> How to choose a web design company: test their own site, ask who will own yours, check that search is built in, and the warning signs to walk away from. - Canonical: https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-web-design-company/ --- # How to choose a web design company A web design company should be judged on three things that can be checked before any money changes hands: how its own website performs, who will own the site it builds for you, and whether search is part of the build or an extra sold afterwards. Portfolios show taste. These three show competence. Updated 11 October 2026 ## Check one: test their own site A company’s own website is the one project where it chose everything. Run its home page through [Google’s PageSpeed Insights](https://developers.google.com/speed/docs/insights/v5/about) on the mobile tab. A company that cannot make its own site load quickly will not make yours. Then do the same for two sites from its portfolio, and search Google for what those clients sell. A site that looks good and cannot be found has done half its job. What each speed figure means is set out in [how to check your website speed](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-check-your-website-speed/). ## Check two: who will own it Ownership decides what happens if you part company. Ask four questions and get the answers in writing. - Whose name is the domain registered in? It should be yours. - Whose accounts hold the analytics and [Search Console](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7687615) data? Yours, with the company added as a user. - Can the finished site be moved to another host, or does it only run on their system? - Who holds the design files and the content? A site that cannot leave its builder is rented, whatever the invoice says. ## Check three: is search part of the build? A site’s structure, addresses, titles and speed are fixed during the build. Ask how the pages will be planned, what happens to the addresses of the current site, and whether analytics and Search Console are set up at launch. If the answer is that SEO is a separate package for later, the site will be designed without it. Our [website launch checklist](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/website-launch-checklist/) shows what should be in place on day one. ## Questions worth asking A short list brings most problems out early. 1. What will you need from me, and when? 2. What do I approve, and at which stages? 3. How will the old site’s addresses be redirected? 4. What will the site score on [PageSpeed Insights](https://developers.google.com/speed/docs/insights/v5/about) at launch? 5. What does it cost to change a page after launch? 6. What happens if I want to leave? ## Warning signs Five things are reason enough to keep looking. - A portfolio of sites that are slow or cannot be found in search. - A domain or hosting account registered in the company’s name. - A platform the site can never leave. - [A promised position in Google](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/do-i-need-seo). - No mention of redirects when replacing an existing site. If you are replacing a site that already ranks, our guide to [redesigning a website without losing rankings](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/redesign-a-website-without-losing-rankings/) is the checklist to hold the company to. ## Questions people ask ### What should I ask a web design company? Ask who will own the site, the domain and the accounts; whether the site can be moved to another host; how the old addresses will be redirected; and what the site will score on [Google's speed test](https://developers.google.com/speed/docs/insights/v5/about) at launch. ### How do I know if a web designer is any good? Test the sites they have built. Run their own home page and two client sites through [Google's PageSpeed Insights](https://developers.google.com/speed/docs/insights/v5/about), and search for those clients' services to see whether the sites are found. ### Should a web design company handle SEO as well? The structure, titles, speed and redirects are decided while a site is built, so the builder has to handle those. A site designed first and optimised later usually has to be partly rebuilt. ## Free competitor gap report A good brief starts with knowing what the sites above you already do well. Name up to three competitors and we measure your current site against theirs, then send you what the next one must do better. 1. Speed and technical health, side by side 2. On-page SEO and site structure 3. The content they are found for and you are not 4. Who holds the searches that matter in your market 5. A prioritised list of what to fix first [Request your free report by email](mailto:contact@hadalmedusa.com?subject=Competitor%20gap%20report%3A%20Guide%3A%20How%20to%20choose%20a%20web%20design%20company&body=Website%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AWhere%20you%20compete%20(area%2C%20country%20or%20countries)%3A%0D%0A%0D%0ACompetitors%20to%20compare%20against%20(up%20to%20three)%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AAnything%20else%20we%20should%20know%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A) - **Address** — contact@hadalmedusa.com - **Include** — your site; up to three competitors; where you compete ## More guides - [How to check your website speed, and what the numbers mean](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-check-your-website-speed/) - [A website launch checklist for search](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/website-launch-checklist/) - [Why a competitor outranks you, and how to check](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/why-a-competitor-outranks-you/) - [All guides](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/) - [New websites: what the service includes](https://hadalmedusa.com/services/website-design/)