What Does a Web Site Designer Do and How Do You Choose One?

A web site designer plans how a site looks and how visitors move through it, then either builds the pages or hands the plan to a developer. On small, affordable projects the same person often does both. Choose one by matching the work you need — new site, redesign, or repair — against a portfolio you can actually open, a written scope, and a clear answer on who owns the files and handles fixes after launch. The guidance below applies to small business, personal, and niche sites; large sites with complex back ends need a different hiring process.

Designer vs. developer: who does what

The two roles overlap, especially at the affordable end of the market, but the split is useful when you're deciding who to hire.

A "web site designer" who codes from scratch is doing both jobs. That matters for you because it means fewer handoffs, one point of contact, and usually a lower total cost — but it also means you should check that the person can genuinely write code, not just arrange blocks in a page builder.

What an affordable custom service should include

"Affordable" and "custom" are not opposites. A low-cost custom build usually gets there by limiting scope, not by cutting corners on the code itself. Look for these in the offer:

• Built from scratch or from a clean starting point — not a stock template with your logo dropped in.
• Repair of an existing site as a separate, priced option. If your current site is close to what you want, repair is often cheaper than a rebuild.
• A defined page count. Custom pricing scales with pages; a quote without a page count is not a quote.
• Mobile layout included. A site that only works on desktop is not finished.
• Handover of the files or account access at the end, so you are not locked to one provider.

Specialty work — for example musical or colorful, highly visual sites — should be shown in the portfolio, not just claimed. Ask to see a site in that style.

Questions to ask before you hire

Ask these in writing and keep the answers:

1. What exactly is included — how many pages, how many revision rounds, is content writing included?
2. What is the total price, and what triggers extra charges? Extra pages, new features, and content changes are the usual add-ons.
3. Who owns the design and code when the project ends?
4. What happens after launch — is there a support window, and what does ongoing maintenance cost?
5. Can you show me two live sites you built, ideally ones similar to mine?
6. How will we communicate, and what is the timeline for each stage?

If a designer won't answer these before you pay, that is the answer.

Freelancer vs. agency

For a small business or personal site, a freelancer who codes is usually the better value. Choose an agency when you need several skills at once, a formal contract process, or someone to call for years of ongoing changes.

Common pitfalls

• No live portfolio. Mockups and screenshots are not proof the person can ship.
• Hidden fees. Vague quotes that grow once work starts. Get the add-on prices up front.
• No handover. If you can't get the files or account access, you can't leave.
• Template sold as custom. Ask what was written from scratch.
• No post-launch plan. Sites break and need updates; confirm who handles that and at what cost.

The short version

Decide first whether you need a new site, a redesign, or a repair. Then hire the person whose live portfolio matches that work, get the scope, price, ownership, and support terms in writing, and confirm you'll receive the files at the end. That checklist separates an affordable custom site from an expensive template.