Before hiring a web designer, make sure you know what kind of website you are looking for and what budget you have in mind. If you have a low budget and are looking for a basic website with a few web pages, then look for a freelancer, who has quite a lot of experience and has built many websites before. If you are looking for a top-quality website, then hire a web design firm, but make sure to check these characteristics: Have experts with lots of experience on latest technologies, who can do custom design work for you. They can provide support and maintenance once website has completed. Have dedicated specialists for each task; i.e. a web designer, web developer, and QA tester is assigned to work on your website Has good credibility. You can check their reviews on Google and look at their portfolio of past projects completed.