Your website is often the first impression a customer has of your business. Choosing the right web design company is one of the most important decisions you will make - so before you sign anything, ask these ten questions.
1. Can I see your portfolio and recent work?
A strong portfolio shows range and quality. Look for sites in your industry or with similar goals. Ours is public - you can browse our recent design and development work before you speak to anyone.
2. Do you design for conversions, not just looks?
A beautiful site that does not generate leads is a failure. Ask how they turn visitors into customers.
3. Is the site mobile-friendly and fast?
More than half of web traffic is mobile, and Google ranks fast, responsive sites higher. This should never be optional.
4. Do you include SEO?
On-page SEO built in from day one saves you money later. Ask what is included - titles, meta descriptions, structured data and clean code. If those terms are new to you, our plain-English explanation of what SEO is and how it works is a good starting point, and our SEO services page shows what ongoing optimisation involves.
5. Who writes the content?
Great copy sells. Confirm whether copywriting is included or if you are expected to provide all the words.
6. Will I be able to edit the site myself?
Ask which platform they use and whether you will get a simple way to make updates without a developer.
7. What is the timeline?
A clear schedule with milestones keeps the project on track. Vague timelines are a red flag.
8. What happens after launch?
Websites need updates, backups and security. Ask about maintenance and support options - our guide to website maintenance costs explains what a care plan should cover and what it typically costs.
9. Who owns the website?
Make sure you own your domain, content and design files once the project is complete.
10. How do you measure success?
The best partners track results - traffic, leads and sales - not just delivering a design and disappearing.
Agency, freelancer or website builder: which one fits you?
If the third option is the one you keep coming back to, we have compared them properly: custom website vs Wix or Squarespace covers what the plans really cost, the setup hours the sticker price leaves out, and the five signs a business has outgrown a builder.
The ten questions above apply to anyone you hire, but the honest answers differ depending on who you are talking to. It is worth deciding which route suits your project before you start collecting quotes, because comparing a $300 template build against a $6,000 custom project tells you very little.
- A website builder you run yourself is the cheapest option and gives you full control of small edits. You are paying with your own time, and the result usually looks like the template it came from. It suits a business that needs a presence quickly and has someone in-house who enjoys the work.
- A freelancer gives you a named person, lower overheads and direct communication. The risk is capacity: one person is one person, and holidays, illness or a bigger client can stall your project. Ask what happens if they are unavailable for two weeks mid-build.
- An agency costs more because you are buying a team - design, development, copy and SEO under one roof, with someone accountable for the schedule. That is worth paying for when the site has to do real commercial work: take bookings, sync with another system, or carry the bulk of your lead generation.
None of these is automatically right. A five page site for a local trade business rarely needs an agency; an ecommerce store with 400 products almost always does. Our website cost guide sets out what each budget level realistically buys.
Red flags that should end the conversation
Most bad website projects show warning signs in the first meeting. These are the ones worth walking away from:
- A guaranteed number one ranking on Google. Nobody can promise a specific position, because nobody controls the algorithm. An honest answer describes a process and a timeframe, not a guaranteed result.
- No written scope. If the entire agreement is a price in an email, every disagreement later becomes your word against theirs.
- They will not say what platform they use. Vagueness here often means a proprietary system you cannot take elsewhere.
- The full fee is demanded upfront. Staged payments tied to milestones protect both sides. Paying everything on day one removes your only leverage.
- Pressure to sign today. A deadline invented by the seller is a sales tactic, not a project constraint.
- They talk only about how it will look. A design conversation with no mention of who the visitors are or what you want them to do usually produces a site that wins compliments and no customers.
What a written proposal should actually contain
A proposal is an answer to a brief, so the best proposals start with a good one - our guide to how to write a website design brief shows what to send.
Before you pay a deposit, the document in front of you should answer all of these without you having to ask:
- Every page to be built, listed by name - not "approximately eight pages".
- How many rounds of design revisions are included, and what happens if you need more.
- Who writes the copy and who supplies the photography.
- Which platform the site is built on and how you log in to edit it.
- What SEO work is included at launch: titles, meta descriptions, sitemap, analytics.
- The payment schedule and the milestones each payment is tied to.
- A launch date, and what the company needs from you to hit it. Delays are usually caused by content arriving late - our guide on how long a website takes to build explains where the time actually goes.
- What happens after launch: warranty period, support, maintenance cost.
- A plain statement that you own the domain, the content and the design files. This is the bullet worth reading twice - our guide to who owns your website after launch explains why a work-made-for-hire clause often transfers nothing, and what the wording should say instead.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hire an agency or a freelancer?
It depends on how much of the work you want to own. A freelancer is usually cheaper and works directly with you, which suits a small brochure site when you already have your own copy and images. An agency costs more but covers design, development, content and SEO in one team, with cover if someone is unavailable. If your site has to integrate with other systems or carry most of your marketing, that continuity is usually worth paying for.
How much should I expect to pay a web design company?
Anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a simple template build to five figures for a custom site with integrations. Our own published packages start at $499 for a five page static website and $999 for a five page dynamic website, and our website cost guide breaks down what sits behind each price band. What matters more than the number is that the quote lists exactly which pages, revisions and post-launch support are included.
What should I get in writing before paying a deposit?
A scope that names every page, the number of design revisions, who supplies the copy and images, the payment schedule, the launch date and a clear statement that you own the domain, content and design files. If any of those are missing, ask for them before money changes hands. A company that is comfortable putting its promises in writing is usually comfortable keeping them.
How do I know the portfolio is really their work?
Open the live sites, not just the screenshots. Check that the sites still exist, load quickly on your phone and look like the images you were shown. Then ask which parts of each project the company handled, because design, build and content are often split between different people. Asking to speak to one or two past clients is a normal request and a reasonable company will not be offended by it.
The bottom line
Choose a partner who understands your business goals, communicates clearly and can prove results. The cheapest quote often becomes the most expensive lesson.
Looking for a team that ticks all ten boxes? Take a look at our web design and development service, check the packages and pricing, or get in touch for a free consultation.
