Show the designer a real customer enquiry
Before discussing fonts or colours, describe a typical job: a homeowner in Stockport wants a hallway and staircase refreshed, has a few photographs and would like a site visit within a fortnight. Ask the designer to show how that person would find the right page, see credible work and send enough details for you to respond. That exercise exposes weak websites faster than a gallery of pretty homepages.
Five questions a designer should ask you first
- Which decorating services are the most profitable or most suitable for your team?
- Which towns and postcodes do you genuinely serve?
- What types of project photographs and reviews can you use with permission?
- How do you currently price or qualify work before arranging a visit?
- Who will maintain the website when services, team details or coverage areas change?
If the conversation consists mainly of page counts and theme colours, you may be buying a generic template. The designer does not need to have decorated a room themselves, but they should be curious about your customer journey.
Look at the mobile experience, not just a desktop screenshot
Most people expect to find a phone number, service area and convincing examples quickly when viewing a local service website. On a sample site, try the menu, read project captions and send a test enquiry using a phone. Check whether galleries load smoothly and whether the form is usable without pinching and zooming.
- Is the contact action easy to find on every important page?
- Can visitors tell interior decorating from exterior or specialist services?
- Do project galleries show actual work with helpful context?
- Are buttons easy to tap, and do forms give a clear confirmation?
Ask what the designer means by SEO
Good on-page foundations include clear content, descriptive page titles, useful service pages and technically crawlable pages. A stronger local SEO programme might also cover Google Business Profile guidance, ongoing site content and measurement. These are different scopes of work. Ask the designer to distinguish setup from monthly optimisation and to explain what outcomes can reasonably be measured.
Treat guaranteed top rankings with caution. Search visibility depends on competition, location, business reputation and many factors outside a designer’s direct control. One thoughtful page about decorating in areas you actually cover is more useful than thirty copy-and-paste town pages.
Be precise about ownership and monthly costs
Clarify who registers and controls the domain, who can export photographs and text, who hosts the site and what happens if you cancel. Do not assume that owning the domain also means owning every design asset or software licence. Get promises in writing and read the terms.
A low-cost DIY builder may be enough for a decorator who enjoys maintaining a simple site. A managed service makes more sense when your time is better spent surveying, quoting and completing work. Compare total fees across a few years, not just launch cost.
Ask how new projects will be added
Decorating businesses build trust through evidence. After a successful exterior repaint or wallpapering project, you should be able to add a few authorised photos and a short explanation without waiting months. Ask if content changes are included, who crops and compresses images, and how project pages are linked to relevant services.
What a sensible design proposal should contain
- The proposed page structure and its purpose.
- Exactly which words, project photos and branding you must supply.
- What forms, call buttons and optional uploads will do.
- Mobile testing, content checks and a launch handover.
- Hosting, backup, security and support arrangements.
- Ownership, cancellation and any extra-cost features.
How LLTT Media approaches it
Further reading
Related guide: Painter and Decorator Website Design in the UK: The Complete Guide
Related guide: How Much Does a Painter and Decorator Website Cost in the UK?