Choosing a web developer in Norwich: what to ask.

Norwich has plenty of web agencies, freelancers and small studios. If you're a small business looking for a new website, or a proper refresh of the one you have, that choice is good news. It can also feel like a lot to wade through.

Ask the wrong questions, or none at all, and you can end up with a site that looks nice but is slow, or is fast but impossible to update, or simply doesn't bring in work. This guide covers what we think you should pin down when choosing a web developer in Norwich, before you sign anything.

Start with the problem, not the design

Before fonts, colours or features, work out what's broken right now. For example:

• Are people leaving because your current site is slow or confusing?
• Do you spend hours each week answering the same questions by email, when a good FAQ or booking flow could do it?
• Are you losing work to competitors whose sites simply look more trustworthy?

A clear problem keeps the whole project focused. When we built the booking platform for NR Surveyors, the brief was simple: let customers get a quote, pick a survey type and book a date without picking up the phone. Everything else followed from that.

Website, online shop or web app?

Not every business needs more than a website. But if you need more, say so at the start, because it changes who you should hire.

• A website is mostly information: your services, your story, how to get in touch.
• An online shop means products, payments, stock and delivery rules. For Surplush, we built a wholesale platform with pricing for each account, carbon tracking and delivery zones for e-cargo bikes across Norwich, Cambridge and London. That isn't a Wix template job.
• A web app has logins, data and workflows. Think PropScribe, a platform we built that helps RICS surveyors turn notes from site into branded PDF reports, or Qantori, an accounting workspace for several businesses at once that connects to HMRC Making Tax Digital.

If your project involves bookings, accounts, payments or any kind of process, make sure the developer has built apps, not just brochure sites.

Ask what they build with, and why

The technology behind your site affects its speed, its security and how easy it is to change later. A good developer can explain their choice in plain English, including the downsides.

We build with Next.js and React because they give us fast, modern sites that rank well and can grow with the business. That won't be the right answer for every project. WordPress, Shopify or something else might suit you better. What matters is that the developer can tell you why they've chosen it for you, not just because it's what they always use.

Look for case studies, not screenshots

Anyone can show you a nice homepage. What you need to see is how they solve problems. A good case study explains the brief, the approach and what changed for the client.

Ask them to talk you through one or two projects. If they can't explain their thinking, they probably didn't do much of it. It also helps if some of their work is close to your size and sector, though it doesn't need to be an exact match.

A portfolio screenshot tells you what it looked like. A case study tells you whether they can solve your problem.

Check they think about how people will find you

A beautiful website nobody can find is expensive wallpaper. Search engine optimisation (SEO) should be part of the build from day one, not an upsell later. That means:

• Clean, well-structured HTML that search engines can read
• Fast pages. We aim for under two seconds on a phone
• A design that works properly on mobile first, as that's where many of your visitors will be
• Proper page titles, meta descriptions, headings and image alt text
• Setting up Google Search Console and basic analytics, so you can see what's working

Good SEO isn't about stuffing in keywords. It's about content that answers what your customers are actually searching for. If you're a Norwich accountant, your site should make that obvious to Google, naming the places you work in a natural way, not hiding a list of towns in the footer.

Who will update it, and what happens after launch?

Be honest with yourself here. Will you really log in and update things, or will the site sit untouched for two years?

If you want control, ask about the content management system (CMS). WordPress is familiar, but it can be slow and needs regular security updates. Newer CMS options are often faster and cleaner, but may take a little getting used to.

If you'd rather not touch it, ask about a care plan or retainer. That's a monthly arrangement where the developer looks after updates, backups, speed checks and fixes. Some developers offer this. Others hand over the keys and disappear. Neither is wrong, but you need to know which you're getting. Ask about hosting too: where the site will live, who looks after it, and what happens if it goes down.

What will it cost?

It's the question everyone wants to ask first, but it can't be answered properly without a clear scope. A five-page site costs far less than a wholesale shop with custom pricing and delivery logic.

We think a good developer should give you a fixed quote based on a clear brief, not an hourly rate that keeps growing. They should also tell you what's not included, so there are no surprises when you ask for an extra integration six weeks in.

Does it matter if they're local?

You can work well with a developer anywhere. But there are real benefits to picking a web developer in Norwich. You can meet face to face, they'll often know the local market and your competitors, and it's easier to sort things out over a coffee than over a long email chain. If they're local, ask to meet. If they're not, ask how they'll keep in touch during the project.

Either way, the best projects start with a conversation, not a form. If a developer won't get on a call to understand your business before quoting, we'd see that as a red flag.

What to do next

Make a shortlist of three developers. Look at their recent work, read their case studies and book a call with each. Ask the questions above. You'll soon get a feel for who understands your business and who's just trying to sell you a template.

If you'd like to see how we work, have a look at our web development in Norwich page, or tell us about your project and we'll get back to you.