How to choose a web designer in NZ
A new website is a real investment, not a throwaway purchase. Here is how to choose someone good, and what to watch for before you sign anything.
Most people hire a web designer or developer only once every few years, so it is hard to know what to ask or what a fair deal looks like. The good news is that a few plain questions will tell you most of what you need to know about whoever you are talking to. This guide runs through those questions and the warning signs to watch for.
Questions worth asking
Whether you are talking to a freelancer or an agency, these are the questions worth putting to them early.
- Do I own everything when it is done? The site, its code, the hosting account and the domain name should all be in your name. If you ever move to someone else, you want to take the lot with you.
- Is it custom-built or a template? Both can be a sensible choice. The answer tells you what you are paying for, and it shapes how the site will cope as your business grows.
- How fast will it load? Loading speed affects how visitors judge you in the first second, and Google treats it as a ranking signal. Ask to see the load time on a real page they have built.
- Who does the work, and who do I deal with? Find out whether the person in front of you is the one building the site, or whether it passes to a team you will never speak to.
- Fixed price or open-ended hourly? With a fixed quote, the risk of the job running long sits with the builder rather than with you. Hourly work can be fair, but you want the likely total before you start.
- What happens when I want changes later? Ask what a small edit costs and how quickly it gets done, and whether you can make simple text changes yourself without paying each time.
Red flags
No clear owner. If you cannot get a straight answer about who owns the code and the domain name, treat that as the answer. Some setups quietly leave you renting your own website, and moving away later means starting again.
Locked into a builder you keep paying for. Page-builders like Wix and Squarespace are fine tools for the right job. The problem is being tied to a monthly plan with no way to take the site elsewhere. Ask what happens to your site if you stop paying.
A local address that is really a nameplate. Some template shops advertise a New Zealand address but do the work offshore with little accountability. There is nothing wrong with a good overseas developer, but you should know who you are actually hiring and be able to reach them.
Vague pricing. "It depends" is a reasonable opening line, but a good developer can give you a fixed quote once they understand the job. Be wary of a number that keeps moving after you have agreed the work.
No real examples. Ask for live sites you can open and click through, not just tidy screenshots. If someone cannot point you to work that is out in the world, that is worth a pause.
Custom, template or DIY, briefly
There is no single right answer here. A DIY builder can be the sensible start for a brand-new venture testing an idea on a small budget. A custom build earns its keep once the site is doing real work for you, like taking bookings or ranking for the searches your customers use. My fuller comparison of custom vs Wix, Squarespace and Shopify weighs it up properly.
What good looks like
Done well, the arrangement is simple. You deal directly with the person building the site, so nothing gets lost in a chain of account managers. You get a fixed quote before the work starts, so the cost is clear up front. You can open real, live examples of past work and judge them yourself. And when the site is finished, you own all of it, from the code through to the domain name, with nothing tying you to one supplier.
That is how I work at Olliver Web. Most of what I build is small-business websites and online stores, and Back to Nature Tours is a live rebuild you can open and click through. None of this rules out an agency if a big team genuinely suits your project. It is simply what a straight, honest deal tends to look like.
Related guides
Not sure yet? Start with an audit.
If you would like to see how someone works before committing to a full build, a $100 website audit is a low-risk way to do it. You get a plain-English rundown of what is holding your current site back and what a fix would take. If you go ahead with a build, the $100 comes off the price.
Questions people ask
What should I ask a web designer?
The most important one is about ownership: when the build is finished, will you own the site, its code, the hosting account and the domain name? After that, ask whether it is custom-built or a template and how fast it will load. It is also worth asking who does the actual work and whether the price is fixed.
Should I use a freelancer or an agency?
Both can do good work, so it comes down to what you value. A good agency has more people and can take on large projects, but you often deal with an account manager rather than the builder, and that shows up in the price. A freelancer usually costs less and you work with them directly. For most small businesses in New Zealand, an experienced solo developer is a good fit.
How do I know if I'll own my website?
Ask, and get it in writing. You want the domain name registered in your own name, and the hosting and site files either in your name or simple to transfer. If a provider keeps the domain or code so that leaving means starting over, you do not really own the site.
Is a cheap web designer a bad idea?
Not necessarily, but be clear about what the low price buys. A very cheap site is often a template with your logo dropped in, which can be fine for a simple brochure site. The risk is getting something slow or awkward to change, then paying again in a year to have it redone. Look at the cost over a few years, not just the first invoice.
How much should I pay?
It depends on what you need, but some rough ranges help. A custom small-business website usually runs between $2,000 and $8,000 in New Zealand, depending on pages and features. A custom online store typically starts from around $6,000. A $100 audit is a low-cost way to get a clear scope and a fixed quote first. The website cost guide has a fuller breakdown.