The short answer: before hiring a web designer in Kamloops, check seven things — real local work you can visit, page speed on their own sites, whether local SEO is built in or a paid add-on, who owns the site at the end, transparent pricing, who actually does the work, and what happens after launch. A designer who dodges any of these is telling you something.
Every Kamloops business owner who's been burned by a website project tells a version of the same story: the quotes were confusing, the cheap option turned out expensive, and the person who sold the project disappeared after launch. None of that is bad luck. It's what happens when you don't know what to check before signing.
Here's the checklist — and the questions that go with it.
1. Look at their actual work, not their portfolio page
A portfolio shows the designer's best day. What you want is the typical result. Ask for three local sites they've built, then check each one yourself:
- Does it load fast on your phone, on mobile data?
- Does the business show up when you search their service + "Kamloops"?
- Has the site visibly decayed since launch — broken links, outdated content?
A designer whose past clients rank and load fast will happily hand over the list. One who hesitates has a reason.
2. Test the speed of the sites they've built
Speed isn't cosmetic — most mobile visitors abandon a page that takes more than about three seconds, and Google ranks slow sites lower. Run their work (and their own site) through the free website grader. If a web designer's own website scores poorly on speed, that's the quality bar they'll bring to yours.
3. Ask whether local SEO is built in or bolted on
This is the question that separates real builders from template-flippers. A website that doesn't show up in Kamloops searches is a brochure nobody picks up — and many designers treat local SEO as a separate line item to upsell later.
Ask directly: "Is on-page SEO — titles, headings, schema markup, local keywords — included in the build, or extra?" The right answer is included. Also ask whether they'll connect the site properly to your Google Business Profile, because the two reinforce each other for Maps ranking.
4. Confirm what you own at the end
The most expensive websites are the ones you can't leave. Before you sign, get clear answers to:
- Do I own the domain, in my own registrar account?
- Do I own the site files and content, or am I renting a platform?
- If we part ways, what walks away with me?
Platform lock-in is how a $1,500 site becomes a $4,000 hostage situation. "You own everything" should be said plainly, in writing.
5. Demand transparent pricing
In Kamloops, a single landing page with Google Business Profile setup runs $500–$1,200, a proper five-page site with local SEO built in runs $1,500–$3,000, and larger custom builds start at $3,500+. A designer who won't give you a range before a sales call is optimising for the pitch, not the project. Watch for the hidden costs too: ballooning monthly fees, hosting markups, and "maintenance plans" that cover nothing measurable.
The free website cost calculator gives you a fair-price baseline before you talk to anyone — including me.
6. Find out who actually does the work
Agencies quote with their best people in the room and deliver with their cheapest. Ask: "Who specifically will design and build my site, and do I talk to them directly?" With a solo professional, the person who quotes is the person who builds — which is also why solo pricing usually beats agency pricing for the same quality of work.
7. Ask what happens after launch
A website is not a one-time event. Things break, content needs updating, Google changes. Ask what support is included, what it costs after, and — most tellingly — whether their past clients can still reach them. The designer who built it should still be answering the phone a year later.
The questions, all in one place
Take these to any web designer you're evaluating, in Kamloops or anywhere:
- Can I see three local sites you've built, and may I contact those owners?
- Is on-page local SEO included in the build, or extra?
- Will you set up or connect my Google Business Profile?
- Do I own the domain, files, and content outright?
- What's the all-in price, and what are the ongoing costs?
- Who specifically builds my site, and do I deal with them directly?
- What does support look like after launch?
Straight answers to all seven is the green light. Vague answers to any of them is the project you'll regret.
Where to start
If you want a baseline before talking to anyone, run your current site through the free website grader, then book a free website review — I'll tell you what your business actually needs and what it should cost, including "keep what you have" if that's the honest answer. That's the standard I think you should hold every designer to, me included.