How to Choose a Web Designer (Without Getting Burned)
By Jeff Gutowski. Founder of Break The Image; has built 50+ pond contractor websites and 560+ sites for trades since 2016. Published Aug 5, 2025.
Hiring a web designer is risky. Plenty of people have paid for projects that never finished, ended up with sites they hate, or got locked into platforms they can't escape. Here's how to avoid those disasters.
Red Flags to Watch For
"We can't show you who owns the hosting account"
If you don't own your hosting, you don't own your site. Period.
"Our proprietary platform is better than WordPress"
Translation: we're locking you in. Run.
"We don't need a contract"
Always get a contract. Always.
"We'll have it done in 2 weeks" (for a full custom site)
Either it's a template or they're lying.
"Trust us, you don't need to understand the details"
You should understand what you're paying for.
Questions to Ask
- 1.Do I own my website? (Design, code, content, hosting account?)
- 2.Can I see your portfolio and talk to past clients?
- 3.What's your process? (They should be able to explain it clearly)
- 4.What happens if I want to leave?
- 5.What's included in the price? What costs extra?
- 6.Who will I be communicating with?
- 7.What's your timeline and what could affect it?
- 8.What do you need from me?
What Good Looks Like
- Clear process they can explain
- Portfolio with similar projects
- References available
- You own everything
- No pressure to sign immediately
- Honest about timeline and limitations
- Communication that makes sense to you
Our Approach
At Break The Image, we address every concern above:
- You own everything, the design, code, content, and hosting account
- We use WordPress, industry standard, no proprietary lock-in
- Clear contracts with scope, timeline, and pricing defined upfront
- Realistic timelines, 4-8 weeks for most projects, not fantasy numbers
- You work directly with Jeff, no account managers or handoffs
If you want to see what written commitments look like from an agency, our five guarantees are on one page, including the one we will not make.