What to look for in a Perth web designer

You want the code, content and design to be yours, not rented from a platform or tied to a contract. If the answer is “you own it as long as you stay with us”, you don’t own it. More on this in do you actually own your website?

Yours. Always. The domain is the most important asset; if it lapses or sits in someone else’s account, your website and email can disappear. Ask to see it registered to your business.

Not mockups, not templates: live sites you can visit, ideally for businesses like yours. Then check them on your phone. Are they fast? Easy to read? Is it obvious how to get in touch? You can see my live work here.

How many pages? Is a contact form included? SEO basics? Hosting? Changes after launch? A clear, written list now avoids “that’s extra” later.

Hosting, domain renewal, maintenance, platform subscriptions, plugin licences. Some sites are cheap to build and expensive to keep. Ask for the yearly total.

Large upfront deposits before you’ve seen any design carry most of the risk for you. Look for payment tied to milestones you can see. I don’t take payment until you’ve seen and approved a working preview.

At an agency, the person who sells you the site often isn’t the person who builds it. Neither model is wrong, but know who you’ll be talking to when something needs changing.

A good answer covers the basics: fast loading, one clear heading per page, specific page titles, structured data and a sitemap. Be wary of anyone who guarantees first-page rankings; nobody can promise that honestly.

If you’ll want to add projects, posts or prices, ask to see the editing screen. If you won’t, ask what a small change costs and how quickly it happens. See easy-to-edit websites.

It happens more than you’d think. Make sure you’d have every login, the domain in your name and code you can hand to someone else. If it’s already happened to you, here’s what to do.

A Perth web designer isn’t essential (most work happens over email and video), but being in the same time zone, knowing the local market and being able to meet when it helps does make things easier. I’m based in Padbury and work mostly with Perth and WA businesses, and with businesses Australia-wide remotely.