a service, read the supporting information and reach the contact page. This simple exercise often reveals more than a page of visual mockups.
Make quotations comparable
Two quotes can look very different because they include different work. One may assume that you supply finished copy and photography; another may include content planning and image preparation. One may include a redirect map for an old site while another treats launch as uploading the new design.
Ask each supplier to explain the scope in writing. The important question is not whether one price is lower, but whether the deliverables solve the problem you identified.
- Which pages and page types are included?
- Who writes, reviews and uploads the content?
- How many review stages are included?
- Which integrations, licences and subscriptions cost extra?
- What happens to existing URLs and search traffic?
- What is included in the handover and ongoing support?
Clarify ownership before committing
Your domain, hosting and website source should not become mysteries after launch. Establish who holds the accounts, what access you receive and how you would move to another supplier if needed. Ask whether stock images, fonts or premium plugins depend on licences held by the designer.
For a managed service, understand what happens when the agreement ends. A monthly fee might cover hosting and support, or it might be part of a longer commercial arrangement. Request an explanation in ordinary language.
Local fit is about working well together
An Essex designer may understand your service area and be convenient for a meeting, but proximity does not replace good communication. Ask how feedback is collected, who makes decisions and what happens when the scope changes.
The first conversation should include thoughtful questions about your customers. A strong partner will explain trade-offs and may challenge a feature that adds cost without helping the visitor. Choose the person whose approach you understand and whose responsibilities are clear.
To prepare for that conversation, bring your website address, a short description of your ideal customer and the three things you most want the redesign to improve. That is enough to begin a useful discussion.
