My friend George once told me this old saw he learned from his dad, who was in the printing business: "You can have it fast. You can have it cheap. You can have it good. Pick two."

If you're wanting high-quality web design and development, then you must be prepared to spend a while searching for cheap talent. Or if you do feel a sense of urgency, then you need to forget about trying to save money on the front-end, and focus on what your delays are costing you in terms of lost business. I've run a creative services shop for seven years, and have worked with dozens of freelancers. I've found that every penny I try to save I usually end up "spending" in the form of frustration with the freelancer's professionalism, turnaround times, and communication.

Even if he produces good design, would I have chosen him if I had known he'd drag his feet for two months?

High-quality design and development are an investment. Invest in the best you can possibly afford.

And keep in mind that you may actually need to hire two different people. Not all designers code, and not all coders design.

I've had a lot of success on Upwork, but as often I start on Dribbble and Behance.

If you can, spend top dollar on design and dev because you typically get what you pay for. And find other ways to save money, or even better, increase revenues.

Let's put together a more specific plan for you. I love this stuff!

Cheers,
Austin