Small Business
How to Choose a Web Designer Without Getting Burned
Red flags, green flags and the exact questions to ask before paying a deposit.
Trustoby Designs TeamJanuary 17, 2026 2 min read
Red flags
No written scope. Ownership of the site retained by the designer. Guaranteed #1 rankings. No portfolio in any comparable industry. Pressure to sign today.
Green flags
A fixed written quote, named references you can call, live sites you can test on your own phone, and clear answers about what happens if you want to leave.
Test the work, not the pitch
Open three of their portfolio sites on mobile data and run them through PageSpeed Insights. That five-minute test tells you more than any sales call.
Want this handled for you?
Trustoby Designs builds fast, SEO-ready websites from $99 with a fixed quote in 48 hours.
Get Free Quote