How to Chose a Freelance WordPress Web designer in the UK

Choosing someone to build your website is not always as simple as searching Google and picking the first web designer you find.

For a small business, your website is often the first place a potential customer learns about you. It needs to look professional, work properly on phones and computers, load quickly, and make it easy for visitors to understand what you offer.

WordPress is one of the most popular platforms for business websites because it is flexible, relatively easy to manage, and can grow with a business. However, the quality of a WordPress website depends heavily on how it is designed and developed.

You can find thousands of WordPress designers and developers online, from freelancers working independently to large web design agencies. So how do you choose the right person?

In this guide, we'll look at what a freelance WordPress web designer actually does, what you should check before hiring one, how much a WordPress website can cost, the advantages and disadvantages of using WordPress themes, and the questions you should ask before starting your project.

What Does a Freelance WordPress Web Designer Do?

A freelance WordPress web designer works independently rather than as part of a large web design agency. Depending on their skills and experience, they may handle the entire website project from planning and design through development and launch.

A typical WordPress project can include:

• Planning the website structure
• Designing page layouts
• Setting up WordPress
• Installing and configuring WordPress
• Creating responsive page designs
• Customizing or developing a WordPress theme
• Setting up contact forms
• Connecting analytics and other services
• Basic on-page SEO
• Improving website performance
• Testing the website
• Launching the finished website
• Providing maintenance and support

However, there is an important difference between a WordPress web designer and a WordPress developer.

A designer usually focuses more on the visual appearance, layout, typography, colors, user experience, and overall presentation of the website. A developer is generally more focused on the technical side, such as PHP, WordPress functionality, custom themes, plugins, integrations, databases, and more advanced functionality.

Some freelancers do both, while others specialize in one area.

For a small business website, finding someone who understands both design and development can be particularly useful because you don't necessarily need to coordinate between several different people.

Why Choose a Freelancer Instead of a Web Agency?

There is nothing wrong with hiring a web agency. Agencies can be an excellent choice for large projects that require designers, developers, copywriters, SEO specialists, project managers, and other professionals.

For a smaller business, however, a freelancer can sometimes be a better fit.

Direct communication

When you work with a freelancer, you can often communicate directly with the person building your website.

Instead of explaining your requirements to a salesperson who then passes them to a project manager and developer, you may be able to discuss the project directly with the person doing the work.

Lower overhead

A freelancer normally has fewer business overheads than a large agency. This can sometimes result in a more affordable project price.

That doesn't mean a freelancer should always be cheap. An experienced freelancer with many years of professional experience may charge considerably more than someone who is just starting out.

More personal service

Because the freelancer is directly responsible for the project, you may receive a more personal service and ongoing relationship.

This can be especially useful when you need future changes, maintenance, or help after the website has launched.

When an agency may be better

An agency can make more sense if you need a large eCommerce platform, complex integrations, extensive branding, ongoing SEO campaigns, content production, or a large development team.

The right choice depends on your project rather than simply choosing the cheapest option.

What to Check Before Hiring a WordPress Designer

Before hiring someone, don't look only at the price.Take some time to look at their previous work.

Look at their portfolio

A portfolio can tell you much more than a list of skills.

Look for websites that are similar to what you need. If you are a small professional business, look for examples of business websites rather than only looking at large corporate projects.

Visit the actual websites if possible.

Check how they work on your phone, how quickly pages load, how easy they are to navigate, and whether the design looks professional.

Check their experience

Ask how long they have been working with WordPress and what type of websites they normally build.

Someone who has built websites for several years will usually have experience dealing with problems that a beginner may not have encountered yet.

Check communication

Good communication is extremely important.

A talented designer who doesn't communicate clearly can make a project frustrating.

Before starting, make sure you understand:

• How you will communicate
• How quickly they normally respond
• What information they need from you
• How revisions work
• What happens after the website launches

Check what is actually included

Two designers might quote £1,000 and £2,000 for what appears to be the same website.

The difference may be in what is included.

Ask whether the price includes hosting, domain setup, design, development, mobile optimization, contact forms, SEO setup, security, backups, revisions, training, and post-launch support.

A cheap quote isn't necessarily cheaper if you later discover that important services cost extra.

How Much Can a WordPress Website Cost?

There isn't one standard price for a WordPress website.

The cost depends on the number of pages, design requirements, functionality, content, integrations, and the experience of the person building it.

A simple brochure website with four or five pages can cost considerably less than a large eCommerce website with hundreds of products.

You may encounter everything from very inexpensive template-based websites to several-thousand-pound custom projects.

When comparing prices, don't ask only: "How much does a WordPress website cost?"

Instead, ask: "What exactly am I getting for the price?"

For example, a website may include:

• Home page
• About page
• Services page
• Contact page
• Blog
• Responsive design
• Contact form
• Basic SEO
• Security configuration
• Analytics
• Training

Another designer may charge a similar amount but include fewer services.

It is also important to remember that the initial website cost isn't necessarily the only cost.

You may have ongoing expenses for hosting, domain registration, premium plugins, premium themes, email services, maintenance, backups, and other third-party services.

What Should Be Included in a Professional Website?

A professional website should be more than a collection of attractive pages.It should have a clear purpose.Visitors should quickly understand:

Who are you?

What do you offer?

Why should they choose you?

How can they contact you?

A typical small-business website might include: Professional homepage, About page, Services or products, Contact page, Clear calls to action, Contact form, Mobile-friendly layout, Fast-loading pages, Basic SEO, Security configuration, Analytics, Social media links where appropriate, Privacy and cookie information where required, Easy-to-manage content.

The exact requirements will depend on the business.

A restaurant, photographer, construction company, consultant, online shop, and professional service business will all need different website structures.

Mobile Responsiveness

Mobile responsiveness should not be treated as an optional extra.

A visitor might discover your business through Google while using their phone. If your website looks good on a desktop but is difficult to use on a smartphone, you could lose that potential customer.

A responsive website automatically adapts its layout to different screen sizes.

The designer should test the website on: Smartphones, Tablets , Laptops, Desktop monitors.

Don't simply resize the browser and assume everything is fine.

Buttons should be easy to tap, text should be readable, images shouldn't overflow the screen, menus should work correctly, and forms should be easy to complete.

Before accepting a finished website, spend some time using it on your own phone.

SEO and Website Speed

Having a beautiful website is useful, but people still need to find it.

Search engine optimization, commonly known as SEO, helps search engines understand your website and its content.

A professional WordPress website should at least have a sensible SEO foundation.

This can include:

• Search-friendly page titles
• Proper heading structure
• Descriptive URLs
• Useful page content
• Image optimization
• Internal linking
• Mobile-friendly design
• Fast-loading pages
• Appropriate metadata
• Search engine indexing configuration
• XML sitemap
• Google Search Console setup

SEO is much larger than installing an SEO plugin and adding a keyword to a page.Website speed is also important.Large images, unnecessary plugins, poorly coded themes, excessive scripts, and badly configured hosting can all affect performance.

A good WordPress designer should understand that performance starts during the build, not only after the website becomes slow.

WordPress Security and Maintenance

Launching a website is not the end of the project.WordPress, themes, and plugins need to be maintained.Regular maintenance can include:

WordPress updates, Plugin updates, Theme updates, Security checks, Backups, Database maintenance, Broken-link checks, Performance monitoring, Testing forms and important functionality

You don't necessarily need to pay someone every month if you are comfortable managing everything yourself.

However, if your website generates leads or supports your business, having a reliable backup and maintenance plan can save you considerable trouble later.

Never assume that because your website is working today, it will always work without maintenance.

WordPress Themes: Should You Use One?

This is one of the questions worth discussing before your project begins.
WordPress themes can be a great solution, particularly for smaller websites. However, there are also situations where a custom or lightweight approach can be a better choice.

Advantages of using a WordPress theme

A good WordPress theme can significantly reduce the time required to build a website.For a typical four- or five-page business website, a theme can be an efficient solution.Some advantages include:

Faster delivery:
Much of the basic design and layout is already available, so the website can often be completed faster.

Lower initial development cost:
The designer doesn't have to create every component from scratch.

Professional starting designs:
Many quality themes provide professionally designed layouts that can be customized for your business.

Useful built-in features:
Some themes include headers, footers, page layouts, typography options, and other design features.

Good for smaller websites:
If you need a straightforward company website with a few pages, a suitable theme may be all you need.

Disadvantages of using WordPress themes

The biggest problem isn't that themes are inherently bad. The problem is using an unsuitable, bloated, poorly maintained, or heavily customized theme.

Some themes include a large number of features that you may never use.This can make the website more complicated than necessary.

Another issue is licensing.
Some premium themes require an annual subscription for updates and support. Over several years, these recurring costs can add up.

You may also become dependent on the theme's design system.If you want to make changes that the theme doesn't support, additional development work may be required.A theme can also be difficult to replace later if the website has become heavily dependent on its specific features or page builder.

Advantages of a lightweight or custom WordPress approach

A lightweight custom approach can give you more control over the website.
Instead of starting with a large theme containing hundreds of features, the website can be built around the actual requirements of the business.Potential advantages include:

Lightweight code:
Only the functionality required by the project needs to be included.

Better control over performance:
Reducing unnecessary features and scripts can make it easier to build a fast website.

Flexible design:
The website can be designed around the brand instead of trying to fit the brand into an existing theme.

Easier future development:
New sections and features can be developed according to the website's actual structure.

Less dependence on a particular theme:
The website isn't necessarily tied to a theme's design system.

No unnecessary theme features:
You don't have to load functionality that you will never use.

However, custom development isn't automatically better for every project.It usually requires more development time and can therefore cost more initially.

For a small five-page website with a limited budget, a quality lightweight theme may be the sensible choice.

For a business that wants a unique design, better control, and room for future development, a custom or lightweight WordPress build may be worth the additional investment.

The important thing is to choose the approach based on the project rather than following a one-size-fits-all rule.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a WordPress Designer

Before agreeing to a project, ask a few straightforward questions.

About the project

• How many pages are included?
• Is the design custom or theme-based?
• Is the website responsive?
• Will I be able to edit the content myself?
• What happens if I need additional pages later?

About pricing

• What is included in the quoted price?
• Are there additional development costs?
• Are premium plugins or themes included?
• Are there annual license fees?
• Is hosting included?
• What happens if I request additional work?

About support

• Is maintenance included?
• Do you provide backups?
• What happens after launch?
• Can I contact you if something breaks?
• Do you provide training?

About SEO

• Is basic SEO included?
• Will the website be connected to Google Search Console?
• Are images optimized?
• Is the website built with performance in mind?

A good designer should be comfortable answering these questions.

Working With an Overseas or Remote Designer

Today, you don't necessarily need to hire someone who lives in the same city or even the same country.Many businesses work successfully with remote freelancers around the world.

The important factors are communication, reliability, technical ability, portfolio quality, and clear project requirements.
Before hiring a remote designer, discuss:

Time-zone differences, Communication methods, Project deadlines, Payment arrangements, Revision process, Website ownership, Hosting access, Domain access, Post-launch support

Make sure you retain ownership and appropriate access to your domain and website.A remote freelancer should not be a problem if the working process is clear.

In fact, remote collaboration can give small businesses access to experienced professionals without limiting themselves to designers in their local area.

A Practical Checklist Before Starting a Project

Before you hire a WordPress designer, have these things ready:

☐ Define the purpose of your website
☐ Identify your target customers
☐ Prepare your company information
☐ Prepare your logo and brand assets
☐ List the pages you need
☐ Collect examples of websites you like
☐ Prepare your text/content if available
☐ Collect your images
☐ Decide who will provide hosting
☐ Decide who will manage the domain
☐ Ask for a detailed quotation
☐ Confirm what is included
☐ Ask about revisions
☐ Ask about ongoing maintenance
☐ Confirm website ownership
☐ Discuss the expected delivery date

The clearer your requirements are before development starts, the easier it is for the designer to give you an accurate quote and timeline.

About TD Web Solution

If you're looking for a freelance WordPress web designer and prefer working directly with an experienced independent professional, TD Web Solution provides WordPress web design and development services for businesses, organizations and individuals.

The focus is on creating websites that are professional, responsive, practical and easy to manage rather than simply installing a theme and changing a few colors.

Services can include WordPress website design, custom WordPress development, website redesigns, responsive front-end development, website maintenance and ongoing improvements.

TD Web Solution works remotely with clients in the UK, USA and other locations worldwide.

Every project is different, so the best approach is to first understand what the business actually needs before deciding whether a theme-based, customized, or more bespoke WordPress solution is appropriate.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a freelance WordPress web designer isn't simply about finding the lowest price.Your website represents your business, and the person you hire can have a significant impact on its design, performance, usability and future maintenance.

Look at previous work. Ask questions. Understand exactly what is included in the price. Make sure the website will work properly on mobile devices, has a sensible SEO foundation, and can be maintained after launch.

Most importantly, choose a solution that fits your actual business.

A well-chosen WordPress theme can be an excellent solution for a simple business website. A lightweight custom approach may be more suitable when you need greater flexibility and control. Neither option is automatically right for every business.

The goal should be to build a website that works for your customers and supports your business for years to come.

Need Help With Your WordPress Website?

If you're planning a new business website, redesigning an existing WordPress website, or simply need help maintaining your current site, you can contact TD Web Solution to discuss your requirements.

A short conversation about your goals and requirements can help you understand which WordPress solution is right for your business before you commit to a project.

Looking for a freelance WordPress web designer for your business? Get in touch with TD Web Solution to discuss your website project.