Short answer: find people through work you can already click on, judge them by five specific pages instead of the homepage, and use the first call to ask what is not included. Those three habits filter out most of the bad options before money comes up.

Where to look

Start with sites you already use in your own industry. Scroll to the footer and look for a "site by" credit. If there isn't one, ask the owner who built it. A referral from someone whose site you can open and poke at is worth more than any directory listing.

Other places that work:

Industry associations, trade-show exhibitor lists, supplier newsletters — the people who serve the same kind of business you run tend to know each other.

Freelance marketplaces and portfolio sites. Use them to collect names, not to decide. A platform rating is not evidence about your project.

Your accountant, your chamber of commerce, a co-working space.…