How to Choose a Web Designer on Staten Island

The short answer: open the designer’s real websites on your phone, get a fixed price and a timeline in writing, make sure the domain and the site will belong to you, and pick the person who answers your questions plainly. Everything else is detail.

Plenty of businesses here still grow by word of mouth. A neighbor recommends you, and then that person looks you up before calling. Your website is the second impression, and it decides whether the call happens. This guide covers how to choose the person who builds it. We’re a web design studio based in the borough, so we have a view, but the advice holds whoever you hire.

Does it matter if your web designer is local?

It doesn’t have to. Good designers work with clients they never meet. A local one does bring a few practical advantages:

You can sit down together, show them the shop or the work, and point at things.
They know how people here search: on a phone, often by neighborhood, often for something they need today.
It’s easier to check their reputation. Someone you know has probably heard of them.

If meeting in person matters to you, start close to home. If it doesn’t, judge everyone by the same checks below.

Check their websites on your phone, not their portfolio

Screenshots hide a lot. Ask for links to live sites they’ve built, and open them on your own phone, on mobile data, because that’s how your customers will see yours.

Does the page show up quickly, or do you stare at a blank screen?
Can you find the phone number, address and hours without hunting?
Does it look made for that business, or like a template with a new logo?
Do the buttons and forms work when you tap them?

For a more objective test, run a site through Google’s free PageSpeed Insights on the mobile setting. A designer whose own sites score poorly will likely build you a slow one.

Ask who writes the words

Designers often assume you’ll send the text. Clients often assume the designer writes it. Settle it at the start, because a well-designed page with placeholder text can’t launch.

If they write it, ask how. A good writer asks about your business, your customers and what sets you apart, then turns your answers into plain pages that a stranger understands in seconds.

Get the price and the timeline in writing

A clear quote tells you:

whether there’s a page limit, and what an extra page costs
what’s included: design, writing, a phone layout, a contact form, on-page SEO
what you’ll pay each month or year after launch, and to whom
when each payment is due
when the work starts and when the site should go live

Vague prices tend to grow. Ask for it written down before you pay anything. Our guide to what a small business website costs has seven questions that make quotes easy to compare.

Make sure you’ll own your website

The question people forget most, and the one that causes the most trouble later.

Your domain should be registered in your name, on your own account. You should be able to get into the hosting and every account the site depends on. Ask what happens if you stop working together: can you take the site with you, or does it disappear?

We build every site in custom code that belongs to the client, and the client buys their own domain. Whoever you hire, know which way they work before you sign.

Ask about Google, and listen for honesty

A good designer sets up the on-page basics as part of the build: page titles and descriptions, a page for each main service, your business details on every page, and a fast site on phones. Ask how they handle your Google Business Profile, and whether they offer ongoing local SEO.

Then listen to how they talk about results. Anyone who promises you first place on Google is guessing. Our guide to local SEO for borough businesses explains what really moves your position.

Ask how changes work after launch

Holiday hours, a new service, a price change. Ask:

Can I make simple changes myself?
If not, how do I ask for them, and how quickly are they usually done?
What does a change cost, one at a time or on a monthly plan?

Warning signs when hiring a web designer

They register the domain in their own name.
They promise first place on Google.
They can’t explain what you’re paying for in plain words.
They want the full amount before any design work.
They tie the site to a long hosting or maintenance contract.
They have no live sites you can open, and no reason why.

Ten questions to ask before you hire

Can I see three live sites you’ve built?
Who writes the words?
Is there a page limit?
What’s the total price, in writing?
When will the site be live?
Who owns the domain, the code and the accounts?
What do I pay after launch, and to whom?
How do changes work, and what do they cost?
What SEO is included in the build?
What do you need from me to get started?

How we work

We design and build custom websites for small businesses here and across New York City, New Jersey and the rest of New York State. A site is $2,000, with every page you need and the words written for you. Most are ready in 1 week. You pay 25% to start and the rest once you’re happy with it, and the code and the domain are yours. Our web design page for the borough has the details, and you can read what clients say on our home page.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a web designer cost?

It depends on what’s included, especially the writing and the number of pages. Ours is $2,000 flat. Our website cost guide compares the usual routes.

How long should a small business website take?

A focused site can be ready in about a week when the content is settled early. Our guide on how long a website takes explains what slows projects down.

Should I use a website builder instead?

If you have the time and a small budget, a builder can work. If you’d rather spend that time running your business, hiring someone usually costs less than it seems once your hours are counted.

If you’d like to talk, tell us about your business. Our pricing is published, so you’ll know where you stand before we speak.