How to choose a web development company: 9 questions before you sign

🔍 Why choosing is harder than it looks

Almost every agency and freelancer shows beautiful screenshots of finished sites. Looks are the easy part. What decides whether a site brings enquiries is what a screenshot does not show: speed, structure, copy, SEO and how easy it is to maintain.

So do not choose by portfolio alone. Ask the questions below and listen to how they are answered. A clear answer is a good sign; a vague one is a warning.

❓ 9 questions to ask

1. What exactly is included in the price? Design, copy, SEO setup, mobile version, contact form, training?
2. Who owns the site and the domain? The answer must be: you, and the domain must be registered in your name.
3. Is it built from a template or custom? A template is not a flaw, but you should know what you are buying.
4. What does the SEO work look like? Ask what is done: titles, meta descriptions, structure, speed, sitemap, structured data.
5. How fast is it? Ask to see a PageSpeed result for one of their sites, not a promise.
6. Who writes the copy? Copy is what is most often delayed and what influences Google most.
7. How long does it take and what is the deadline? And what happens if it slips.
8. What happens after launch? Warranty, bug fixes, maintenance and the price of changes.
9. Who does the work? Are you talking to the person who will actually build your site?

🚩 Warning signs

• A price far below all others, with no explanation.
• No written quote or contract with a clear scope.
• A promise of "first place on Google" within a week. Nobody can guarantee that.
• You cannot edit the site yourself and every change costs extra.
• They will not hand over access (hosting, domain, admin panel).

📋 What a quote must say

Number of pages, languages, features, who provides copy and images, deadline, payment terms (usually in stages), what is included after launch and who owns all materials. You can see indicative prices on our website cost page.

✅ What matters to us

A good partner asks about your business before mentioning colours. They want to know who your customers are, what they search for on Google and what you want visitors to do. That is how website development starts when it brings enquiries and not just a nice impression.