Start By Asking Some Questions
Every business is different and just as every designer is different. Before you can figure out who will be the right fit to help design your website, it's important to better understand what it is you want in the first place. Let's start with a list of questions to consider:
Do you even need a designer or can you make the website on your own with a base template?
What's your budget?
Do you need SEO capabilities?
Do you need more than just a website like branding and visual representation?
Chances are if you need any type of visual representation then hiring a designer is going to be your best bet (rather than trying to do it all yourself). If you have more freedom with your turnaround time and also want to stick to a leaner budget, then a freelancer or boutique agency is the way to go. Okay how do you find the designer for you then? I have a specific approach.
Create An Inspiration-List via Research
Let's call it an inspo-list. Put together a list of those websites that you feel aligned with - how you want to be represented visually. What industry are you trying to break into? Start there -
Use your industry as a starting point and start to run some keyword searches on google to find other businesses in the same market as you - example: "Health & Wellness Chicago"
Check your potential competition's website and write down what you liked about their sites and what you didn't (It's important when you do find a designer to have this list as a starting point)
Reach Out Direct Or Start Scouring
Now that we've made the inspo-list we have two choices - one we can find the websites we liked and look for who designed it, and reach out directly to them. Or we start locally and see if we can find a designer based out of where you live - and see if any of their work aligns with your vision.
Staying local or Not?
Personally I think it's great to support local businesses. Also, by using your geographical location as a starting point, it narrows down the results for your search and can make it a little easier to potentially find the designer for you. If you live in a smaller town or are having trouble the next place to start is instagram and using hashtags. But if all else fails, reach out to me and maybe I can help you with your needs!
