This is a very odd perspective. Why is it a web design portfolio's job to convince you to care about good copywriting?
If your primary objective in hiring a website designer is something like SEO, improving conversions, or otherwise directly generating more revenue, obviously language like "ROI" and "Generate more business" can be a sign that a firm is focused on those aspects of design for the web. If I was looking for a firm that specialized in that area, I would prefer case studies that demonstrate concrete improvements to just an argument or mentioning certain buzzwords.
But lots of web design firms help their clients meet objectives besides immediately increasing business. For some companies, branding doesn't matter at all. But, for some companies, like say a fashion label, branding is extremely important. If they hired a designer who was focused on "ROI" and so forth, they would likely not only get a terrible product that doesn't match their needs, but see very little in the way of new business.
The "secret" of hiring a web designer is just being clear about what you want your new design to do, what your goals are for the design. Whatever those goals are, you should select a few designers whose work looks like it speaks to your goals, and tell them directly about what would constitute a successful design. Ask for examples of times they've successfully reached similar goals for a client in the past.
If your primary objective in hiring a website designer is something like SEO, improving conversions, or otherwise directly generating more revenue, obviously language like "ROI" and "Generate more business" can be a sign that a firm is focused on those aspects of design for the web. If I was looking for a firm that specialized in that area, I would prefer case studies that demonstrate concrete improvements to just an argument or mentioning certain buzzwords.
But lots of web design firms help their clients meet objectives besides immediately increasing business. For some companies, branding doesn't matter at all. But, for some companies, like say a fashion label, branding is extremely important. If they hired a designer who was focused on "ROI" and so forth, they would likely not only get a terrible product that doesn't match their needs, but see very little in the way of new business.
The "secret" of hiring a web designer is just being clear about what you want your new design to do, what your goals are for the design. Whatever those goals are, you should select a few designers whose work looks like it speaks to your goals, and tell them directly about what would constitute a successful design. Ask for examples of times they've successfully reached similar goals for a client in the past.