14 September 2026 · 2 min read · TurkWebsite

10 questions to ask an agency before commissioning a website

Who owns what, who writes the copy, how many revisions, how fast will the site load: every question not answered in writing in the quote becomes an extra invoice later.

Close-up of a business meeting table with a laptop, documents, and discussion underway.

Problems in website projects usually come not from bad faith but from unspoken assumptions. Ask the ten questions below at the quote stage and get the answers in writing, and you will prevent most of the disputes seen in these projects.

1. Whose name will the domain, hosting and panel be in?

The right answer: yours. The domain must be registered in your name. If the site is hosted on the agency's server, it should be agreed in writing that you will receive a backup of the site files and database if you leave; if your package includes an admin panel, you must have full admin access to it. A domain registered in the agency's name is held hostage when the relationship sours. "We'll manage it, don't worry" may be well meant, but ownership must still stay with you.

2. Who will write the copy?

If the quote says "content to be provided by the client", the longest and most painful part of the project is yours. Prefer a quote that includes copywriting; if it does not, work out the effect on time and price. Find out from the start what will be asked of you for the copy (an interview, a form, an existing brochure).

3. How many revisions do I have, and what is a revision?

"Unlimited revisions" is not realistic and usually drags the project out. Two or three rounds, with consolidated feedback each round, is healthy. Also ask for the definition: is changing a colour a revision, is adding a page a revision? The latter is a change of scope and is priced separately.

4. How many seconds will the site take to load on mobile?

Ask for a measurable target: under 3 seconds on mobile, in the green zone on Google PageSpeed. You can ask for a measurement report at delivery. An agency that does not talk about speed usually does not measure it.

5. What will be done for Google?

The minimum list: title and description tags for every page, readable addresses, structured data, sitemap, Search Console registration, image alt text. If these are sold separately as an "SEO package", the basic site is being delivered incomplete. Stay away from agencies that guarantee rankings; nobody can promise on Google's behalf.

6. Will a ready theme be used, and on which platform?

Using a ready theme is not bad; hiding it is. Which platform (WordPress, custom software, SaaS), which theme, who owns the licence, is there a yearly licence fee? This information determines your maintenance cost in the years to come.

7. Are the legal texts included?

Privacy notice, cookie policy, and for e-commerce the distance sales agreement and preliminary information form. The agency should have templates for these; since the final legal responsibility is yours, it is also right to have your lawyer read them.

8. What happens after launch?

Is there training, how many hours? How long is the fix period? Is a maintenance plan compulsory, what does it cost, can it be cancelled monthly? If the site goes down, who do I contact, through which channel, and how quickly will I get a response?

9. Are source files and a backup handed over?

Design files, logo work, a full backup of the site and the database should be given to you at delivery. If you want to continue with another team, without these files you start from scratch.

10. Are the payment plan and delivery date in the contract?

The common plan is fifty percent at the start, fifty percent at launch. The delivery date should be written in business days, with what happens in case of delay. Accept that your own feedback time also affects the date; if you do not respond for two weeks, delivery slips too.

Bonus: have you spoken to their references?

Open two sites from the agency's portfolio, check their speed, try them on mobile; if possible, talk to the owner for five minutes. Those five minutes say more than reading a ten-page quote.

Our answers are written on every service page: scope, timeline, revisions, ownership. You can browse the price list or ask your questions directly.

Quick answers

How long does it take to build a website?

It depends on size and on how quickly content is ready. As a rough guide: a one-page site or landing page takes a few business days, a 5 to 10 page business site one to three weeks, and an online shop or custom design three to eight weeks.

The biggest delay is rarely the design or the code. It is waiting for texts, photos, logo files and feedback. A good agency tells you exactly what it needs from you and when, and counts only its own working days in the deadline.

At TurkWebsite, delivery starts from 3 business days for a one-page site. The clock starts once the brief and materials reach us, and the days we wait for your approval are not counted. Each service page states its own delivery time.

Why do website quotes vary so much in price?

Because "a website" can mean very different things. One quote may be a theme installed with your logo and no text. Another may include copywriting, original design, SEO set-up, legal pages, training and a year of hosting.

To compare fairly, put the quotes side by side and check the same lines: number of pages, who writes the text, number of revision rounds, mobile speed target, SEO basics, hosting and domain costs, who owns the site, and what happens after launch. Quotes that leave these lines blank often look cheap and become expensive later.

As a reference, our prices start from $249 for a one-page site, $549 for a 5-page business site and $849 for an online shop, with no Turkish VAT for customers outside Türkiye. Each service page lists exactly what is included.

Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?

Both can do excellent work. The choice depends on your project and how much risk you can accept.

A freelancer is usually cheaper and you speak directly with the person doing the work. The risk is dependency: if that one person gets sick, busy or disappears, your project stops. An agency costs more but has several people, written processes and continuity. The risk there is that you end up talking to a salesperson instead of the person who builds your site.

Whichever you choose, protect yourself the same way: the domain in your name, a written scope and delivery date, files and a database backup handed over at the end, and at least two live projects you can check and whose owners you can contact.

What should I prepare before contacting a web agency?

Half an hour of preparation saves weeks later. Write down:

The main goal of the site in one sentence (calls, quote requests, online sales, bookings). Your target customers and the area you serve. Two or three websites you like, and what exactly you like about them. Your logo files and brand colours, if you have them. The pages you think you need. Whether you will write the texts yourself or want them written for you. Your budget range and the date you need the site live.

You do not need a perfect brief. Even rough answers let the agency give you an accurate quote instead of a guess, and they help you compare quotes fairly.

What are the warning signs of a bad web agency?

Be careful if you see any of these:

They register the domain in their own name. They promise a first-page or number-one ranking on Google. They cannot show live websites they have built, or their own site is slow on a phone. The quote has no page count, revision limit or delivery date. They ask for full payment upfront for a large project. They will not say which platform or theme they use. They talk about "unlimited revisions" but have no written process. Maintenance is compulsory and cannot be cancelled.

One warning sign is not always a reason to walk away, but ask about it directly and get the answer in writing. A trustworthy agency answers these questions without hesitation.

Can I switch to another agency after my website is finished?

You should be able to, and you should check this before you sign.

To move freely you need three things: the domain registered in your name with your own login, a full backup of the site files and database, and admin access to the site and any connected accounts such as Google Analytics, Search Console and your business e-mail. With these, a new team can take over without rebuilding.

Problems start when the site uses a closed system that only the original agency can run, or when licences are registered to the agency. At TurkWebsite the domain is registered in your name, the site files and content belong to you, and if you leave, we hand over the site files and database backup so you can move to any server.

The agency registered my domain in its own name. How do I get it back?

First, check who the registrant really is with a WHOIS lookup or by asking the registrar. Then ask the agency in writing to transfer the domain to your name, or to give you the transfer authorisation code (often called an EPP or auth code) so you can move it to a registrar account you control.

Most agencies agree when asked politely and in writing, especially if invoices are paid. Keep proof that you paid for the domain and that the business name is yours; registrars use this if there is a dispute. If the agency refuses, contact the registrar's support team, and as a last step use the domain dispute procedure for that domain extension.

For the future, register domains in your own name from day one.

Do I have to pay for monthly website maintenance?

Not always. It depends on the type of site.

A simple business site on a well-built, lightweight system may need very little: security updates, a working backup and an occasional text change. A WordPress site with many plugins, or an online shop with payments and stock, needs regular updates and monitoring, and skipping them is a real security risk.

What matters is that maintenance is optional, clearly priced and can be cancelled monthly. At TurkWebsite, errors found in the first 30 days after launch are fixed free of charge. After that, maintenance packages are optional, and requests without a package are charged by the hour. Hosting stays free for as long as the site is on our server.

Is it safe to work with a web agency in another country?

Yes, if you check the same things you would check with a local agency, and a few more.

Look at live websites they have built and try them on your phone. Make sure the quote states the price, currency, what is included and the delivery date. Pay in stages, not everything upfront, and through a traceable method. Keep the domain in your own name. Agree on communication in writing: which channel, which language and how quickly they reply.

Remote work is normal in web design; most projects are managed by video call, e-mail and messaging anyway. The real risk is not distance but missing paperwork. With a written scope, staged payments and ownership in your name, a good agency abroad is as safe as one around the corner.