How to Choose a Website Designer for Your Trades Business
- Decide What Type of Website Designer You Want to Hire
- Choose Your Website Builder
- Think About Your Budget
- Look at Their Portfolio
- Read Customer Testimonials/Reviews
- Talk to Them
- Ask Questions
Finding the Right Website Designer for Your Trades Business
Finding a website designer for your trades business can feel like a daunting task at times, especially with the abundance of options available. With over 2,000 web design agencies in the UK alone, not to mention numerous freelancers, the choices seem endless. However, finding the perfect fit for your business requires careful consideration and a significant investment of time and effort.
If you are feeling indecisive and do not know where to start, don’t worry! We will be here to walk you through this all-important decision process to allow you to create the right website for your business. So, let’s see how you can find the right website designer for your trades business.
1. Decide What Type of Website Designer You Want to Hire
First things first, you will need to find the type of website designer that best suits your needs. Your options include hiring a part-time or full-time freelancer or an agency, forming an in-house team, choosing an hourly rate or DIY approach, and selecting either an offshore, national, or local company. Each option offers distinct advantages and comes with its own set of timeframes, expertise, experience, and pricing structures.
You may find that freelancers are the more affordable option; however, agencies will have a larger team of experts and provide more support. Whilst a local company allows you to interact with your web designers face-to-face, national companies may have more skills and expertise to create the ideal website for your trades business.
To learn more, check out our article; What Are the Different Types of Web Designers? In the article, we delve into the various types of web designers as well as a brief insight into the different kinds of websites and web builders.
Additionally, we explain what to look for in a good web designer and what makes them great. These attributes include effective and responsive communication, expertise, specialisation, proven longevity, honesty, transparency, dependable support, and positive reviews, in addition to experience in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO), User Experience (UX), and device compatibility.
2. Choose Your Website Builder
Next, you might want to consider choosing your website builder. If you are hiring a web designer, you may not necessarily need to worry as much about how easy it is to create a website. For example, if your website involves e-commerce, you could choose a more compatible platform, such as Shopify, Wix, Squarespace or Hostinger. You will also need to find a website builder that comes with secure hosting and allows your site to grow as your business does.
Additionally, some website builders allow you to be more creative when designing your website than others. On the other hand, some may be difficult to transfer to another domain or platform or may not allow your website to evolve. However, you may find that some web designers only build websites on one type of website builder. Do not let that stop you from choosing the right website designer for your trades business.
Feel free to read our article on the Top Five Best Website Builders. We have simplified the choices into five key categories. For e-commerce, we recommend Shopify, and for small businesses doing it themselves, Wix is a great option. If you are a DIY beginner, consider Squarespace. For a cheaper option, GoDaddy is a good choice (be warned – you get what you pay for!).
As for the best all-around website builder, WordPress is an excellent option. It offers plentiful customisation options with a wide variety of colours, designs, and layouts, allowing you to create a website from scratch with limitless room for expansion. Plus, if you find a website designer who offers support, you won’t have to worry about keeping up with updates and maintenance. They will do it all for you!
3. Think About Your Budget
Next, you must carefully consider your budget for creating your trades website. The overall cost will depend on factors such as the number of pages you require, the level of functionality you want, and the level of expertise your web designer has. When finding a website designer, getting quotes from multiple web design companies for comparison would be a good idea. However, do not just go for the cheapest option. You should choose the web designer who can best fulfil your specific requirements.
At the very least, your new website will require a Home page, an About page, a Contact Us page, separate pages for each of your Services, a Reviews page, and GDPR pages, such as cookies, privacy policies, and website terms of use. These are non-negotiable if you want your website to work. However, you might also need to include quoting or booking tools, an Areas We Serve page to indicate where you are willing to travel for work, a Gallery to showcase your work, a Case Studies page, Pricing pages, or a Blog. All these extras will add value to your website.
Not to mention the cost of ongoing Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). If you want potential clients to find your website at the top of the results page on search engines, such as Yahoo, Google, or Bing, you will need SEO.
If you want to learn more about costs, check out our guides on How Much Does a Trades Website Cost and How Much Does SEO Cost in the UK.
4. Look At Their Portfolio
When finding the perfect website designer for your trades business, it is essential to carefully examine their portfolio. By doing so, you can gain valuable insights into their proficiency in creating websites, including their experience across various industries, such as trades, automotive, hospitality & tourism, health & education, manufacturing & engineering, retail & e-commerce, and pet services.
Reviewing their portfolio is not just about finding design inspiration for your own website; it is also an opportunity to assess their ability to create an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly website that aligns with your business needs.
Make sure you like the look of at least some of their website designs. Additionally, it is crucial to determine whether the web designer can create a website that truly reflects the unique aspects of your business.
5. Read Customer Testimonials/Reviews
Much like looking at their portfolio, reading reviews and testimonials when finding a website designer will give a clear indication of the quality of work you can expect, as well as their customer service levels. You can find reviews on Google, Facebook, Trustpilot, or even featured on their website. Moreover, if someone you know recommends them by word of mouth, chances are they are worth going for.
Do not be afraid of the occasional one-off lousy review. If satisfied clients are mostly leaving 4- or 5-star reviews, they are probably doing something right.
6. Talk to Them
When finding a website designer for your trades business, the most important thing to do is communicate with them. Clearly explain your ideas and objectives for what you want to achieve with your new website. Effective communication is vital for creating a website that meets your needs. Furthermore, ensure the web designer asks the right questions and listens to your requirements. They are not just designing a website for your business; you need to collaborate with them and provide as much information about your services as possible for the best results.
Do not be afraid to trust your gut instincts. Take note of how quickly you reply to your emails or answer the phone for any queries you may have or if they leave you hanging for weeks on end. When talking to them, pay attention to whether they seem knowledgeable and are the right fit for your business. Chances are they will also be assessing if they can meet your website needs. If not, they might even be able to recommend another company worth considering.
If you are unsure what your website should include, check out our article on What Makes a Good Website for Small Businesses and Trades. Simply put, your website should feature a relevant domain name, optimal security, a Consent Management Platform, such as CookieYes, clear calls to action, Search Engine Optimisation, engaging and informative content, a simple yet effective design, and fast loading speed.
7. Ask Questions
Do not hesitate to ask questions. The more you know, the more likely you can make an informed decision on finding the right website designer for your trades business. The following questions are just a few things you can ask:
- Will they provide support and maintenance after completing the website?
- Can they deliver a website within your expected timeline?
- How long will the web design process take?
- Do they have experience in creating websites for businesses in your industry?
- Will they integrate SEO practices throughout your website?
- What kind of packages do they offer?
- Do they expect you to pay for your new website all in one go, or do they offer finance options?
- What additional services do they provide other than web design?
- Will you own the website after it goes live?
- How much experience do they have in designing websites?
- How much information do they require from you?
- Will you get a chance to adjust/edit your website before it goes live?
- How much will your website cost?
- Are there any additional fees?
- Do they outsource any of the work?
Need a Website Designer for Your Trades Business?
If you need a website designer for your trades business, whether you are a plumber, heating engineer, electrician, tree surgeon, decorator, or work with renewables, conservatories, windows, etc., Web Design and SEO Company can help you with your needs. We specialise in creating New Websites for trades and service businesses, in addition to SEO.
Get in Touch
If you are interested in our SEO-optimised Websites and SEO Services, head to our Online Shop for Websites for Small Businesses and Tradesmen. Alternatively, if you have unique functionality and/or styling requirements, Book a Call with us for a Bespoke Website Design.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to explore our Knowledge Hub, where you’ll find FAQs and useful resources, such as Blogs, Videos, and even eBooks on choosing the right website design company and SEO agency for your Trades or Small Business.
You can also reach us by calling 01752 291865, messaging us on WhatsApp on 07457 404241, completing our contact form, or starting a Live Chat now!
A Checklist for Finding a Website Designer for Your Trades Business
If you are ready to find a website designer for your trades business, feel free to use the checklist below. Plus, read our guide on Hiring a Web Designer, which includes reasons to choose one and common mistakes to avoid, if you are interested in learning more.
- Decide On the Type of Web Designer
- Choose a Website Builder
- Plan Your Budget
- Request Quotes from Multiple Web Design Companies
- Look At Their Portfolio
- Read Their Reviews/Testimonials
- Chat With Them to Ask Relevant Questions
- Make a Decision