A good website designer doesn't just know how to make a website look good. They understand what the website is supposed to achieve.
These days, almost anyone can build a website.
Website builders provide professional templates. WordPress has thousands of themes. AI can generate designs, write content and produce working HTML, CSS and JavaScript in seconds.
That's fantastic.
But it also means the ability to build a website is becoming less valuable on its own.
The valuable part is knowing what to build, what to say, what to leave out and how all the pieces should work together.
That's what I'd look for when choosing a website designer.
1. They Understand Your Business Before Designing Anything
A website designer shouldn't start with colours.
They should start with questions.
What does your business do?
Who are your customers?
What services are most important?
Where do you operate?
Why do customers choose you instead of someone else?
What do you want someone to do after visiting your website?
Call?
Email?
Request a quote?
Make a booking?
Buy something?
The answers should influence everything that follows.
A good website starts with understanding the business, not choosing a template.
2. They Understand Design, Not Just Website Builders
There's an important difference between knowing how to use Wix, Squarespace, WordPress or another website builder and understanding design.
Website builders are tools.
Good design involves hierarchy, typography, spacing, contrast, consistency, imagery and knowing where you want someone's attention to go.
A website can have all the right information and still feel amateurish because those fundamentals aren't right.
At the other extreme, it can be beautiful but confusing.
A good designer aims for both:
Make it look good and make it easy to use.
3. They Understand User Experience
Your website isn't really designed for you.
It's designed for the person visiting it.
That's an important distinction.
As the business owner, you already know what you do. Your customer might know almost nothing about you.
A good website designer looks at the site from the visitor's perspective.
Can I immediately understand what this business does?
Can I find the service I'm looking for?
Do they service my area?
Why should I trust them?
How much does it cost?
How do I contact them?
What am I supposed to do next?
Good user experience often means removing things rather than adding them.
The visitor shouldn't have to figure your website out.
4. They Understand Messaging
This is one of the most underestimated parts of web design.
Words are part of the design.
Compare:
Welcome to Smith Plumbing. We pride ourselves on quality workmanship and excellent customer service.
With:
Need a Plumber in Dubbo? Call Smith Plumbing for Residential and Commercial Plumbing Across the Dubbo Region.
The second immediately tells the visitor what the business does, where it operates and who it serves.
That's useful.
A good web designer should at least understand the basics of copywriting and positioning.
The website needs to answer:
What do you do, why should I choose you and what should I do next?
5. They Understand SEO
A beautiful website nobody finds isn't much use.
A website designer doesn't necessarily need to be a dedicated SEO specialist, but they should understand how search engines work.
That includes things like:
- Page titles
- Headings
- URLs
- Internal linking
- Keyword targeting
- Image optimisation
- Mobile usability
- Website speed
- Local SEO
- Page structure
- Search intent
SEO should influence the website from the beginning.
For a local business, that can mean something as straightforward as making sure Google clearly understands what you do and where you do it.
6. They Understand Mobile Design
Your website needs to work properly on a phone.
Not just technically work.
Actually be pleasant to use.
Text should be readable.
Buttons should be easy to tap.
Phone numbers should be easy to call.
Navigation should make sense.
Images shouldn't overwhelm the screen.
Important information shouldn't require endless scrolling.
A website that looks fantastic on the designer's 27-inch monitor but falls apart on a phone isn't well designed.
7. They Understand the Technology Underneath It
Modern tools make it possible to build websites without understanding much about the underlying technology.
That's useful for DIY website owners.
I'd expect more from someone I'm paying professionally.
A good web developer should understand things such as domains, hosting, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, forms, DNS, SSL, security, performance and analytics.
They don't necessarily need to write every line of code themselves.
But when something goes wrong, they should have some idea why.
8. They Know How to Use AI Without Depending on It
AI is now part of modern web development.
I use it extensively myself.
It can help write and debug code, develop content, analyse problems, research ideas and dramatically speed up parts of the development process.
That's one reason an experienced independent web designer can now accomplish work that previously might have required several specialists.
But there's a catch.
AI can give you an answer without giving you the knowledge required to judge the answer.
A good web designer doesn't simply copy whatever AI produces.
They know enough about web development, design, SEO, messaging and user experience to recognise when AI has produced something useful and when it hasn't.
The better the person using AI, the more useful AI becomes.
9. They Don't Add Complexity for the Sake of It
More isn't always better.
More plugins.
More animations.
More frameworks.
More tracking scripts.
More integrations.
More features.
Every additional component should have a reason to exist.
For many of the small business websites I build, I prefer straightforward HTML, CSS and JavaScript rather than installing a large content management system.
That can produce a lightweight website with fewer moving parts.
It isn't the right solution for everybody.
If you regularly publish content, need to edit the website yourself or run an online store, a content management system or platform such as WordPress or Shopify may be more appropriate.
A good web designer doesn't force every customer into the same technology.
They choose what suits the job.
10. They Can Tell You When You Don't Need Something
This is one of my favourite tests of almost any professional.
Can they tell you not to spend money?
Maybe you don't need a complete redesign.
Maybe your existing website is basically fine.
Maybe you don't need an online store.
Maybe you don't need 20 pages.
Maybe you don't need an expensive SEO campaign.
Maybe Wix genuinely is enough for what you're trying to accomplish.
A good website designer should be willing to say so.
I'd be cautious about anyone whose solution to every problem happens to be the most expensive thing they sell.
11. They Think About Results, Not Just Launch Day
Getting the website online isn't the ultimate objective.
The website has a job to do after it launches.
For most small businesses, that means some combination of:
Being found → Building trust → Explaining the business → Generating enquiries.
That's why analytics matter.
That's why SEO matters.
That's why messaging matters.
That's why ongoing monitoring matters.
A website shouldn't simply exist.
It should contribute something to the business.
12. They're Still Around When Something Goes Wrong
This one isn't particularly glamorous.
But it matters.
Domains expire.
Forms stop working.
Business details change.
Browsers change.
Security issues occur.
Someone accidentally deletes something.
Google changes something.
Technology does what technology occasionally does and decides not to cooperate.
Who's responsible?
That's one of the benefits of having an ongoing relationship with your website designer.
I offer managed Australian hosting for $30 per month or $360 per year, including monitoring, analytics, security, suggestions, email support and ongoing consulting.
Or, as I sometimes put it:
You've got someone to blame when something goes wrong.
There's real value in knowing who to contact.
13. You Can Actually Communicate With Them
Technical skill isn't enough.
A website designer also needs to understand people.
They should be able to explain technical issues without drowning you in jargon.
They should listen when you explain your business.
They should respond to questions.
And ideally, you should feel comfortable telling them when you don't like something.
This is one advantage of dealing directly with an independent website designer.
You're talking to the person doing the work.
For local and regional businesses, that can also mean picking up the phone or even meeting face to face rather than dealing with an anonymous support system.
So, What Makes a Good Website Designer?
I think it comes down to something broader than technical ability.
A good website designer needs an understanding of:
Design + technology + user experience + messaging + SEO + business.
They don't necessarily need to be the world's greatest expert in every one of those fields.
But they need to understand how they fit together.
Because your customers don't experience your website as separate pieces.
They don't see "the SEO" and then "the UX" and then "the copywriting."
They experience the whole thing.
And within a few seconds, they start forming an opinion about your business.
Looking for a Website Designer?
I specialise in websites for small businesses and sole traders, particularly local and regional businesses.
I combine years of web design and development experience with modern AI tools, allowing me to handle work that once might have required several different specialists.
Many straightforward small business websites I build cost under $1,000, with managed Australian hosting available for $30 per month or $360 per year.
If you already have a website, you might not need another one.
Send it to me for a free website assessment. I'll take a look and tell you what I think is working, what could be improved and whether I think it's worth changing.