2025 Definitive Guide to Choosing the Right Web Design Partner

ADAM TAYLOR
FOUNDER, CEO

DISCLAIMER – YES, WE DESIGN WEBSITES.

But after 25 years in the field, we’ve seen it all. Agencies frustrated with unreasonable clients. Clients frustrated with the lack of clarity. There’s no “going rate” to speak of. But if you think about it this way…the same goes for landscapers. And home builders. If it’s not a measurable commodity, there’s no standard pricing.

If you’ve ever built a home, or built a company website, you know it can be a similarly overwhelming process. Maybe you’re a CEO trying to modernize your brand, a marketing manager juggling too many vendors, or an admin handed the job with little direction.

Either way, you’re not alone. The world of web design is crowded, confusing, and full of jargon.

Pricing is inconsistent, timelines are vague, and sometimes it’s hard to know what you’re actually buying until it’s too late. We’ve worked with all kinds of clients over the past 25 years, and we’ve seen firsthand how difficult this process can be – especially for those trying to do it right.

Which brings us to today…

This guide was written to shed light on the path forward. To help you ask the right questions, avoid common traps, and find a partner who will actually help move your business forward – not just sell you pixels and code.

Part I:
The Strategic Foundation

Begin with Strategy, Not Screens

Any web design project worth your time should begin with a strategic discovery process. If your prospective partner doesn’t offer this – or worse, glosses over it – that’s a red flag.

Discovery should go beyond aesthetics. It should explore:

• Your business objectives (growth goals, KPIs, market positioning)
• Marketing strategy alignment
• Audience personas and user journeys
• Functional requirements (forms, integrations, content types)
• Compliance needs (ADA, GDPR, HIPAA where applicable)
• Ongoing post-launch considerations (internal management vs. agency support)

Great discovery leads to clarity. It connects your website to the bigger picture. It’s the difference between a digital brochure and a business transformation machine.

Design That Serves the Brand

Design matters. A lot. It’s your brand’s first impression, and often, its most frequent interaction with buyers. That said, not every company needs a fully custom website – but every company does need a website that reflects their brand and serves their business goals.

Here’s the key question:

Is your partner designing around your brand, or are they plugging your content into a pre-made template?

Template-based solutions are perfect in certain scenarios. You just need to be aware of the trade-offs:

• Pros: Faster launch, lower cost
• Cons: Limited flexibility, visual sameness, scalability issues

If you’re building long-term brand equity, a custom site is usually the better investment. At Splendor, our custom website development services are built around your identity, not ours.

Know What You Need Before You Build

One of the most common sources of budget overruns and misaligned expectations around undefined functional requirements. Before any wireframe is sketched or line of code is written, make sure you’ve documented what your website actually needs to do.

Start with a feature inventory. Do you need:

• Forms (lead capture, job applications, surveys)
• Project Portfolios or Case Studies
• Search functionality
• Client portals or login areas
• eCommerce functionality
• Third-party integrations (CRM, marketing automation, events calendars)
• Blog or resource centers

For more complex builds, this should evolve into a proper technical spec. Without this step, you’re leaving too much to assumption—and assumptions are expensive.

Post-Launch: Maintenance, Security & Support

Launching your site isn’t the end – it’s the beginning. Once your site goes live, you’ll need a plan to manage updates, security, and evolving content. Otherwise, performance degrades, vulnerabilities emerge, and momentum stalls.

Common post-launch needs include:

• Plugin and CMS updates
• Security patches and malware monitoring
• Performance optimization (speed, caching, uptime)
• Content updates (blogging, team changes, landing pages)

This is where a website maintenance retainer becomes not just helpful, but essential. Ask your agency how they support clients after launch. If they ghost you, that’s not a partner. That’s a project shop.

Evaluating the Partner (Not Just the Work)

A slick portfolio isn’t enough. You’re choosing a collaborator—someone who will be knee-deep in your brand, your goals, and your backend systems for months. Chemistry matters.

Evaluate based on:

• Responsiveness: Do they communicate clearly and consistently?
• Process: Is there a roadmap with milestones, approvals, and checkpoints?
• Depth: Do they ask smart questions, challenge your assumptions, offer real strategy?
• Transparency: Are they clear about timelines, budgets, and scope?

If a prospective partner sends a quote after a 15-minute call, without digging into your goals—that’s not a quote. It’s a guess.

Part II:
What to Expect at Different Price Points

DIY Website Builders ($0–$5,000)

For startups, side hustles, and solo consultants, DIY platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify Starter can provide a quick and budget-friendly way to get online. But keep expectations in check – these tools are built for speed-to-launch, not scalability.

If you just need to put something up quickly with minimal content and no advanced functionality, DIY tools offer plenty of templates and pre-built components. But if your business model, brand message, or lead generation relies heavily on user experience or positioning, these tools will quickly hit their ceiling. You’ll save money in the short term, but often spend more later to rebuild once the limitations become obvious.

Included:

• Basic themes and templates
• Simple drag-and-drop builders
• Built-in CMS and hosting

What’s missing: strategic input, brand differentiation, scalability, SEO sophistication, and long-term flexibility.

Red flags: Trying to scale a business site on a platform built for personal blogs. You’ll likely rebuild it within 12–18 months.

Small Shops or Freelancers ($5,000–$20,000)

This tier is the wild west of web design. There are diamonds in the rough – talented shops and individuals who can handle branding, design, development, and light strategy. But they’re hard to find and often overextended. A freelancer is a person, not a process. And that can be a double-edged sword.

And small shops can produce beautiful work! Just be aware of scalability, availability, and long-term support concerns. Most don’t offer real discovery or content strategy services – and few can maintain larger sites over time without bringing in outside help.

Included:

• Theme customization or semi-custom design
• Basic consultation and layout planning
• Buildout on popular CMS platforms

Common gaps: SEO strategy, brand work, integration expertise, content development, information architecture.

Watch out for: Scope creep, lack of documentation, unclear timelines, and ghosting after launch.

Boutique Agencies ($20,000–$100,000)

This is where strategy, design, and execution come together. Boutique agencies typically work with companies that are ready to grow, rebrand, or sharpen their competitive edge. These firms bring a team-based approach—usually involving strategists, designers, developers, and content experts—to create something that doesn’t just look good but performs.

The best boutique firms prioritize discovery and positioning. They take time to understand your audience, your differentiators, and your goals. You’re not just getting a new website—you’re getting a digital asset that reflects your brand and supports your business strategy. Expect regular check-ins, documented milestones, and deliverables shaped by research and experience.

Included:

• Strategic discovery and positioning sessions
• Custom design, mobile optimization, and UX planning
• Technical development, SEO foundations, CMS training

Enterprise Firms ($100,000+)

Enterprise-level web projects are different animals. They often require deeper technical planning, governance structures, and organizational alignment. These projects take months—not weeks—and usually involve complex systems integration, stakeholder workshops, accessibility compliance, and massive content inventories.

If you’re managing multiple business units, internal logins, APIs, global traffic, or multilingual content—this is the level you’re in. At this stage, agencies are built around scale. You’ll see job titles like digital strategist, solution architect, content modeler, or compliance lead. Timelines are structured, risk is mitigated, and performance is benchmarked.

It’s not cheap. But if your website is a critical infrastructure component of your brand, your customer experience, or your sales cycle—it’s necessary. The key is finding an agency that matches your complexity without bloating your process. Look for firms that bring calm, senior-level thinking—not just headcount and jargon.

Included:

• Advanced research, user testing, and information architecture
• Custom CMS development, system integrations, and dev ops
• Dedicated PMs, QA specialists, and compliance support

Part III:
Let’s Get Down to Brass Tacks

Matching Your Needs to the Right Partner

If you’ve made it this far, you already understand one thing most buyers don’t: not all websites are created equal—and neither are the teams that build them. What you need now is clarity. That means being brutally honest about your internal capabilities, your timeline, your expectations, and your budget.

Here’s a blunt rule of thumb: you can’t get strategy, custom design, robust functionality, scalable SEO, and ongoing support for $5,000. And you probably don’t need a 50-person agency if you’re launching a 5-page site for a small firm.

Ask yourself:

• Is my website primarily a validation tool, or a lead engine?
• Do I need help with brand positioning, messaging, or content?
• How long do I expect this website to serve my business before needing a rebuild?
• Do I have the internal resources to manage post-launch updates?

The answers will guide you more clearly to the right level of partner. Use the pricing tier breakdown in Part II to help define where you fall.

Final Thoughts

The right web partner won’t just design a pretty site. They’ll help you communicate your value, attract better leads, and set your business up for long-term digital success. Don’t rush this decision. Don’t fall for a slick sales pitch. And don’t buy based on price alone.

If you’re unsure where to begin—or you just want a second opinion – get in touch with us at Splendor. We can provide insight, direction, or a gut check before you commit to your next digital leap.