Getting a new website built is one of the biggest digital decisions your business will make. Choose the right developer and you end up with something fast, secure, and easy to manage. Choose the wrong one and you’re dealing with delays, broken features, and a site that needs rebuilding within two years. Here’s what to look for before you commit to anyone.
Why Your Website Decision Carries Real Weight
More than 32% of UK businesses still have no website at all, according to the Government’s UK Business Data Survey 2024. Yet internet sales now account for 26.3% of all UK retail, a figure that has climbed from just 6.5% in 2010. Your website is where potential customers go to decide whether you’re worth contacting. If it’s slow, confusing, or out of date, they’ll move on.
The challenge is that not all web developers deliver the same thing. Some build sites that look polished but perform poorly. Others disappear after launch, leaving you with no support when things go wrong. Getting the decision right from the start saves you money, time, and a lot of frustration.
Freelancer or Agency: Which One Suits Your Business?
Both can do excellent work. The right choice depends on what your project actually needs.
A freelancer tends to cost less and you usually deal directly with the person doing the work. That’s a genuine advantage. The risk is that if your freelancer gets busy, ill, or moves on, your support disappears with them. There’s no one else to pick up the phone.
An agency brings a broader team across development, design, and sometimes SEO. Projects are usually better structured and there’s someone to call when problems crop up after launch. That said, some agencies use junior developers on client builds once the pitch has been won. Always ask who will actually be writing your code.
For a smaller or straightforward build, a reliable freelancer works well. For anything more complex, or if you need ongoing website maintenance as part of the package, an agency usually gives you more peace of mind.
What to Check Before You Hire Anyone
Portfolio and Relevant Experience
Ask to see live websites they’ve built. Screenshots tell you almost nothing. A screenshot won’t show you whether the site loads quickly, works on a phone, or breaks when you click through to the third page. Look at real sites. Test them on your mobile. Check how fast they load.
Industry experience matters too. A developer who has only worked in e-commerce may not understand the priorities of a professional services firm. Ask whether they’ve built sites for businesses like yours.
GDPR and Data Security
Any developer building a website for a UK business must understand their obligations under data protection law. Your site will collect data, whether that’s through a contact form, a cookie banner, or customer accounts. The developer is responsible for building that in correctly.
Ask directly: how do you handle GDPR compliance? What cookie consent solution do you use? How do you secure contact forms and user data? A good developer will have clear, specific answers. If they look blank or tell you it’s not their concern, find someone else. Our cyber security team can also advise on what your website should have in place.
Post-Launch Support
This is the question most business owners forget to ask until it’s too late. What happens after the site goes live? Who do you call if something breaks on a Tuesday afternoon?
Some developers hand over the site and vanish. Others offer a maintenance retainer. You need to know which you’re getting before you sign anything. Plugins need updating, security patches get released, and content changes as your business evolves. A site with no support plan is a site waiting to cause problems. Talk to your developer about what post-launch looks like, and make sure it’s written into the contract.
Business Tool Integrations
Does your business use a CRM, an accounting platform, or a booking system? A capable developer should be able to connect your website to the tools your team already relies on. That might mean a link to HubSpot, Xero, or a customer portal. Ask what integrations they’ve handled before and whether they’re familiar with the specific platforms you use.
If they’ve never done it and can’t point you to an example, be cautious. Integration work can get complicated fast, and you don’t want your website build to stall because the developer has never connected a CRM before.
Questions Worth Asking Every Developer
A short list of questions that reveal a lot about how a developer works:
Who will actually build my site? Not who runs the business, but who writes the code?
Can you show me live examples from my industry or a similar one?
What platform will you build on, and why is it the right choice for my business?
What does the handover look like? Will I be able to update the site myself?
What happens if I need changes or something breaks after launch?
How do you approach site security and software updates?
Confident, specific answers are a good sign. Vague answers, or answers that shift depending on what you seem to want to hear, are not.
Red Flags That Should Make You Pause
A few things worth watching out for:
They can’t show you live examples of previous work.
They guarantee first-page Google rankings as part of the deal. No developer can promise that, and anyone who does is overselling.
The quote has no breakdown of what’s included.
They push you to decide quickly.
They don’t mention GDPR, security, or mobile performance unless you bring it up.
One of these might just be an oversight. Two or more and you should walk away.
Mobile Performance and Core Web Vitals
Most competitor guides skip this. It’s worth understanding.
Google ranks pages partly on performance signals called Core Web Vitals. These measure things like how quickly your page loads, how fast it becomes usable, and whether the layout jumps around while loading. A site that scores poorly on these signals will rank lower in search results, regardless of how good the content is.
Before you hire anyone, ask how they approach page speed and Core Web Vitals. Ask whether they test performance before handover. A developer who dismisses this, or who hasn’t heard of it, is working with an outdated view of how websites get found in 2026.
Mobile matters just as much. More than half of all website visits now come from phones. If your site works fine on a laptop but falls apart on a screen half the size, you’re losing a large proportion of your potential customers before they’ve seen a word of what you do. A good web design and development process builds mobile performance in from day one, not as an afterthought.
What You Should Own After the Build
This matters more than most people realise. When your site is finished, you should own the domain name, the hosting account, and all the code. Some developers lock clients into hosting arrangements they control. If you ever want to move provider, change your hosting, or work with a different developer, that lock-in becomes a serious problem.
Get this in writing before work starts. Ask specifically: who owns the domain, who controls the hosting, and will I receive all files and access credentials on completion? A good developer will have no issue confirming this.
If you’re having a WordPress site built, make sure you’re given full admin access from day one. Our WordPress support team regularly helps businesses who have been locked out of their own sites by developers who’ve moved on.
The Real Cost of Getting It Wrong
The cheapest quote is rarely the best decision. A slow site loses visitors before they arrive. A poorly built site costs money to fix when it breaks. A site built without SEO in mind starts from scratch in the rankings. A site with weak security is a liability waiting to be exploited.
Think about total cost over two or three years, not just the upfront fee. A site that performs well, stays secure, and can be updated without calling a developer every time you change a paragraph is worth paying a bit more for upfront.
Our web development services are designed around exactly this. We build sites that are fast, secure, and built to grow with your business. If you’d like to talk through what you need, get in touch with our team today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a web developer in the UK?
Costs vary widely depending on the scope and who you hire. A freelancer might charge anywhere from £500 to £5,000 for a basic website. An agency typically charges £3,000 to £20,000 or more for a full build with custom features and ongoing support. Always ask for a detailed breakdown so you know exactly what’s included before you agree to anything.
Should I use WordPress or a custom build for my business website?
WordPress is a practical, well-supported choice for most UK businesses. It’s flexible, widely understood, and lets you update content yourself without touching code. A fully custom build makes sense when you need specific functionality that no existing platform can handle. For most small and medium-sized businesses, a well-built WordPress site is the right answer.
What does GDPR compliance mean for my website?
It means your website handles visitor data in line with UK data protection law. That covers cookie consent banners, secure handling of contact form submissions, a clear privacy policy, and lawful processing of any personal information your site collects. Your developer should build this in from the start. It’s not something to add on later as a box-ticking exercise.
Do I need to think about website security when hiring a developer?
Yes. Every website is a potential target for automated attacks. The basics are SSL certificates, secure login pages, up-to-date software, and regular backups. If your site collects customer data or handles payments, the risks are higher. Ask any developer about their security approach before work begins. You can also speak to our cyber security team for advice specific to your business.
What access and assets should I receive after my site is built?
You should receive full ownership of the domain name, control of the hosting account, and all website files and code. You should also have admin access to the content management system from day one. Get this confirmed in writing before the project starts. It protects you if the relationship with your developer doesn’t work out.
How can I tell if a web developer is actually any good?
Look at live sites they’ve built, not just screenshots. Test load speed using Google PageSpeed Insights. Read reviews where you can find them. A good developer will ask you as many questions about your business as you ask them. They’ll be specific about what they’d build, how long it will take, and what support looks like afterwards. If the answers feel vague or generic, trust that instinct.