Small Business Websites
What to Prepare Before Hiring a Web Designer: A Simple Checklist
Six things to gather before you hire a web designer, from logo files to domain logins, so your site gets built faster.
November 5, 2026
By Ashley Carre | October 8, 2026 | 3 min read
The short answer
Most small business websites get visitors but no calls because the phone number is hard to find, the top of the page doesn’t say what you do, the site is slow on phones, or there’s no proof you do good work. Fix those four first. They cause most of the lost calls I see.
A visitor who doesn’t call usually ends up calling your competitor. In almost every site I review, the cause is one of the seven problems below. None of them need a big budget to fix.
Open your site on your phone. Start a timer. Find your phone number.
If it took longer than three seconds, you’re losing calls. Put your number in the top right corner of every page. On phones, make it a button people can tap to call. Most of your visitors are on a phone, and many of them would pick a call over a form.
“Excellence in Every Project” tells a visitor nothing. “Roof Repair and Replacement in Dayton, Ohio” tells them they’re in the right place.
Your headline should name your service and your area. Save the clever lines for your truck.
A site can look perfect on a desktop and break on a phone. Check yours for:
If you find any of these, fix them before anything else on this list.
People leave slow sites. Test yours for free with Google PageSpeed Insights.
Huge photos are the most common cause. A photo straight from your phone can be 5 MB or more. Resized for the web, it should be under 300 KB.
New customers don’t know you yet. Proof helps them trust you fast. Add:
Stock photos of smiling people in hard hats don’t count. Customers can tell.
Every field you add costs you leads. Ask for a name, a phone number or email, and a short message. That’s enough to call someone back. You can ask the rest on the phone.
When someone finishes reading your services page, what should they do? If the answer is “scroll back up and look for the phone number,” you’ve lost them.
End every page with one clear button, like “Call for a Free Quote” or “Book a Visit.” Pick one action per page and make it obvious.
If your site has two or three of these problems, you can often fix them. If it has five or more, or it runs on an old template that’s hard to change, a new site is usually faster and cheaper over time.
Starting fresh? Read what pages a small business website needs first.
Set up Google Analytics or Google Search Console. Both are free and show how many people visit your site and how they found you.
Use both. Some people want to call right now. Others are browsing at 11 PM and would sooner send a message.
It depends on your industry, your area, and your traffic. Track calls and form messages each month. If visits go up and calls stay flat, your site has a problem worth fixing.
No design can promise that. A clear, fast site with proof and an easy way to reach you gives you the best chance.
I build every site with tap-to-call buttons, clear headlines, and fast load times. Try it free for 15 days.
Want to see what you get first? Read the services page or the FAQ.
Six things to gather before you hire a web designer, from logo files to domain logins, so your site gets built faster.
Real numbers for DIY builders, one-time builds, and monthly website plans, plus what each one costs over three years.
Monthly plan or one-time payment? A plain look at ownership, upkeep, and risk so you can pick the right fit for your business.