Hiring guide
Check before you hire
Home / How to choose a web designer
About this guide: it's written by The Woodlands Web Design. We're one of the firms you might be comparing, so we haven't ranked anyone, ourselves included. Use the same checklist on every designer you talk to, us too.
Businesses in The Woodlands, Conroe and Spring have plenty of choices for web design, from freelancers and small studios to large agencies and do-it-yourself site builders. Any of them can be the right fit. Look past the portfolio's style, too: ownership, support after launch and how the site works on a phone matter just as much.
We've been building websites since 2005, and these are the questions we'd want a business owner to ask before signing with anyone.
Criteria
What to look for
Eleven criteria, in no particular order. None of them depend on who you hire.
| Criterion | Why it matters | How to check | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live, recent work you can open | Screenshots can be years old or mocked up. Live sites show how the work holds up today. | Ask for 3–5 live website addresses from the last few years and open them on your phone. | “Which of these did you design and build, and what did you not do?” |
| Who actually does the work | Some firms design in-house; others pass work to subcontractors. Either can work if you know. | Ask who your day-to-day contact is and who writes the code and content. | “Will the person I meet be the person working on my site?” |
| You own your domain, site and content | If the designer controls your domain or hosting account, leaving later can be hard. | Ask for it in writing. Your domain should be registered in your business's name with your own login. | “If we part ways, what do I get, and how long does a handoff take?” |
| The right platform for you | Custom code, WordPress, Shopify and site builders each fit different businesses and budgets. | Ask why they recommend a platform for your business, and who can edit pages afterward. | “What will I be able to update myself without calling you?” |
| Fast on a phone | Many customers will see your site on a phone first, so it has to load quickly and read well on a small screen. | Run two of their portfolio sites through Google's free PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev) on mobile. | “How do you keep pages fast after launch, as photos and plugins get added?” |
| Local search basics | Your site and Google Business Profile should agree on your name, service area and services. | Search for a past client's service plus their town and see whether they show up. | “How do you handle titles, service-area pages and Google Business Profile consistency?” |
| Readable by AI search tools | Tools like Google's AI Overviews and ChatGPT summarize pages they can crawl and understand. | Check that their sites have clear headings, plain-language answers and structured data, and don't block crawlers you want. | “How do you make a site easy for search engines and AI assistants to read and cite?” |
| Accessible to everyone | Readable contrast, keyboard navigation and image descriptions help real customers and reduce risk. | Try tabbing through one of their sites with a keyboard and zooming the text to 200%. | “Do you design to WCAG guidelines?” |
| Support after launch | Sites need updates, backups and security fixes. Many problems show up months later. | Ask what happens after launch: who makes changes, how fast, and how backups work. | “What does ongoing support include, and what counts as extra?” |
| A clear written proposal | Vague scopes lead to surprise costs and missed expectations. | Get scope, timeline, deliverables, revision rounds and how change requests work in writing before you sign. | “What is not included in this proposal?” |
| Honest reviews and references | Third-party reviews and real references are harder to fake than testimonials on a designer's own site. | Read reviews on their Google Business Profile and other independent sites, and call one or two references. | “Can I speak with a past client whose project was similar to mine?” |
Red flags
Red flags to watch for
- Ranking guarantees.Google's own guidance says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. The same goes for AI answers.
- They own your domain.If the domain or hosting is registered to the designer, ask to move it into your name before you start.
- No live examples.Only screenshots or mockups, and no sites you can open and test yourself.
- A vague proposal.No written scope, timeline or list of what's not included.
- No access to your own data.You should have your own logins for analytics, Google Search Console and Google Business Profile.
- Reviews that only live on their site.Look for reviews on independent platforms you can verify.
Where we fit
Are we a fit for you?
We're likely a good fit if you want a custom website plus help with SEO and practical AI, from a firm based in The Woodlands that has been designing websites since 2005. We work with small businesses, professional firms and growing brands in The Woodlands, Conroe, Spring, Kingwood, Katy, Tomball, League City and across Greater Houston.
We may not be the right fit if you'd rather build and manage the whole site yourself. A do-it-yourself site builder can be a sensible choice for that.
Want to see how your current site measures up against the checklist? The Free Website Review checks Google PageSpeed scores for mobile and desktop, your page title, meta description and main heading, HTTPS, robots.txt and your XML sitemap, and we reply by email within 2 business days.
FAQ
Hiring questions
What should I look for when hiring a web designer in The Woodlands or Conroe?
Look for live recent work you can open on your phone, clear answers about who does the work, written confirmation that you own your domain and content, a platform that fits how you'll update the site, fast mobile pages, local search basics, accessibility, support after launch and a clear written proposal. The table on this page shows how to check each one yourself.
Does my web designer need to be local?
Not necessarily. A local designer can meet in person and may already know the area's market, but plenty of good work is done remotely. Judge any designer, local or not, by their live work, process and references.
Can a web designer guarantee a #1 ranking on Google?
No. Google's own guidance says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google, and it warns against anyone who claims a special relationship with Google. Be cautious of ranking guarantees, including for AI search results.
Should I own my website's domain name?
Yes. Register the domain in your business's name with a login you control, and make sure you can get copies of your site files and content. That keeps you free to change designers or hosts later.
Is WordPress, Shopify or a custom-built site better?
It depends on what you sell and who will maintain the site. Online stores often fit a commerce platform, content-heavy sites often fit a content management system, and a custom build can make sense when speed, design or special features matter most. Ask any designer to explain their recommendation for your situation.
How can I check the quality of a designer's past work?
Open their live sites on your phone, run a couple through Google's free PageSpeed Insights tool, try the contact forms, and read their reviews on independent sites. If you can, ask a past client how the project and support went.
How do AI assistants like ChatGPT decide which businesses to mention?
They draw on web pages they can read plus what's said about a business elsewhere, such as reviews, directories and articles. No one controls those answers. Clear, accurate information on your site and consistent details on profiles like Google Business Profile give these tools better material to work with.
Is this page a ranking of web designers?
No. This guide is written by The Woodlands Web Design, so we haven't ranked other firms or ourselves. Use the criteria to compare any designers you're considering, including us.
Get in touch
Comparing designers? Talk to us
Run a Free Website Review, or tell us about your project and we'll reply by email.
The Woodlands, TX · Serving Greater Houston
