Choosing who builds your website

How to choose a web designer.

Two designers can show you attractive sites and offer completely different work. One may write the pages and plan the move from your old site. Another may need you to do both. Give each provider the same brief, then compare what they actually put in writing.

Compare proposals Prepare one brief

An UpOnUp buying guide · We are a website provider, and our answers are shown below.

Start with a fair comparison

Give everyone the same job.

It is much easier to compare proposals when everyone has been asked to do the same work. Send each provider the same short brief. If something is still undecided, ask them to explain what they have assumed in their price.

THE JOB

Say what visitors need to do.

Describe your business, the people using the site and whether they need to enquire, book, buy or sign in. Include your current website if you have one.

THE CONSTRAINTS

Name what must survive.

List important pages, your domain, existing email, required integrations and any deadline that has a real reason. You can leave design choices open.

THE RESPONSE

Ask for written boundaries.

Request the included work, what you must provide, the first review point, launch steps, exclusions and the route for changes. An unanswered item is a question, not proof of a problem.

Our website brief builder gives you a short, copyable starting point. Use it with any provider. Do not send account passwords in a brief or public form.

Still choosing how to build? Compare website builders, freelancers and a complete website service before you shortlist providers.

Looking through a portfolio? Try a website example as a customer would, then ask which parts are included in your own proposal.

Read past the headline

Look for answers you can use.

“SEO included” or “fully managed” can sound reassuring without telling you much. Ask what the provider will actually do for your website, who handles it and which jobs would cost extra.

Useful example

“We will agree the page list, write a first draft from your business facts, test the enquiry form and show you the site before publication.”

Question to follow up

“What does your promise cover if I already have pages, email and search traffic? Which old URLs will be checked, and who can approve changes?”

A provider can be a good fit without offering every service. The important part is knowing who owns each task before the project starts.

A private comparison worksheet

Put the actual answers side by side.

Compare the written answers to the same brief. Keep its date or version with each proposal’s reference and date, so you know which documents the answers belong to. Save an editable record on your device and reopen it when the next reply arrives. Leave unchecked answers blank.

Your decision record

Three proposals. One brief.

Name up to three providers and write what each proposal says about the same question. Blank means unchecked, not excluded. Save an editable record to reopen later; entries are not saved automatically or sent to UpOnUp.

Common brief or projectUp to 600 characters.Brief reference or dateUp to 200 characters. A reference is kept as text, not opened as a link.

Provider AUp to 80 characters.Proposal referenceUp to 200 characters.Proposal dateUp to 80 characters.

Provider BUp to 80 characters.Proposal referenceUp to 200 characters.Proposal dateUp to 80 characters.

Provider CUp to 80 characters.Proposal referenceUp to 200 characters.Proposal dateUp to 80 characters.

On a phone, each question stacks the three providers. Use their wording or write the question still to answer. Each answer can contain up to 1,500 characters; longer entries remain editable until corrected.

What to compare	Provider A	Provider B	Provider C
Fit for the jobHave they explained the website you need and anything they would not build?Look for: A proposal tied to the action visitors need to take, with unusual functions called out.	Provider A: Fit for the job	Provider B: Fit for the job	Provider C: Fit for the job
Pages and functionsWhich pages, forms and functions are included in the written scope?Look for: An agreed page plan and explicit treatment of forms, booking or other functions.	Provider A: Pages and functions	Provider B: Pages and functions	Provider C: Pages and functions
Writing and factsWho plans the page order and writes the words, and who checks the facts?Look for: Named responsibility for drafting, supplying source information and approving claims.	Provider A: Writing and facts	Provider B: Writing and facts	Provider C: Writing and facts
Images and permissionsWho finds or supplies images, and who confirms permission to use them?Look for: A plan for relevant images, publication rights and any third-party licence limits.	Provider A: Images and permissions	Provider B: Images and permissions	Provider C: Images and permissions
Existing site and emailIf replacing a site, what happens to useful pages, old links, the domain and email?Look for: A page and URL review, a domain change plan and a clear owner for email settings.	Provider A: Existing site and email	Provider B: Existing site and email	Provider C: Existing site and email
Review and changesWhat is the first review milestone, and how many change rounds follow?Look for: A distinction between a reviewable version and an approved live site, with feedback rules.	Provider A: Review and changes	Provider B: Review and changes	Provider C: Review and changes
Launch checksWho checks the site on phones, tests enquiries and approves publication?Look for: A real test of the enquiry route and essential pages, with a named person approving launch.	Provider A: Launch checks	Provider B: Launch checks	Provider C: Launch checks
Files and handoverWhat do you own, and what can you take if you change host?Look for: Written terms for the domain, finished files, access and third-party assets.	Provider A: Files and handover	Provider B: Files and handover	Provider C: Files and handover
Care after launchWhat does hosting cover, when does billing start and how can you leave?Look for: A clear description of hosting, separately quoted work, renewal timing and cancellation.	Provider A: Care after launch	Provider B: Care after launch	Provider C: Care after launch
Exclusions and changesWhat is outside the proposal, and who approves extra work?Look for: Specific exclusions, third-party charges and a change process before extra work begins.	Provider A: Exclusions and changes	Provider B: Exclusions and changes	Provider C: Exclusions and changes

0 of 30 answer spaces filled. Entries are not saved automatically.

Reopen a saved record

Choose the editable .json file saved by this worksheet. It is read on your device; you will confirm replacement before any current entry changes. Maximum file size: 256 KiB.

Choose a provider comparison record

Read or copy the plain-text comparison

Plain-text provider comparison

This worksheet does not calculate a winner or check proposals for you. Verify the answers that matter in the provider’s written scope and terms. Keep passwords and sensitive client details out; review files before sharing them.

Put us through the same test

Here is what UpOnUp answers.

These are the boundaries of our published standard service, not a substitute for a project-specific scope. If your brief needs something else, discuss it before paying. The service terms and current offer hold the full commercial detail.

Fit for the job: Our standard build is a business website with an agreed enquiry route. If your project depends on ecommerce, bespoke software or a complex integration, we discuss a separate scope before you order.
Pages and functions: We plan and build up to 25 agreed pages with a responsive layout and an agreed enquiry route. A large catalogue, ecommerce and bespoke features are outside the standard build.
Writing and facts: We plan the pages and write the copy. You supply and confirm business facts, claims, legal wording and contact details before publication.
Images and permissions: You are responsible for the rights to images and other material you provide. We ask for approved, relevant assets and identify material third-party licence limits at handover. Photography is not promised by the standard build.
Existing site and email: We review useful existing content and links before a move, coordinate necessary domain changes with you and do not take control of your domain or existing email. Any substantial migration needs an agreed plan.
Review and changes: A first reviewable website follows within 48 hours after payment and confirmation of the necessary business details. Two consolidated refinement rounds to the agreed site are included. Launch follows your approval.
Launch checks: We check the site with you and publish only after your approval and the necessary domain access. Ask us to put any specific launch test you need into the agreed plan. Search rankings are not guaranteed.
Files and handover: Once the one-off build is paid, the finished website and project files are yours. We supply a copy on request, including when our hosting ends. Third-party assets retain their licence terms.
Care after launch: Our standard optional hosting is arranged separately at launch. The first monthly charge is one calendar month after launch, with no minimum term. New pages, redesigns and new functions are separate work.
Exclusions and changes: The standard build excludes ecommerce, bespoke software, major new brand work, large catalogues, domain registration, paid third-party services and complex integrations. We explain any separate price before starting; no extra work is charged without your agreement.

Our standard build is unlikely to fit a complex shop, bespoke application or major brand project without separate scope. We do not promise a particular search position, enquiry volume or sales result.

When you are ready

Clear up the questions before you choose.

If a proposal leaves out something important to your business, ask about it. Keep the answers with the proposal and final scope, so the agreement you choose reflects the conversation you have had.