For a small business the honest question is not who is best but what you actually need, because the range runs from a template you configure in a weekend to a custom build costing many thousands, and a great many businesses buy the expensive end of that range for a site that a template would have served perfectly well.
What you are really choosing between, from DIY to custom website design near me
A do it yourself platform costs a subscription and your time, and is genuinely adequate for a brochure site. A freelancer or small studio configures a good template with your content and branding, which is where most small businesses should land. A custom build is justified when the site does something specific: booking, quoting, an integration with the system you run the business on. Decide which tier you are in before collecting quotes, or you will compare incomparable things.
Local website companies matter less than they used to, and still matter somewhat
A designer nearby can meet you, photograph your premises and understand your market, which has real value for a local business. What local does not guarantee is quality or availability, and paying a premium for proximity while accepting weaker work is a bad trade. Judge on the same criteria you would apply to anyone, and treat locality as a convenience rather than a qualification.
The traps that cost small businesses most
Not owning your domain, because it was registered in the designer's account. Not owning your hosting, so leaving means rebuilding. A site nobody can update without paying for each change. And content, which is almost always the client's job, is almost always underestimated, and is the usual reason a site sits half finished for months. Settle domain, hosting, editing access and who writes the content before any work starts.
Insist on the two measurable things
Speed on a real phone, and usability for everyone. Google documents what a well built page delivers: good Core Web Vitals, HTTPS, proper mobile display and no intrusive interstitials, and those are testable on any live site including your competitors'. Ask for a named conformance level from the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines too. Both are reasonable to ask of any professional and neither costs extra when designed in.
Questions people ask about local website designers
Affordable website design near me or a custom build: what should it cost?
It depends which tier you need: a configured template with your content and branding, or a custom build because the site books, quotes or integrates with your systems. Decide the tier first, or you will be comparing incomparable quotes.
Is it worth the effort to find a web designer near me?
Locality has real value if you want someone to meet you, photograph your premises and understand your market. It guarantees nothing about quality or availability, so judge on the same criteria and treat proximity as convenience.
What should we settle with website design companies for small businesses before work starts?
That the domain and hosting are in your accounts, that you can edit the site without paying per change, and who writes the content. Content is almost always the client's job and the usual reason a site stalls for months.