The short answer:
When you’re choosing a web designer in Ottawa, look for someone whose portfolio feels like the brand you want to become, who designs custom (not templates), who's clear about how your site will be cared for after launch (by you or by them), and who you genuinely connect with on the first call. That last one matters more than you might think.
You've got six tabs open. Three portfolios look amazing, two quotes are wildly different, and one designer hasn't emailed you back since Tuesday. Choosing a web designer in Ottawa (or anywhere for that matter) is a big decision: you're handing someone your money, your time and the way the world sees your business. I've been designing brands and websites for over 10 years, and I've been on a lot of discovery calls.
Here are the 10 questions I'd ask if I were the one hiring.
The 10 questions
1. Does their portfolio look like where you want to go?
When you look at their work you might think "is it pretty," but does it feel like the brand you're building? If every site in their portfolio looks the same, I’m betting yours will too. Look for range, and for at least one project that makes you think, "oh, I THIS is the feeling I want."
2. Who will you actually be talking to?
I was recently on a call with a client outreach specialist (a nice sales consulting firm) and I immediately got the feeling that I was on a high pressure sales call where someone also repeatedly used the word “girls” to refer to the women who were part of their coaching cohort. I asked her whether she would be the coach assigned to me. The short answer - she wouldn’t be - and not only that, I could actually never speak with the person who would be assigned to me before signing a contract. This felt slightly insane and needless to say I did not hire that agency. Case-in-point - some studios hand you off to a project manager the minute the contract is signed. Before you hire a web designer in Ottawa, ask who your point of contact is from the first call to launch day. You want one person who is invested in your business inside and out, answers your emails and never makes you repeat yourself.
3. Do they design custom, or start from a template?
Templates aren't evil, but you should know what you're paying for (God knows I’ve wished to be the type of designer who could whip out templated websites and not feel like I was selling a clone - but it’s just not in me). A custom website is designed around your brand, your clients and how they actually shop or book. A template is designed around everyone.
4. Which platform do they recommend, and why for you?
Squarespace, Shopify, Webflow, Framer, WordPress, or a custom-built site managed for you: a good web designer can explain why one fits you better. My quick rule: Squarespace is the best fit for most service businesses, studios and portfolios, and Shopify wins the moment you're shipping products. If a designer only ever recommends one platform, ask why.
5. Who takes care of it after launch?
Some people love updating their own website. Others would rather never log in again. Neither is wrong, but know which one you are, and ask the designer what each option looks like. If you want to do it yourself, ask whether you'll get training or a walkthrough video at launch (Loom videos are my favourite tool for this btw). If you want to be hands off, ask about ongoing maintenance: what it costs each month, how fast updates happen, and what's included. If the site lives on a monthly plan, also ask what happens to it if you ever stop paying, so there are no surprises down the road.
6. Do they think about your brand, or just your website?
A website is only as good as the brand behind it. If your logo, colours and fonts aren't working, a beautiful layout won't fix it. The best web designers will tell you honestly if your brand needs some love first, even if it isn't what you wanted to hear. I always tell clients that I am an absolutely terrible liar - I cannot fake enthusiasm for a brand design I don’t feel aligns with the brand and where the client is hoping to take it.
7. What's included, and what isn't?
How many pages? How many rounds of revisions? Is copywriting included? SEO? Photo editing? Are there monthly fees after launch? Get it in writing before you sign, so there are no surprise invoices halfway through.
8. Will people actually find your website?
A gorgeous site nobody can find is a very expensive business card. Ask about SEO titles and descriptions, page structure, image sizes and FAQ schema, the behind-the-scenes things that help Google and AI search tools like ChatGPT understand and recommend you. And getting set up for success when it comes to SEO and AI discovery is just the start. Blogging, fresh content, external site validation, social media - it all comes into play and SEO is a long game in many ways.
9. What do their past clients say?
Reviews tell you what the portfolio can't: were they on time, easy to work with, still answering emails after launch? Bonus points if most of their work comes from referrals. Happy clients send their friends.
10. How do you feel after the call?
This is the one people skip, and it's the one that matters most.
A client recently told me that before we talked, he’d met with more than one web designer in Ottawa. Some were less expensive. Some had strong portfolios. But he said none of them really got it, and he didn't get the right feeling from any of them. He hired me on what I thought was just a quick check-in call.
When you're investing real money, time and energy into a new website or rebrand, you deserve someone who genuinely cares, not someone treating you like another number on a checklist. Trust your gut. If you leave the call excited and understood, that's your designer.
So, what should a website cost in Ottawa?
Honestly? It depends on what you need, and any web designer in Ottawa who quotes you before asking questions is guessing. Prices swing widely between a template set up in a weekend and a fully custom Shopify store with hundreds of products.
What I'd look for instead of the lowest number: a clear, fixed-price proposal that spells out exactly what's included. My starting prices are right on my Squarespace and Shopify pages, because I think you deserve to know before we ever hop on a call.
The cheapest quote isn't always the best value. A website that doesn't feel like you, can't be found on Google or needs to be redone in two years ends up costing the most.
Why I'm a little biased about Ottawa
I’m a designer in Ottawa because Ottawa businesses took a chance on me.
I was doing commercial interior design, and one of my clients at the time was 692 Coffee and Bar. They knew I'd been building my own website and doing my own branding for years, and while I was designing their space, they asked: "Can you do ours too?" Designing a brick-and-mortar brand, from the walls to the website, felt like the most fun challenge. It was the moment I realized I should take this seriously.
After that, businesses all over Manotick started reaching out, and it grew from there. Today, over 90% of my work comes from referrals, and I design brands and websites for clients in Ottawa, New York, Long Island, Texas, LA, Israel and beyond.
The thing I hear most from clients? "It's like you're inside my brain." I've even had a client's right-hand person, someone who knows her better than almost anyone, say I took all the jumbled-up ideas in her head and turned them into something she never would have imagined, but that was exactly right. That's the feeling I want every client to have. (See my Ottawa work here.)
FAQs
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Not necessarily, but it helps - especially if you operate a brand with a physical space or storefront.
A local web designer understands the Ottawa market, can meet in-person - and get a sense of what your customers feel when they walk through the door. That said, the right fit matters more than the postal code. Many of my clients are across Canada and the U.S.
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Squarespace is best for service businesses, studios and portfolios. The backend of Squarespace is client friendly and for those who wish to manage their own site - adding blog posts, updating content and fresh pages is often very doable on a Squarespace site post launch.
Shopify is best if you sell physical products or plan to. And yes there are hybrid models in some cases (I have one blogger client on a Squarespace + Shopify hybrid), but I really think it’s important to think of what your brand could look like in a year or two.
You may think that you don’t want to sell online initially but if you’re a storefront with inventory it’s often the more straightforward approach to start your website on Shopify where you can have one streamlined inventory management system - with the option of e-commerce selling down the road.
A good web designer will recommend the platform that fits your business, not the one they prefer.
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Most custom websites take 2 to 12 weeks, depending on the number of pages, products and how quickly feedback comes back. Of course that range sounds comical but it all depends on the needs of the client. A straightforward service business with a couple of offerings can have a new website in a matter of a couple of weeks or less. A large e-commerce brand with a complex product catalogue and a custom app stack will take a lot longer.
I always provide an up-front estimate of our project duration no matter the platform and complexity.
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A sense of your goals, a few websites you love (and why - and no, they do not need to be limited to your own industry), and your logo and brand files if you have them. Don't have a brand yet? That's a great place to start (and I offer full brand design as well).
Ready to find your person?
If you're looking for a web designer in Ottawa who'll actually get it (and get you), I'd love to chat. Book an intro call, no pressure, just a conversation about where you want to take your business.
