Choosing a web designer is one of the most important decisions a small business makes — and one of the easiest to get wrong. Prices range from £50 on a freelance marketplace to £20,000 at a big agency, and the quality varies just as wildly. Here is a practical checklist for hiring the right web designer in London.
1. Look at live work, not just a portfolio
Anyone can show pretty mockups. Ask for links to live websites they have built and actually visit them on your phone. Are they fast? Do they work on mobile? Do they still look current? Our portfolio links straight to the live client sites for exactly this reason.
2. Check who actually does the work
Many agencies sell the work then outsource it overseas. Ask directly: “Who will design and build my site, and can I speak to them?” With a small, designer-led studio like V Visuals you deal with the same person start to finish — no account managers, no hand-offs.
3. Bespoke vs template
A £200 website is usually a template with your logo dropped in. A bespoke site is designed for your brand — ideally in Figma first — so you approve every screen before a line of code is written. Bespoke costs more but looks like you, not everyone else.
4. Ask about SEO and speed from day one
A beautiful site that never appears on Google is a business card, not a marketing tool. A good designer builds in fast loading, mobile-first layouts, clean page titles and SEO foundations — and increasingly, structured data so AI assistants like ChatGPT can find you too.
5. Be clear on ownership and ongoing costs
Two questions that save a lot of pain: Do I own the website and domain afterwards? and What are the ongoing costs? Beware never-ending monthly fees that hold your site hostage. We offer optional maintenance from £60/month, but you always own your site.
6. Local matters
A London-based designer who can meet you, understands your market and shows up in local searches is often worth more than a faceless offshore team. See the areas we cover across South West London and Surrey.
What should it cost?
As a guide, in London expect roughly: landing page from £450, a 3-page site from £900, a full business site from £1,100, and a Shopify store from £1,400. See our full pricing.
Get a fixed quote
V Visuals is a design and digital agency in Richmond serving all of London. Tell us what you need and you will get a fixed, no-surprises quote — get in touch or call 07464 964459.