It is always important to start by making sure that the custom web design you are receiving is truly customized. That is to say, that one must avoid scam artists or dishonest individuals that will attempt to pass pre-made design models as their own. To do so it is best to ask for a portfolio from the designer. Make sure to have him or her provides links to the sites and not simply screen shots. Also request contact information of the owner of the portfolio work so that you can double-check that the work was done by the designer. Every designer tends to have a specific model type that they utilize when making their own project. So noticing consistencies in the work they provide you as references can help identify honest workers and separate them from the more dubious designers. It is also useful to use the portfolio work and refer it to similar sites. If someone is lifting models and designs as their own, the designs are likely stock material and not custom website design. If that is the case, it should be simple to find similar sites with exact, or nearly exact, matches to the provided material.