Websites · · 3 minute read
Freelance website designer: how to hire one
Kristian Kostov · Thessaloniki
Short answer
Hire a freelance website designer who can show live sites on a phone, repeat the project back in plain words, and price the pages before the work starts. In the first email, send what you sell, who it is for, the pages you need, and a budget range.
Hiring a freelance website designer is a fit check. You want someone who can say what the page is for, show work that looks finished on a phone, and give you a price before the project starts.
Freelance web design covers everything from a one-page site to a full store, so say which one you need. A website design freelancer who cannot tell you what the pages will cost is guessing, and you will pay for the guess.
What a freelance website designer should show you
- Live sites, not only mockups
- A phone view, because that is where the page gets used
- Work close to your problem: a shop, a service business, or a product launch
- A straight answer on what they will not do
Look at finished projects the way you would look at anyone else's. If the page is unclear on a phone, the portfolio is already answering the question.
How to hire a freelance web designer
Send this in the first email, before a call:
- What the business sells
- Who it is for
- The pages you think you need
- Two sites you like, and the specific thing you like about each
- A deadline and a budget range, even a rough one
- Logo, photos, and copy you already have
A note that only says the site should feel premium gets a vague reply. A specific note gets a specific price. I work from Thessaloniki with people anywhere. The work is websites, product images, video, and stores, listed on services.
Questions to ask a web designer
- Can I open two live sites you made, on my phone?
- What is included in the price, and what costs extra?
- How many rounds of changes do I get?
- Who writes the words, and who finds the photos?
- Who owns the site and the domain after launch?
- What happens the month after it goes live?
A good answer is short and specific. If every answer starts with it depends and ends with a call, you are being sold, not told.
Web designer vs web developer
A web designer decides how the page looks and reads: layout, type, pictures, what comes first. A web developer builds it so it works: code, speed, forms, checkout. Many freelancers do both. For a small site you want one person who does both, so nothing gets lost between two people.
Freelance website designer cost
Ask for a number tied to pages. A small marketing site and a store are different jobs, and a day rate with no end is a way to discover the price after you have already started. The ranges I use are in how much a small business website costs.
Before you hire, you should know what is included, how many rounds of changes you get, who writes the words, who owns the site after launch, and what happens the month after it goes live.
A simple way to choose
Talk to two people. Pick the one who repeats your project back in plainer words than you used. That is the person who understood it. If you want that conversation with me, write with the project and the deadline.
FAQ
- How do I find a freelance website designer?
- Look at finished sites, then write to the person with the pages, the audience, and a budget range. A polished mockup with no live page is a weaker signal than a site you can open on your phone.
- What should I ask before hiring a freelance web designer?
- Ask what is included, how changes work, who writes the copy, and what you can edit after launch.
- What is the difference between a web designer and a web developer?
- A designer decides how the site looks and reads. A developer builds it so it works. For a small site, hire one person who does both.
- How do I choose a web designer?
- Open two of their live sites on your phone, ask for a price tied to pages, and pick the one who repeats your project back in plainer words than you used.
- Do I need a designer in my city?
- You need someone who can check the page on a phone and answer clearly. Location matters when you want to meet in person. The site itself can be built from anywhere.
