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Hiring a web designer

How to choose a web designer in the UK

Practical, sourced guidance for small businesses and organisations: what to ask, what to get in writing, and how to stay in control of your own website.

Last reviewed 20 October 2026 · Written by the Zoib editorial team · Published by Web Designer Limited

About this guide: Web Design Websites is published by Web Designer Limited, which trades as Zoib and sells websites and hosting. We don’t earn commission from anyone mentioned here. Where Zoib comes up, we say so. More about us.

The short version

  1. Write a one-page brief: what the site is for, the pages you need, who supplies the words and photos.
  2. Ask the same questions of every designer, especially about ownership, hosting and ongoing fees.
  3. Get written proposals and compare them line by line.
  4. Keep the domain, hosting and logins in your own name.
  5. Sign a short contract covering scope, price, payment stages, ownership and what happens if you part ways.

The guides

We run Zoib. Web Designer Limited, which publishes this guide, sells websites and hosting as Zoib. You’re welcome to compare us using the same checklists, but this guide is written to help you choose any designer.

Questions people ask

Who writes this guide?

The Zoib editorial team at Web Designer Limited. Each page lists its sources and the date it was last reviewed.

Do you recommend specific web designers?

No. We don’t rank or recommend designers and we don’t take referral fees. The guides are checklists you can use with anyone.