5 Things Your Web Designer Should Be Doing (But Probably Isn't)

When you hire a web designer, you expect to get a website. That's the baseline. But there's a huge difference between "technically has a website" and "has a website that actually works for your business."

A lot of designers stop at "looks nice." They hand you something pretty, collect their payment, and disappear. Meanwhile, you're left wondering why your site isn't showing up on Google, loads slowly, or falls apart on your phone.

Here are five things a good web designer should be doing for you—whether you ask for them or not.

The Five Things

1. Asking About Your Business Goals

The first conversation shouldn't be "what colors do you like?" It should be "what do you want this website to accomplish?"

Are you trying to get more phone calls? Sell products? Book appointments? Establish credibility? The answer to that question should drive every design decision that follows.

A designer who jumps straight to fonts and layouts without understanding your goals is designing blind. They might create something beautiful that completely fails to convert visitors into customers.

2. Building for Mobile First

Over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. For local businesses, that number is even higher—people searching "near me" are almost always on their phones. And here's the kicker: mobile-optimized sites are 67% more likely to rank on Google's first page.

Google completed their switch to mobile-first indexing in July 2024. That means Google looks at your mobile site first when deciding where to rank you—not your desktop version.

Yet I still see designers who build for desktop first and then "make it responsive" as an afterthought. The result? Cramped layouts, tiny buttons, and frustrated mobile users who leave before they ever contact you.

A good designer starts with mobile and scales up. Your phone experience shouldn't be a compromise—it should be the priority.

3. Optimizing for Speed

Your website should load in under 3 seconds. Every second beyond that, you lose visitors. Google has confirmed that page speed directly affects your search rankings through their Core Web Vitals metrics.

This means your designer should be compressing images, minimizing code bloat, choosing efficient hosting, and testing load times before launch. Not after you complain about it.

4. Making It Accessible

About 1 in 4 adults has some form of disability. That includes vision impairments, hearing loss, motor difficulties, and cognitive differences. If your website isn't accessible to them, you're excluding a quarter of your potential customers.

But here's what a lot of business owners don't realize: more than 8,600 ADA lawsuits were filed in 2025 alone, with digital accessibility a major and growing share—a 37% increase from the year before. Small businesses aren't exempt. In fact, 77% of these lawsuits target companies with under $25 million in revenue. Settlements typically range from $5,000 to $50,000, plus legal fees.

Accessibility means things like proper color contrast, keyboard navigation, alt text on images, and semantic HTML structure. It's not complicated—but it requires intentionality from day one.

5. Setting Up Basic SEO

I'm not talking about complex SEO strategy here. I'm talking about the basics that every website needs:

• Proper title tags and meta descriptions on every page
• Clean URL structures
• Heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3) that makes sense
• Image optimization and alt text
• Mobile-friendliness and fast loading times
• Connecting your site to Google Search Console

This isn't extra. This is the minimum. A website that isn't set up for SEO is like opening a store with no sign on the door.

Red Flags to Watch For

Here are some warning signs that your designer might not be doing their job:

• They don't ask questions. If they're ready to start designing after a 10-minute conversation, they're not thinking deeply about your needs.
• They can't explain their process. A professional should be able to walk you through how they work—from discovery to launch.
• They only show you desktop mockups. If mobile isn't part of the conversation from day one, expect problems later.
• Speed and SEO aren't mentioned. If you have to bring these up yourself, they're probably not priorities.
• They disappear after launch. A good designer provides documentation and support. They don't just hand you the keys and vanish.
• You don't own your website. Make sure you own the domain, have hosting access, and receive all files. If they hold any of that hostage, you're trapped.

What to Ask Before You Hire

Here are some questions to help you find a designer who actually does the work:

• "How do you approach mobile design?"
• "What do you do to optimize site speed?"
• "Do you build with accessibility in mind?"
• "What SEO setup is included in your service?"
• "What happens after launch? Do you provide training or documentation?"
• "Can I see examples of sites you've built and their performance scores?"
• "Who owns the domain, hosting, and files when we're done?"

The answers will tell you a lot. A good designer will have clear, confident responses. Someone who's winging it will get vague or defensive.

The Bottom Line

A pretty website that doesn't load fast, show up on Google, work on phones, or serve all your potential customers isn't a good website. It's a liability.

Design is important. But it's only one piece of the puzzle. Make sure whoever you hire understands the full picture—and delivers on all of it.