Why someone local makes sense
You can order a website from anywhere today. Still, it helps when the web designer is nearby, for example in Zlín, Otrokovice or the surrounding area. You can meet in person, show them your business and talk everything through at one table. They also know the local customers and how people in the area search for services.
Distance is not everything, though. What matters more is whether they understand you, how they communicate and whether their websites work. Look at that first.
Freelancer or agency?
An agency has more people: a graphic designer, a developer, a copywriter and a project manager. It suits large projects where the work can be split. But you also pay for project management, and communication often goes through an intermediary.
An independent web designer is usually cheaper and more flexible, and you talk directly to the person building the site. That is often enough for a small business or sole trader. Just make sure they can handle everything you need and will be available after launch.
What to look for in a portfolio
- Real websites, not just pictures. Open them and click through.
- Mobile. Open the examples on your phone; that is how most of your customers will see them.
- Speed. Test the sites in Google's PageSpeed Insights. Slow websites lose customers.
- Industry. They do not need a site from exactly your field, but they should show they can solve a similar problem.
- References. Ask whether you can call or write to one of their clients.
Questions for the first meeting
Feel free to print these questions and take them with you:
- How much will the website cost and what exactly is included?
- Is the price fixed, or can it change?
- How long will it take to build?
- Who will write the copy and supply the photos?
- Will I be able to edit the website myself?
- Who will own the domain, the website and the logins?
- How will the website be prepared for search on Google and Seznam (the Czech search engine)?
- What happens after launch and what do changes cost?
What a web designer costs
Prices depend mainly on the scope of the website, not on the city. A simple presentation website can cost a few thousand to low tens of thousands of crowns, a company website with more pages tens of thousands. More important than the lowest price is what you get for it and what the website will cost you in the following years.
How much does a website cost in 2026
Red flags
- A promise of first place on Google. Nobody can guarantee that.
- A price "by agreement" without a described scope.
- A rented website: when you stop paying, you lose the site and cannot take it elsewhere.
- A domain registered to the web designer, not to you.
- No written quote or contract.
- Nobody asks what you do and who your customers are, only which colour you want.
What to prepare before the meeting
The better prepared you come, the more accurate a quote you get. Just think about:
- What you do and for whom, in two or three sentences.
- What the website should bring: calls, enquiries, bookings, new members.
- Websites you like and ones you do not, and why.
- The copy, photos and logo you already have.
- A rough idea of budget and deadline.
How working with me goes
I build websites for companies and sole traders in Zlín and the surrounding area, and I visit clients in person. We start with a short consultation about what you do and what the website should achieve. Then you get a fixed price and a deadline.
I prepare a design, and until you are happy, I do not start coding. After launch I stay available for changes and support.