How to Choose a Website Designer in Kenya

Choosing a website designer is a bit like choosing a contractor. Almost everyone says they can do the job, prices vary widely, and you often only discover problems after you've paid. A careful selection process saves money, time and a lot of frustration.

Here's a practical guide to choosing a website designer or agency in Kenya.

Start with what you need

Before you contact anyone, write down:

• What the website must achieve. Enquiries? Online sales? Admissions? Credibility for tenders?
• Who it's for. Your main customers and what they need to know.
• Roughly which pages you need.
• Must-have features. WhatsApp, booking, listings, e-commerce, M-Pesa payments.
• Your budget range.
• Your timeline.

This makes quotes easier to compare, because every designer is responding to the same brief.

Look at real work, not just screenshots

Ask for links to live websites similar to yours. Then:

• Open them on your phone
• Check how quickly they load
• See whether the content is clear
• Test the contact forms if appropriate

A portfolio of attractive mockups means less than live sites that work well.

Questions to ask every designer

About the process

• How do you find out about my business and customers?
• Will I see a design before development starts?
• How many rounds of revisions are included?
• How will we communicate, and how often?

About content

• Who writes the content?
• Do you provide a content guide or template?
• Can you help with photography?

About the technology

• What platform will the site be built on?
• Will I be able to update it myself?
• Will it be mobile-friendly and fast?
• Is basic SEO included?

About ownership

• Who will own the domain name? It should be registered in your business's name.
• Will I have login access to the hosting and the website?
• Who owns the design and code once paid for?

About after launch

• What happens if something breaks?
• Do you offer maintenance, and what does it cost?
• Will you train my team?

Red flags to watch for

• Guaranteed first-page Google rankings. Nobody can honestly guarantee this.
• Refusing to register the domain in your name.
• No written scope or contract.
• 100% payment upfront for large projects. Milestone payments protect both sides.
• No live examples.
• Vague answers about what's included.
• Pressure to decide immediately.

Freelancer or agency?

Both can be good choices.

Freelancers can be cost-effective and personal, and are often a great fit for smaller, straightforward projects. The risk is dependency on one person's availability and skills.

Agencies typically bring a broader team (strategy, design, development, copywriting and SEO) and more continuity. They may cost more but can handle larger or more complex projects.

Judge by portfolio, process, communication and references rather than size alone.

How to compare quotes

Line up quotes against the same checklist: pages, design approach, features, content, SEO, revisions, training, ownership and support. Our guide to website design costs in Kenya explains what drives price differences.

Check how they communicate

Throughout the selection process, notice:

• How quickly do they respond?
• Do they ask good questions about your business?
• Do they explain things in plain language?
• Are they honest about what they can and can't do?

The way a designer communicates before you pay is usually the best indication of how they'll communicate during the project.

A simple decision checklist

• Relevant live examples that work well on mobile
• Clear written scope and price
• Domain and accounts in your name
• Defined revision rounds and timeline
• Training and support explained
• Sensible payment milestones
• Good, honest communication

Our approach

At Bravura, we publish our starting prices, explain exactly what each package includes and register domains in our clients' names. If you're comparing options, we're happy to answer every question on this list. Get in touch.