Vancouver has hundreds of web designers and agencies. Choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Here's what to look for and what to avoid.
Look at their portfolio, not their promises. Every agency says they build "beautiful, responsive websites." What matters is proof. Look at their actual work. Open the sites on your phone. Are they fast? Do they look good? Do they feel different from each other, or is every site the same template with different colors?
Ask about timeline and process. Some agencies take 2 to 3 months. For a small business website, that's absurd. A good web designer can build a custom site in one to two weeks. If someone quotes you 8 weeks for a five-page website, they're either overcomplicating it or they have too many clients and you'll be waiting in a queue.
Ask about SEO. A website that nobody can find is worthless. Your web designer should be building SEO into the foundation — semantic HTML, meta tags, schema markup, fast load times, mobile-first design. If SEO is an "add-on" or "phase 2," find someone else.
Ask about ownership. Some agencies lock you into their platform or hosting. If you leave, you lose your site. Make sure you own your code, your domain, and your content. At Forge Digital, we hand over everything — full ownership, fully documented, no lock-in.
Look for a free preview. The best way to evaluate a web designer is to see what they'd actually build for you. That's why we offer a free mockup before any commitment. You see the design, you love it or you walk away. No invoice, no pressure.
Whether you choose us or someone else, these principles will help you avoid the agencies that overpromise and underdeliver. Vancouver has great web designers — you just need to know what to look for.