Do you need one?
Does a graphic designer need a website?
A fair question in a world of Instagram and Behance. But the honest answer turns on how clients choose: on style and fit, judged from a portfolio they can browse.
From £297, live in 7 days, on your own domain.
Does a graphic designer need a website?
The honest answer
Does a graphic designer need a website? If you have all the work you want from another source, and no wish to grow, then perhaps not. But the honest answer turns on how clients actually choose a designer, which is on style and fit. A client wants a designer whose visual style they love and who they will work with directly, and the only way to judge a style is to see work, so they browse portfolios looking for a taste they connect with. A designer with nowhere to show a portfolio cannot be chosen on style, which is the main thing the client is deciding on, so they pick a designer whose work they could actually see. The real question, then, is whether you want the clients who choose on style, because without somewhere to show your work, you are invisible to exactly the people deciding on the thing you do.
Clients choose on style, judged from a portfolio
Choosing a graphic designer is a taste decision. The client is not comparing service lists, they are looking for a style that fits their project and their own sensibility, and style is something you can only judge by seeing it, so they browse work to find a designer whose taste they love. That makes a portfolio essential, not optional: it is how a client encounters your style, feels the fit, and decides you are the designer for them. A designer whose work cannot be seen is at a fundamental disadvantage, because the very thing the client is choosing on, the style, is the thing they cannot access. And alongside the work, a client hiring a freelancer wants a sense of the person they will work with, which a portfolio site can convey and a bare listing cannot. Being chosen means having your style, and yourself, somewhere a client can browse and connect with, which is what a site provides.
A feed is not a portfolio, and referrals still look
The natural objection is that Instagram or Behance can show your work, and they help, but they are not a substitute for your own site. A feed scatters your pieces and presents them on someone else’s terms, alongside everyone else, whereas your own site gathers your best work, shows your range, and conveys a sense of you, in one place you control, which is what a client choosing a designer wants to browse. And even referrals run through this: a recommended client still looks at your work before hiring, because they need to see whether your style suits their project, so a portfolio confirms the referral and wins them, while having nothing to show lets the recommendation fade. So a site is where your style is properly seen and your referrals are converted, which a scattered feed and word of mouth alone cannot do as well. For a freelancer whose advantage is a distinctive style and a personal relationship, a site is how both are shown to the clients who will value them.
So the real answer to does a graphic designer need a website is: yes, if you want the clients who choose on style, because that style is judged from a portfolio and a designer with nowhere to show work cannot be picked. And finding out costs just £99 up front: I build the site on spec, from £297, and you see it finished before you pay the rest, so you can look at your actual site, ready to show your style to the clients who will love it, and decide from there, knowing a single client, often with repeat work, covers the cost many times over.
How it works
From message to live in four steps.
- 01
Message me
Tell me your trade and your town on WhatsApp. No forms to wade through, no call to book.
- 02
£99 to start
A £99 deposit gets your build going and comes off your quote. It covers some of the build time.
- 03
I build it, you see it
I build the whole site, framed around your work, and send it to you finished to look at.
- 04
Pay the rest, go live
Happy with it? You pay the balance, it goes live on your own domain, and it is yours to keep.
What you get
What a graphic design site from me includes.
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Built on spec
I build it first and send it finished. You see the real thing before you decide, not a mock-up.
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Live in 7 days
From the go-ahead, your site is live within a week. No months of back and forth.
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On your own domain
It goes live in your name. You own the site and everything on it, with no lock-in.
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Genuinely fast
Static pages, no WordPress. Fast pages rank better and turn more visitors into calls.
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Found on Google
Built to be found in local search, with the plumbing done properly from day one.
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Looked after
Someone looks after it and changes it when you need. Two small edits a month, your listing kept current.
What it costs
A straight price.
From £297 to build it, first three months of Care included, then £49 a month.
You own the site outright and can stop the monthly plan whenever you like. Hosting is part of Care and Grow, so one of those keeps it online after the first three months, or you host it yourself. See the full pricing.
Common questions
Questions I get asked.
Does a graphic designer really need a website?
If you want a steady flow of clients, yes, because they choose on style and fit, judged from your portfolio. A client wants a designer whose style they love and who they will work with directly, and they decide that by browsing work, so a designer with nowhere to show a portfolio cannot be chosen on style. Without a site, the client picks a designer whose work they could see.
Can't a graphic designer just use Instagram or Behance?
They help show individual pieces, but they scatter your work in a feed and present it on someone else's terms, alongside everyone else, whereas your own site presents your style, your range and a sense of you in one place you control. A client choosing a designer wants a proper portfolio to browse and a feel for who you are, which a feed does not give as well as your own site.
Why do clients look at a portfolio before choosing a designer?
Because they are choosing a style, and style can only be judged by seeing work, so they browse portfolios to find a designer whose taste they connect with. A designer whose work they cannot see cannot be chosen on style, which is the main thing they are deciding on, so a portfolio a client can browse is essential to being picked.
Isn't design work won by word of mouth?
Referrals help, but even a recommended client looks at your work before hiring, because they need to see whether your style suits their project. So a referred client browses your portfolio to judge the fit, and if there is nothing to see, the recommendation loses its force. Word of mouth opens the door, but your portfolio is what wins them once they look.
When could a graphic designer skip a website?
Realistically, only if you have all the work you want from another source and no wish to grow. Because clients choose on style judged from a portfolio, most designers without somewhere to show their work lose clients to those who display theirs. For anyone wanting more projects, the case for a site is strong.
Is a website worth it for a freelance graphic designer?
Often especially so, because style and personal service, not the size of a studio, win a client, and a good site lets a freelancer show both as well as anyone. A style-showing site can win a freelancer clients who love their work and want the personal relationship, which is exactly the freelancer's advantage. A single client, often with repeat work, covers the cost many times over.
How much does it cost to find out if a website is worth it?
Just £99 to start with me, and it comes off your quote. I build the whole site first and you see the finished thing before you pay the rest, from £297. So you are not gambling on a maybe, you are looking at the actual site for your design work and deciding then. Given a single client, often with repeat work, the risk of finding out is very low.
Tell me your town and I'll build you a graphic design site on spec, so you can see it before you pay. Or read A Checkatrade alternative, see the full pricing, or get in touch.