7 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring Web Designers in 2025
Authored By: Garima
Meet Garima, an integral member of the Invedus...
Synopsis: This blog post will give you insights into hiring managers to avoid mistakes when hiring web designers. Alternatively, what options do you have to hire a web designer, including outsourcing website development?
If you also had a bad experience related to your website design, then you definitely committed the following mistakes. Find out which one was yours and now what’s next to do.
Mistake #1: You Hire Web Designer By Seeing Their Portfolios on Online Platforms
It happens very often you simply search “web designers near me” for your small and short-term projects and approach some freelancers to finish your projects.
The web designer you may have hired has shown you their portfolios on websites like Dribbble, Bark, Behance, or Yelp.
The problem with this approach is that it is difficult to judge their real talent because they have not designed their portfolio in front of you.
However, we should also consider, from their point of view, that they are unable to showcase their client’s work on any websites.
It happens very often that, while many designer mockups are creative concepts meant to showcase skills, they do not help accomplish business goals.
On the contrary, some websites solely focus on the users’ needs and prefer simple designs that make their business goal apparent to the target audience rather than ostentatious styles.
Furthermore, design is not just an image; it is your idea that you want to convey to the right audience.
Therefore, it is preferable to look at web designer reviews and ratings from clients and assess them based on that information rather than just viewing their portfolio across various platforms.
Next, jump on a call with them, check their communication skills, and assess whether they can depict your business idea transparently to the right audience.
Mistake #2: Pick the Wrong CMS For your Business
Every business needs different functionality and features. You can not use WordPress for your e-commerce website and Shopify for your business website.
You cannot expect a web designer that comes in a package; each web designer has experience with a different CMS. And there is nothing wrong with that because it allows them to operate more quickly when they are proficient with a single CMS.
But what the businesses understand is that the web designer they hire should have mastery of all the CMS platforms and other platforms as well. One of the biggest mistakes, or maybe I should say missteps, that businesses make is assuming that they need a professional web designer who can manage their websites on their own.
It is true that programming languages have nearly identical logic, but each language is different and does not have the same syntax and codes. However, the frontend and backend are both different components of web development.
A qualified web designer with a passion for their work can produce different, or perhaps better, results. Also, they can save you time and money. Moreover, there is a probability of failing in website maintenance, and finding the right audience is almost null.
Before you blindly trust any designer, make sure you do your homework to ensure that this is the right web designer for your business web platform.
Mistake #3: When You Choose Just Website Without any Considerations
Due to variations in scope, a website project can cost anything from $100K to dirt cheap.
A website is not just an interface or responsiveness of your web design framework, it is a platform that will reflect your business identity. You frequently select a website based solely on looking at the pricing section. Not precisely searching for the features and services that the websites provide.
To ensure the best deliverables, it is crucial to take into account the following factors before selecting a website.
- Check whether you have made a payment for the website, not just a mockup.
- Don’t solely rely on the templates, let your web designer also add creativity to these templates and double-check their creativity level and how they are using it to promote your business.
- Check out the support services offered by website companies.
- What kind of support does a web designer provide you with, aside from the design?
Make sure the website you select has an easy-to-follow setup guide, provides seamless integrations with third-party app tools, and your web designer is flexible enough to work with these components.
Mistake #4: When the Web Designer Chooses the Domain and Its Name on Your Behalf
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is to give the web designer the responsibility of selecting the domain name and web hosting.
Remember, a web designer is just an employee in your organization. Let them do other technical tasks, in which you shouldn’t intervene.
Don’t let anyone handle these crucial tasks on your behalf because the website is an integral part of your brand.
Ensure the domain name you select is linked to your frequently accessed forever email account. Also, keep an eye on its renewal dates; if you miss those dates, either you lose your domain or you’ll need to pay an extra amount for its renewal.
Mistake #5: When You Think Creating a Website is a One-Shot Task and Not Bother For Maintenance Seriously
Stop thinking that maintenance is not required after website creation.
Business is always in its growth stage. It always asks you to keep it updated on your website.
When your business is expanding, you need to manage new updates, company updates, marketing campaigns, remove outdated information, and others to stay relevant in the market.
To perform all these tasks simultaneously and smoothly, you either take assistance from the no-coded or less-coded websites. As an alternative, you can ask your web designer to complete these tasks.
If you choose the less-or-no-code website, you will have to wait according to the company’s graciousness, and still, you will not be sure that, they will definitely assist you up to the extent you are seeking.
If the content management system WordPress powers your website, you will need to install several plugins based on your needs. It will still take a lot of time and effort to complete these tedious tasks. If you are not okay with it, then it’s time to outsource your web design tasks to a reliable counterpart like Invedus.
Alternatively, if your website is custom-coded, you can go with your web designer’s assistance option to update, maintain, and manage your website according to your thoughts and business requirements.
It is also advisable to either go with the less coded websites or with the outsourcing options, as it will decrease your dependency on the onsite web designer for website maintenance and updates.
Mistake #6: When You Ignore Other Important Aspects of Website Ranking
Expanding the audience base of your website is not the sole responsibility of the web designer. There is a complete team that will work and pay their contribution for your website to rank and increase its visibility on SERP.
- Content Writer: They are the first entity that will define your identity to your users. They are in charge of distilling the essence of your company, such as your offerings, into the more manageable section known as a website page.
- SEO: Resist the illusion that writing alone can effectively market your website. Launching a website does not automatically draw visitors or reach the intended audience. A lot of optimization is required to bring in and divert organic traffic to your website. Don’t take this factor lightly, it is very difficult to make a visible place on SERP by itself.
- Copywriter: They are the ones who will make your branding fascinating and send your message short and crisp to the targeted audience.
But if you are a novice or an experienced player in the field and all of these tasks are starting to intimidate you, it is time to bring on a remote web designer with a digital marketing team for your website.
Mistake #7: When Your Actual Budget Exceeds Allocated Budget
Just keep one thing in mind Quite obviously, a website’s responsibility extends beyond its design to include other elements as well.
Likewise, the website required a domain name, a web hosting platform, reliable plugins, and all that. These require other costs as well, which will increase your actual budget and make you think that you made the biggest mistake while choosing a web designer for your new websites.
But in reality, there are other factors, that will expand your budget.
- Cost of domain: Before choosing your design budget, conduct a domain search or even purchase your ideal domain name, as some domains are very costly and specifically designed for enterprises.
- Platform costs: Find out from Invedus what platform they plan to use for your website and how much it will cost each month. This holds particular significance for e-commerce websites, as the fees associated with transferring transactions between various platforms can significantly impact your revenue.
- Photographer or stock photos: High-quality images are essential for your website, whether they are taken by a photographer or stock photos.
Choose between stock photos, which are more reasonably priced, and brand photography, which is a more expensive option, to enhance audience communication and interaction on your website. Consider your business needs and decide how much you want to spend on photos for your users.
However, you can avoid these web designer hiring mistakes by following these precautions.
These web designers hiring mistakes sting! You’re excited about your new website, but whoops, the costs are snowballing and blowing past your initial budget. Here’s how to avoid this situation when hiring a web designer:
Before You Hire, Do your homework: Research typical web design costs based on the size and complexity of your website. There are resources online and industry averages you can find to get a ballpark figure.
Be upfront and realistic: Communicate your budget clearly with potential designers. Don’t be afraid to have honest conversations about what’s feasible within your price range.
Get it in writing: A clear contract outlining the scope of work, deliverables, and payment schedule protects both you and the designer. It helps avoid surprises later on.
Track your spending: Keep a close eye on invoices and project milestones. Don’t be shy to ask questions if anything seems unclear or out of line with the initial agreement.
Communicate openly: If you need to make changes that might impact the budget, discuss them with the designer as soon as possible. Explore alternative solutions or prioritize features to stay within your means.
A good designer will work with you to find solutions that meet your needs and budget. By being prepared, upfront, and communicative, you can minimize the risk of your web design project exceeding your allocated budget.
Avoid common hiring mistakes by choosing Invedus for your web design needs. Whether you need a single Virtual Employee (VE), a dedicated team, or staff augmentation, our designers work solely for your business, ensuring top-quality results. Fill out this form here to learn how Invedus can help you match with the right talented Website Designers for your job.
