You’ve sent your enquiry. Maybe you got an email back, maybe a quick WhatsApp reply. Either way, the next step is the web design intro call — and this is where the magic (or the chaos) starts.
Too many small business owners rock up unprepared, ask a few questions about web design prices and features, and end up with a website that looks okay… but does absolutely nothing for their sales.
Let’s fix that.
This is your quick, practical guide to showing up prepared — so you can find the right web designer, get the right website, and actually move the needle for your business.
Step 1: don’t get distracted by the package checklist
You’ve probably been eyeing that affordable website design package with its shiny feature list — mobile-friendly design, contact forms, SEO-friendly pages.
Here’s the secret: most of that stuff is standard.
Instead of obsessing over features, focus on what those features are supposed to do:
- Bring you more leads
- Make you look credible
- Help you show up in local searches
If a web design agency can’t connect their package features to your business goals, that’s a red flag.
Step 2: get clear on your “why”
If you don’t know why you need a website, you can’t expect your designer to figure it out for you.
For most service-based businesses, your “why” is pretty simple:
- Credibility – looking professional so people trust you.
- Lead generation – turning that trust into enquiries and sales.
Your intro call should centre around those two things.
If you leave the call not knowing how this designer is going to help you get found online (through things like local SEO) and convert visitors into customers, keep looking.
Step 3: bring your business story
The best small business websites aren’t cookie-cutter — they sound and feel like you.
That’s why a good web designer will ask you questions like:
- Who are you and what do you offer?
- Who’s your ideal customer?
- How did you get started and what makes you different?
- Why should someone choose you over the next company?
This is the raw material that allows them to write copy that sells, not just filler text.
Step 4: talk about your challenges
Here’s where the good stuff happens.
Say something like:
“Our biggest problem is that people don’t know we exist. We want them to be able to find us when they Google services in [your city], learn about why we’re the best option, and contact us quickly so our sales team has more leads to close.”
This shows your designer you’re serious about results, not just a pretty homepage.
Step 5: ask about search engine optimisation strategy
Even if you’re not a techie, you should bring this up.
For example:
- If you’re in Johannesburg, ask how they’ll help you show up for “plumber in Johannesburg” or “accountant Sandton.”
- If you’re in Cape Town, ask how they’ll make you visible to people searching in your suburb.
This one question separates designers who build brochure sites from designers who build business assets.
Step 6: look for a partner, not a pitch
You don’t just want someone who’ll take your money and build another generic site.
You want someone who sees your website as an investment and takes responsibility for helping you get ROI.
If your intro call feels collaborative, like a mini-strategy session, you’re in the right place.
Showing up prepared for a web design intro call isn’t about grilling your designer on technical features — it’s about clearly communicating what success looks like for you and seeing if they can deliver.
When you focus on credibility, lead generation, and local visibility, you’ll spot the difference between a cheap website that looks okay and a small business website designed to bring in leads and grow your revenue.
And that’s how you stop wasting money on websites that just sit there — and start investing in a site that works as hard as you do.
Liked this? Why not read this: How to offer cheap, value-driven small business website design