What to Look for When Choosing a Web Designer in Devon

Choosing someone to build your website is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your business. Get it right, and you’ve got a digital asset that brings in customers for years. Get it wrong, and you’re back to square one in twelve months with a site that doesn’t work, doesn’t rank, and doesn’t represent your business properly.

If you’re a business owner in Devon — whether you’re in Paignton, Torquay, Exeter, or Plymouth — here’s what to actually look for.

Start with the work, not the words

Every web designer says they build “beautiful, responsive websites.” The only way to know if that’s true is to look at their portfolio. We always recommend reviewing our recent web design case studies before hiring us, and you should demand the same from anyone else.

When reviewing their previous work, ask yourself:

• Do the sites feel fast? Click through them on your phone. If they take more than a couple of seconds to load, that’s a red flag.
• Do they look different from each other? If every project looks the same, the designer is probably using templates rather than designing for each client.
• Are they real businesses? Can you Google the clients and verify the site is live? Dead portfolio links are a warning sign.
• Do they work on mobile? More than 60% of web traffic is mobile. If the portfolio sites feel awkward on a phone, move on.

Understand what you’re paying for

Web design pricing in Devon varies enormously — from £500 to £15,000+ for what looks like the same thing on the surface. The reason is that you’re not just paying for the visual design. You’re paying for:

• Strategy and planning — Understanding your business, your customers, and what the site needs to do
• Custom design — Layouts, typography, and visual systems built specifically for you
• Development — Clean, semantic code that’s fast, accessible, and SEO-ready
• Content structure — Information architecture that guides visitors to take action
• Testing — Cross-browser, cross-device testing before launch
• SEO foundations — Proper meta tags, schema markup, page speed, and crawlability

A £500 website generally means a pre-made template with your logo dropped in. That can work for some situations, but if you’re serious about using your website as a sales tool, expect to invest more.

Ask about their process

A good web designer should be able to walk you through exactly how a project works from start to finish. Key things to listen for:

Discovery and planning

Do they ask questions about your business before showing designs? If someone jumps straight to mockups without understanding your goals, your audience, or your competitors, the result will look nice but won’t perform.

Design and feedback

How do they present designs? Do you get to review and give feedback, or is it a “take it or leave it” situation? The best outcomes come from structured collaboration.

Development approach

What technology do they use? WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, or a bespoke custom-coded build? There’s no single right answer, but they should be able to explain why they use what they use and how it benefits you.

Launch and handover

What happens after the site goes live? Do they provide training? Is there a maintenance plan? Who handles hosting? The launch is the beginning, not the end.

Check their technical credentials

Good design is only half the equation. The site also needs to be technically sound. Ask about (or check):

• Page speed scores — Run their portfolio sites through PageSpeed Insights. If their own work doesn’t score well, yours won’t either.
• Mobile experience — Is it truly responsive, or just a squashed version of the desktop site?
• Accessibility — Can people with disabilities use the sites they’ve built? This is a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010, not just a nice-to-have.
• SEO basics — View the source code. Are there proper title tags, meta descriptions, heading structures, and alt text on images?

If you want to understand more about what makes a site technically sound, our article on why website speed matters goes deeper on the performance side.

Local vs. remote: does it matter?

Working with someone local in Devon has real advantages:

• Face-to-face meetings — Sometimes it’s easier to explain what you need in person, especially at the start of a project
• Local knowledge — A designer who understands the Devon market knows what local customers expect
• Accountability — It’s harder to disappear when you’re in the same area
• Photography — If you need on-site photos or video, local makes logistics much simpler

That said, some of the best designers work remotely. The key is communication. If they’re responsive, organised, and easy to talk to, geography matters less.

Red flags to watch for

Walk away if you see any of these:

• No portfolio or case studies — If they can’t show you what they’ve built, there’s a reason
• No contract — Professional work requires clear terms, deliverables, and timelines
• Ownership issues — You should own your website, your domain, and your content. If the designer retains ownership or locks you into their platform, you’ll regret it
• No talk of SEO or performance — If speed and search visibility aren’t part of the conversation from day one, they’re building a brochure, not a business tool
• Pressure to sign quickly — Good designers are happy for you to take time to decide. High-pressure sales tactics usually mean they need the work more than you need them

Questions to ask before you commit

Here’s a short list to bring to your initial conversation:

1. Can you show me three recent projects for businesses similar to mine?
2. What’s your process from start to finish?
3. What platform or technology will my site be built on, and why?
4. Will my site be optimised for speed and search engines?
5. What happens after launch — do you offer support or maintenance?
6. Who owns the website, domain, and content?
7. What’s included in the price, and what might cost extra?

The answers will tell you everything you need to know about whether they’re the right fit.

Finding the right match

The best web design relationships are partnerships, not transactions. You want someone who understands your business, communicates clearly, and builds something that works as hard as you do.

Take your time, do your research, and don’t make your decision based on price alone. A website that actually drives enquiries and sales will pay for itself many times over.

If you want to see how we approach projects, take a look at our work, read more about our web development process, or discover how we streamline operations with AI and automation tools.

For a deeper look at how the right website helps you get found online, read our guide to small business SEO.

---

If you’re looking for a web designer in Devon and want to have a straightforward conversation about what you need, book a free 15-minute discovery call with us. No pressure, no jargon — just honest advice about your project.