10 questions to ask an agency before commissioning a website

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, you must have access to the hosting account, and you must have full admin access to the panel. 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.