How to choose a web designer in Kerry (without getting burned)

You know your business needs a better website. What puts you off is the process of getting one: quotes that don’t compare, jargon you can’t check, and the stories you’ve heard from other business owners. The designer who vanished after launch. The site nobody could update. The domain that turned out to be in someone else’s name.

Almost all of that is avoidable, and you can spot most of it before you sign anything. These are the ten questions we’d ask if we were hiring a web designer in Kerry ourselves, with what a good answer sounds like and the red flags to listen for.

1. Can I see websites you’ve built for businesses like mine?

A portfolio of screenshots proves very little. Ask for links to live websites, then open them on your own phone, ideally on mobile data rather than Wi-Fi:

• Does the site load quickly?
• Can you tell what the business does, and where, within a few seconds?
• Is it obvious how to get in touch?

Red flag: only mock-ups, nothing live, or work that looks the same whatever the business. Our own recent work includes an electrician and a painting company in Tralee, so you can run exactly this test on us.

2. Who will own the domain, the website and the content?

The only good answer is “you”. Your domain name (yourbusiness.ie) should be registered in your name, with your own login, and you should have access to the hosting and to any analytics.

Red flag: “Don’t worry, we look after all that.” If the domain sits in a designer’s account and you part ways, you can lose your web address and the email addresses that go with it.

3. What will it cost now, and every year after?

The build is only part of the cost. Ask for every running cost in writing:

• domain renewal
• hosting
• email
• maintenance, updates and backups
• any paid plugins, themes or software licences

Red flag: a low headline price with open-ended monthly fees, or “it depends” with nothing written down. A clear written quote protects you both.

4. What exactly is included?

“A five-page website” can mean almost anything. A useful quote says which pages you’ll get, who writes the words, who supplies the photos, whether contact forms, bookings or a shop are included, whether your Google Business Profile is set up, and whether you’ll be shown how to make changes.

Red flag: the scope only becomes clear once the extras start.

5. Will it work properly on a phone?

Most people who look you up do it on a phone first, often standing in a kitchen or sitting in a car. Google ranks your site on that version too: it uses “the mobile version of a site’s content” for indexing and ranking (Google Search Central).

Ask the designer to show you one of their sites on your phone, not on their laptop.

Red flag: “We’ll sort out the mobile version at the end.”

6. How will people find it on Google?

A website nobody finds is a brochure in a drawer. The basics of search should be part of the build, not an add-on:

• a clear title and description for every page
• a page for each main service, so the right page can appear for the right search
• fast loading, especially on a weak signal
• your name, area and contact details matching your Google Business Profile

Red flag: “SEO is extra” for those basics, or the opposite, a promise of first place on Google. Nobody can promise that, and we’ve written about why you should walk away from anyone who does.

7. Can I update it myself, and what happens when I can’t?

Opening hours change. Prices change. New photos come in. Ask how you’ll make small changes, whether you’ll be shown how, and what it costs when you’d rather someone else did it.

Red flag: every small change needs a paid request, with no idea how long it will take.

8. How long will it take, and what do you need from me?

The code is rarely what holds a website up. The content is: the words, the photos and the decisions. A good designer tells you what they need from you, and by when, and agrees a realistic timeline in writing.

Red flag: no plan, just “a few weeks”.

9. What happens after launch?

The first weeks after launch are when broken links, missing pages and lost enquiries show up. Ask who checks that every page works and appears in Google, that the contact form delivers, and who keeps the site updated, backed up and secure afterwards.

Red flag: the relationship ends the day the invoice is paid.

10. Who will I actually be dealing with?

A big agency, a freelancer and a small studio can all do good work. What matters is knowing who designs your site, who builds it, and who answers when something breaks. You should be able to reach a real person who knows your project.

Compare your quotes side by side

Put each quote next to this checklist. If an answer is missing, ask for it in writing before you decide.

The short version

Choose on live work and clear written answers, not on the lowest price or the biggest promise. If you’d like us to be one of the quotes you compare, tell us about your business: you’ll get a clear written quote that answers these questions. You can also read how we approach web design in Kerry.