How to choose a web designer in Wichita, with a checklist you can use on anyone, us included.
Portfolios look alike, and every proposal says fast, modern and mobile-friendly. What separates designers is in the contract and the years after launch. Use this checklist on every designer you talk to around Wichita, Andover and Butler County.
The short answer
Check six things in writing before you hire a web designer: the domain and hosting account will be in your name; the contract length and what leaving costs; who hosts the site and what hosting costs after year one; a fixed or published price; how fast their own client sites load on a phone; and who makes changes after launch, at what price. Taste in a portfolio matters, but these six decide what the next five years cost.
The checklist
| Check | A good answer | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | Registered in your name, in an account you log in to | "We'll register it for you" with no login ever sent |
| Hosting | A named host, the account in your name or handed over on request, and a stated price after year one | "It's on our server" with no way to move |
| Contract length | A term with the exit cost written into the contract before you sign | An exit cost you only learn about when you try to leave, or a site you lose when you do |
| Price | A fixed price for a written scope, with extras priced before work starts | An hourly estimate with no cap |
| Speed | Their client sites score well on PageSpeed Insights, mobile tab | Their own site is slow on your phone |
| Changes after launch | A stated number of changes included, and what you can edit yourself | Every small edit billed by the hour |
| Ownership of code and content | Assigned to you in the contract | A license that ends when you stop paying |
Questions to ask on the first call
- Whose name will the domain and hosting account be in?
- What is the total for the first year, and for each year after?
- How long is the contract, and what does it cost to leave early?
- If I leave, what files and logins do I get, and how long does the handover take?
- How many pages and which features are included in the price?
- Can I change hours, prices and photos myself from my phone?
- How many changes a month are included, and what is the rate after that?
- Can I see three live sites you built, and call one of those owners?
- Will you set up my Google Business Profile, and will I be its owner?
- When would I see a working version, and can I stop there if it is wrong?
Test their speed yourself
Open Google's PageSpeed Insights at pagespeed.web.dev, paste in the address of a site the designer built, and read the mobile score. Then open the same site on your own phone, off Wi-Fi, and count how long it takes before you can read the page and tap the phone number.
Most of your customers will meet your site that way, often on a weak signal. A designer whose client sites are slow on a phone will probably build you a slow one too.
Red flags
- A promise of first place on Google or a guaranteed number of leads. Nobody controls either.
- The domain registered in the designer's name.
- No written scope: pages, features and number of revisions left vague.
- A long contract where the site stays theirs until the last payment, or forever.
- An offer to filter reviews so only happy customers are asked to post. Google's policy forbids selectively soliciting positive reviews.
- No live sites to show, only mockups or a template gallery.
- Pressure to decide on the first call.
Not publishing prices is common among Wichita agencies and is not a red flag by itself. Ask for a fixed quote in writing and compare it against the ranges in our Wichita cost guide.
Where we fit, and where we do not
Here is how we answer the checklist. The domain, hosting account, code and content are yours from day one. Care is $49 a month or $500 a year, on a three-year contract. The build is a fixed $499 for up to 10 pages and one backend system, and anything bigger is quoted before you sign. You see a working demo of your real site before paying the remaining $299, and our sites load in under a second on a phone. We are based in Andover and meet owners at their place of business across the Wichita metro.
Larger work is where the savings grow. A site with dozens of pages, an online store or a full business system is quoted in writing before you sign. A complete business management system from us, with website, online shop, point of sale, staff apps and back office, comes to $15,000 or less, below the $20,000 to $60,000 Clutch reports Wichita agencies quote for a larger custom website alone. To compare local designers, look at reviews on Google, Clutch and Thumbtack, and ask each one the questions above.
Questions owners ask us
Should I hire a local Wichita designer or an online company?
A local designer can meet you at your business, knows the towns and customers you serve, and is easier to hold to account. An online company can be cheaper or faster. Either way, the checklist matters more than the location: ownership, contract length, price and speed.
How many quotes should I get for a website?
Two or three is enough if you ask each designer the same questions and get a written scope. Compare the total cost over three years, not just the build, and check who holds the domain and hosting in each quote.
Is a freelancer or an agency better for a small business site?
A freelancer or small studio usually costs less and you work with the person building it; Thumbtack's national average for a website developer job is $1,057. An agency brings a team and more process, at the $5,000 to $15,000 Clutch reports in Wichita.
What should a web design contract include?
A written scope of pages and features, a fixed price and payment schedule, the timeline, what happens after launch and at what cost, who owns the code, design, content and domain, and how you leave. If it is not in writing, assume it is not included.
Can a web designer guarantee first page on Google?
No. Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence, which includes reviews and links no designer controls. A designer can build a fast, well-structured site and set up your Business Profile properly, and should promise nothing more.
Do you meet business owners in person around Wichita?
Yes. We are based in Andover and meet owners at their place of business across the Wichita metro. Start with the form on our contact page, and a person replies within one business day.
Related
Put us through the checklist.
Every project starts with a signed contract and a working demo: $200 for a website, or a website and apps, and a quoted demo price for everything else.