You're working on a Webflow site and have decided that you want to hire someone to do the work for you. Smart move! But how do you find such a person? Here's my guide for Webflow hiring.
I see it constantly on social media (LinkedIn and Reddit, mostly). Business owners who know they want Webflow for their website but feel overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the right person to build it.
The posts usually go something like this: "I need a Webflow designer, but don't know what to look for. How do I tell if someone is actually good?"
It's an important question, and I do get it. Webflow has specific requirements that make hiring for it different from hiring a designer for another type of design job. What also doesn't help is the fact that the business owner is usually not a designer, which makes it hard to validate someone's portfolio, for example.
Luckily, I've been on both sides; I've helped founders hire people and consulted them on design strategy, while also being hired as a Webflow specialist myself. So, in this article, I'll share everything I know about the Webflow hiring front.
Let's start with the most challenging question. Should you hire a "designer" or a "developer" for your Webflow site? I've struggled with this myself when I want to position myself.
In practice, I found that these labels don't matter that much for Webflow projects. That's because there's a lot of overlap between development and design in Webflow. What you need is someone who combines these skills, regardless of the job title they give themselves. But more on that later.
That 'one person for everything' approach works well in Webflow. I've worked on projects where the client hired separate people for design and development, but in Webflow, this usually slows you down. Only one person can work in Webflow at a time, which means the others will have to wait. You also don't have branching (like in software development), which limits how you can work on different things before deployment.
So this is the first bit of Webflow hiring advice. Hire one person for your entire Webflow project.
Let's talk about the specific skills a designer (or developer) needs to design and build your Webflow website succesfully.
I've divided the required skills into categories. Let's start with the development side of the required skill set.
Your Webflow designer should have a solid understanding of HTML, CSS, and JS (JavaScript). That's because Webflow is quite a technical platform. Yes, it features a drag-and-drop visual builder, but fine-tuning those components and going the extra mile in Webflow works using CSS properties first.
In addition, your designer should be familiar with performance optimization. Webflow websites can get bloated quickly if you don't know what you're doing. This might even result in bandwidth issues!
Look for someone who talks about image compression, file formats, and keeping CSS clean. It is a good sign if they talk about things like WebP images and SVGs, too.
Strong design knowledge is super important. When talking about design knowledge, I mean layout and visual hierarchy, but also more 'under the hood' design knowledge like color theory and Gestalt principles.
Your designer should understand how users scan websites and how to guide their attention to the right places. I've reviewed too many Webflow sites where this was completely ignored, and the results are always pretty, but poor.
Look for someone who understands design principles like Gestalt psychology and color theory. They directly impact how users interact with your site and whether they'll stick around or leave. This 'scientific side' of design is often forgotten.
And finally, responsive design. I'm not going to use the 'mobile-first' cliche. But with that being said; your site needs to work perfectly on phones, tablets, and desktops. Let's call it 'everything-first'. This requires understanding breakpoints and flexible layouts.
SEO (or 'GEO'...) is a buzzword on many founders' minds. They know it is important, but are unsure how to set it up in Webflow. And they're right. It is important. Your stunning new website won't help if nobody can find it.
Look for someone who understands technical SEO, content structure, and page speed optimization. As I mentioned earlier, that final one also helps to prevent Webflow's bandwidth challenges.
Understanding content strategy helps, too. A good Webflow designer can advise you on what content will convert visitors into customers. And with Webflow's 'Collections' feature (their CMS), this becomes extra important as setting up Collections well will save you a lot of Webflow trouble in the future.
The above applies to marketing and landing pages, too. Your Webflow designer should think about business results instead of gradients and drop shadows. Every design decision should support your business goals.
Alright. Now that you know what to look for, it is time to talk about how you should approach your search. Here's how to find potential Webflow designers, talk to them, and decide whether or not they're a fit for your project.
First, look for designers with a strong online presence. This means a polished portfolio website with detailed case studies and examples. I consider a portfolio website to be a designer's first project. How they present themselves is how they also collaborate and work on your website.
During your meetings with potential designers, pay attention to how they explain technical concepts. Can they make you understand those concepts? This shows both the frontend development knowledge I talked about earlier and good communication skills. You'll be working together closely, so communication matters.
Ask for completed projects (not just designs) and talk to an older client or two. Previous clients can tell you how someone communicates, manages a project, and delivers the Webflow website. My portfolio website is full of testimonials that link to the actual person. I want you to double-check them!
And finally, consider a full-service specialist. Managing one hire is easier than having to communicate between a designer, developer, SEO specialist, and strategist.
I consider myself an 'A to Z' designer. When we work together, I can do a full project from the first branding idea up to delivery and SEO.
You can best review a designer by their portfolio. Usually, a designer has a website that's findable on social media and search engines.
How easy it is to find that portfolio already tells you if they have their SEO in order. In some cases, you can also already see one of their Webflow projects in action when they've used Webflow for their portfolio.
But there's more.
View their websites on your mobile phone and your computer. Do they look good on both? Do elements overflow or feel crowded while viewing on your phone? When the website looks good on multiple devices, you know they have an eye for responsive design.
Check the website's loading speed. Open their portfolio sites and see if they feel quick. Any delays or slow loading could mean a lack of optimisation. I've seen beautiful portfolios that take 10+ seconds to load. While they look very pretty, that's not someone you want building your site.
Look for clean, professional layouts rather than over-the-top animations. Good design should feel easy to navigate. Do their projects have a clear hierarchy? Can you quickly understand what's important on each page?
This is where that design foundation knowledge I mentioned really shows. The best Webflow work I've seen focuses on functionality first and visuals second.
Let's say you've found someone who checks all of the boxes above. The next step would be to invite them to a meeting. Here's what to do and ask for during a meeting.
Ask how they would optimise a website. How do they keep Webflow sites fast and lightweight? They should have specific techniques and tools they use. You can also ask for examples of performance improvements.
Discuss responsive design. How does the designer make sure a website works across all devices? They should talk about breakpoints and testing methods.
And finally, ask about their business thinking. How do they approach work on a website when conversion is your main goal? What's their experience with SEO? You want someone who thinks about business results.
Interestingly enough, I also wanted to write a 'red flags' section. But I found out that it is just the 'negative' version of the above. So, as another bit of advice, keep in mind that not qualifying for the above can be enough of a reason to not proceed with the designer in question.
Let's talk about another challenging question. What should you expect to invest in your (new) Webflow website? As always… it depends, but I'll be as clear as can be about it.
For new sites built from scratch, you're looking at 5k USD and up. Most projects at this price point include branding, development, and SEO fundamentals on top of the actual Webflow design work.
Let me explain the 'and up' part of the pricing I just mentioned. It depends mostly on your website's size. More pages mean more work setting up the content management system in Webflow. Other extras include (custom) animations, photography, and maintenance. They take time, but add extra polish to your website. That comes at a price.
The largest project I've seen in the wild was a 20-25k USD budget for a 'this has to become a top 1% in my industry' type Webflow website.
That's everything for new websites. But how about existing ones? If you have an existing site that needs improvements, projects usually start around the 2k USD price point, depending on scope. Smaller 'touch-up' projects can begin with the 1k USD price point.
I've helped clients budget for these types of projects many times before, and work includes fixing bandwidth issues, setting up SEO fundamentals, or improving the site's overall branding and design.
Hiring for Webflow isn't always the same as hiring a designer in general. You need someone who's able to design a website with technical know-how, (bandwidth) performance, SEO, and business growth in mind.
That's a tall order, but it is doable. The right Webflow specialist will save you time, money, and headaches by handling everything from start to finish. Also, your new high-performing website will likely bring in new work for you, too. The ROI is great.
When you find someone who checks all the boxes from this article, you've found an excellent Webflow designer and developer who can help get the website you have in mind. It'll make all the difference.