Red flags when hiring a web designer

Common red flags

• “Guaranteed first page of Google.” Nobody controls Google’s rankings. Ask what specific work they’ll do instead.
• The domain will be registered in their name. See owning your domain.
• No written quote, or a quote with no scope, just a price. Citizens Advice warns that a trader who won’t put a quote in writing may be unreliable.
• Ongoing fees that appear late. Hosting, “maintenance”, licences or exit fees should be listed in the first proposal.
• No admin access for you, or a site you can’t move because it’s tied to the designer’s private platform. Ask how you’d leave.
• Company details that don’t match. A limited company’s website must show its registered number and registered office, among other details (GOV.UK). Check them on Companies House.
• Portfolio you can’t verify. Ask for live links and a client you can speak to.

Reviews that look too good

Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has banned businesses from submitting or commissioning fake reviews, from hiding the fact that a review was incentivised, and from publishing reviews in a misleading way, such as removing negative reviews while keeping positive ones. The CMA has published guidance on fake reviews. Be wary of sites with only five-star testimonials, no surnames and no way to verify them.

Pressure and unsolicited offers

• “This price is only valid today.”
• Cold emails warning that your domain or listing is about to expire, from a company you’ve never dealt with. Check with your own registrar before paying anything. Nominet advises registrants to be wary of unsolicited calls, texts or emails about their domain (Nominet).

What to do instead

1. Use our list of questions to ask a web designer.
2. Get written proposals and compare them with the quote and contract checklist.
3. Keep the domain, hosting and logins in your own name.

Questions people ask

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