How to Choose a Web Designer in Wolverhampton
Everyone's portfolio looks fine and everyone says the same things. Here are the questions that actually separate them, including the ones we would rather you did not ask us.
Search for a web designer in Wolverhampton and you get a page of companies who all look broadly similar. Every portfolio has attractive screenshots. Everyone mentions results. Everyone is responsive, professional, and passionate about their clients. You are supposed to pick one from that, and there is almost nothing to pick on.
We build websites in Wolverhampton, so we have an obvious interest in what you decide. This is still worth writing, because the way most people choose is by picking the nicest-looking portfolio, and that is close to the worst available method.
Why portfolios tell you so little
A portfolio shows you the finished picture. It does not show you the three things that determine whether the project goes well: whether the site actually brought the client work, whether it was painful to build, and whether the designer is still answering the phone eighteen months later.
It also does not show you which parts they did. A lot of portfolio pieces are a theme somebody bought, configured, and photographed well. That is not dishonest, and sometimes a well-configured theme is exactly what you need. But you should know which one you are looking at, because the price should be different.
The questions worth asking
Ask all of these, of everyone, including us.
"Who will actually build it?" In small studios, the person you meet is usually the person who builds it. In larger agencies, you may meet a salesperson, hand over to a project manager, and never speak to the builder. Neither is wrong. But if a detail matters to you, you want to know how many people it has to travel through.
"Is this a custom build or a theme?" Both are legitimate. A theme is faster and cheaper. A custom build is lighter, quicker to load, and does what you need rather than what it came with. The answer should be direct. Vagueness here usually means theme.
"Who writes the words?" This is the question that separates good projects from expensive disappointments. If the answer is "you send us your copy," you are buying a layout, and the reason your current site is not working is quite possibly the words. Someone should be asking how your customers describe their problem, in their language, not yours.
"What happens to my Google rankings?" Any rebuild that changes page addresses can lose you traffic unless the old addresses are redirected to the new ones. You want a specific answer about redirects, not reassurance.
"What does it cost per month after launch?" Hosting, updates, security, backups, and someone to call. Get the number. A build quote that ignores the running cost is not cheaper, it has just moved it.
"Can I edit it myself?" You should be able to change a phone number, a price, or a photo without paying anyone. Ask to see the editing screen, not just to be told it is easy.
What being local is actually worth
Less than people think, and more than nothing.
It is worth little technically. A good designer in Manchester will build you a better site than a mediocre one in Wolverhampton, and everything can be done over a call.
It is worth a lot in one specific way: someone who can sit in your unit or your shop for an hour hears things that never come out on a video call. How you describe the job to a customer standing in front of you is usually better copy than anything you would type into a form. That hour is often where the site's whole message comes from.
If you would rather not meet in person, do not pay a premium for local. If that hour would help, local is the easiest way to get it.
Signals that should slow you down
Not disqualifying, just worth a second question.
A quote with no fixed price. If they cannot tell you what it costs before starting, you are funding their uncertainty.
Guaranteed number-one rankings. Nobody can promise this. Anyone who does is either misinformed or counting on you not checking.
A portfolio with no live links. Screenshots are easy. Ask for addresses you can visit, and check how fast they load on your phone on mobile data.
Pressure to sign this week. Good studios have a waiting list and no reason to rush you.
When you should not use a studio at all
If you need three pages and a contact form, and you are comfortable spending a weekend on it, a website builder will do the job for a few pounds a month. There is no shame in that and it is what we would tell our own family.
Hire someone when the site has to do real work: bring in enquiries, explain something complicated, sell, or represent a business where looking amateur costs you deals. That is the point at which the difference between a template and a considered build shows up in money.
The short version
Ignore the portfolio for a minute. Ask who builds it, whether it is custom, who writes the words, what happens to your rankings, and what it costs per month. The answers will separate the field faster than any gallery of screenshots.
If you want that conversation with us, we are in Codsall, just outside Wolverhampton, and our sites start at £1,500 with a fixed quote before any work starts. More on how we work on our Wolverhampton page, or get in touch and we will tell you straight whether we are the right fit.