What to look for from a web designer
Choosing a web designer is less about flashy portfolios but giving you the best value for money whilst achieving your project goals. You should choose a web designer who understands your needs, works closely with you, and builds a site that not only looks great, but works hard to communicate your message and generate enquiries.
Ask these questions
- Will the site be built from scratch, or based on a template?
- Who writes and owns the code after launch?
- How is mobile performance and SEO handled from day one?
- What does the process look like from brief to go-live?
A good designer should explain trade-offs in plain English, give a realistic timeline, and leave you with a site you can grow — not lock you into a platform you do not control.
Talk about your project
Bespoke websites vs templates: which is right for you?
Templates and drag-and-drop builders can get a page online quickly. For many small businesses, though, they become a ceiling: slow load times, limited layout control, and a site that looks like everyone else’s.
A bespoke site is designed around your brand, services and goals. You are not fighting a theme’s constraints. That usually means clearer messaging, better conversion paths, and cleaner code that search engines can understand.
If your business depends on trust and enquiries — trades, professional services, hospitality, retail — a tailored build is often the stronger long-term investment.
See example websites
SEO basics for small business websites
Search engine optimisation does not need to be mysterious. For most local businesses, the foundations matter more than tricks:
- Clear page titles and meta descriptions that match what people search for
- One strong H1 per page and logical headings
- Fast, mobile-friendly pages with descriptive image alt text
- Location pages or content that genuinely reflect where you serve
- A simple contact path so visitors can get in touch easily
Something Clicked builds sites with this structure in place from the start, so you are not bolting SEO on as an afterthought.
Read more FAQs
When to redesign your website (and when to wait)
Not every ageing site needs a full rebuild tomorrow. Consider a redesign if:
- The site looks dated or isn't responsive - this is where the site resizes itself automatically for the type of device screen size that it is being viewed on
- Enquiries have dropped and the contact journey is unclear
- You cannot update content without calling a developer every time
- Page speed or security is holding you back
If the structure still works and only the visuals feel tired, a focused refresh may be enough. If the site fights every change, a clean bespoke rebuild often costs less in the long run than endless patches.
Request a redesign chat