Why the questions matter more than the portfolio
A portfolio tells you whether an agency can make a site look good. It does not tell you what you will pay in year two, whether you can leave, or who answers the phone when something breaks. Those are the things that tend to cause problems later.
These 12 questions are the ones worth asking every agency you talk to, including us. Ask them the same way each time, ideally by email so you have the answers in writing.
It also helps to know roughly what you want before you start. Write a short brief: what your business does, who your customers are, what you want the website to do (more calls, online bookings, sales), roughly how many pages you need, and your budget. Agencies can then quote like for like, and you will learn a lot from which ones ask sensible questions back. If you are unsure about budget, our guide to how much a website costs in the UK gives realistic ranges.
About price
1. What is the full price, in writing?
You want one figure that covers design, build, content, set-up and launch. Ask what is not included. Common extras are copywriting, photos, extra pages, rounds of changes, and migrating content from an old site.
A good answer: a written quote listing exactly what you get, with a fixed total. A warning sign: “It depends” with no range, or an hourly rate with no cap.
2. What will it cost each year after launch?
Hosting, domain renewal, security updates, backups and support all cost something. Some agencies keep the build price low and make it up in monthly fees.
Add up the first three years: build cost plus three years of running costs. That is the fairer comparison. Our pay-monthly vs one-off websites guide goes into this in more detail.
3. How do changes work after launch, and what do they cost?
Find out whether you can edit text and photos yourself, and what the agency charges for anything you cannot. Is it an hourly rate, a monthly allowance, or a price per change? How quickly are changes made?
About ownership
4. Who owns the domain name?
This is the most important question on the list. The domain should be registered in your business’s name, with you as the owner, even if the agency manages it for you. If an agency registers it in their own name and the relationship ends badly, getting it back can be difficult. We learned how much a domain matters the hard way: our own previous domain was lost when it expired.
5. Who owns the website and its content?
Ask whether you own the design, the text, the images and the code once you have paid. Some pay-monthly arrangements mean you are renting the site and lose it if you stop paying.
6. Can I move the site to another provider if I want to?
Ask what you get if you leave: a copy of the files, a database export, the logins. A confident agency will have no problem answering this.
About the work
7. Who will actually do the work?
Some agencies sell the project with a senior person and hand it to a junior, a freelancer or an overseas team. That is not always a problem, but you should know. Ask who designs it, who builds it, who writes the copy, and who will be your contact.
8. How long will it take, and what do you need from me?
Timescales depend as much on you as on the agency. Ask for a timeline with dates, and ask what you need to provide and by when: logo, photos, text, approvals. For context, our packages go live in 7, 10 or 14 days, provided we have content and sign-off on time. Our guide to how long it takes to build a website explains what affects the timeline.
9. Can I see live sites you have built?
Screenshots are easy to polish. Ask for links to live sites, then visit them on your phone. Are they quick to load? Easy to use? Is it obvious how to get in touch? If the agency is happy for you to speak to a past client, even better.
About results
10. What do you do for SEO, and what is included?
“SEO included” can mean anything from page titles to months of ongoing work. At the very least, a new site should have:
- Unique page titles and descriptions
- A sensible page structure with clear headings
- An XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
- Fast loading on phones
- Structured data (schema) for your business
- Your Google Business Profile linked and set up
Ask what happens after launch too. Rankings are built over months, not on launch day.
A warning sign: anyone who guarantees a number-one position on Google. Nobody controls Google’s results, and Google itself warns against companies that make that promise.
11. If I already have a website, how will you protect my rankings?
If you are replacing an existing site, ask how old page addresses will be redirected to new ones. If the agency does not mention redirects, keep asking. Our guide to redesigning a website without losing rankings explains what should happen.
12. How will we know if the website is working?
A website is there to bring in enquiries, bookings or sales. Ask how those will be tracked: form sends, calls from the site, sales. Ask what reports you will get, and whether the agency will look at the numbers with you.
A quick comparison checklist
Use this to compare quotes side by side.
| Question | Agency A | Agency B | Agency C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed price in writing? | |||
| Three-year total cost | |||
| Domain in my name? | |||
| I own the site and content? | |||
| Who does the work? | |||
| Launch date | |||
| SEO set-up included? | |||
| Redirects included (if redesign)? | |||
| Cost of changes | |||
| Live examples seen? |
A few more things worth knowing
- Small is not a risk in itself. A one-person studio can give you more direct attention than a big agency; just check how cover works if they are ill or on holiday.
- Local helps, but it is not essential. Meeting face to face is useful, and a local agency will know your area’s searches. But good communication matters more than postcode.
- Watch for long contracts. Monthly plans with no minimum term keep everyone honest.
- Trust how they answer. If an agency is slow or vague before you have paid, it is unlikely to improve afterwards.
How we answer these
Our answers are on our prices page: fixed prices in writing (websites from £1,295), stated launch times, rolling monthly care plans from £45 a month with no long contract, and every page designed and checked by Fay. If you would like to put these 12 questions to us directly, get in touch and you will get a personal reply within one working day. You can also read about our web design service or our work for businesses around Chelmsford.
Questions
What should I ask a web designer before hiring them?
Ask for the full price in writing, who owns the website and domain, who does the work, how long it takes, what SEO is included, and what it costs to run after launch. Those six answers tell you most of what you need to know about an agency.
Should I own my website and domain name?
Yes, your business should own its domain name and have full access to the website and its content. Ask for the domain to be registered in your business's name and for logins to be handed over, so you can move to another provider if you ever need to.
Is a fixed price better than an hourly rate for a website?
For most small business websites, a fixed price is better because you know the full cost before work starts. Hourly billing can suit open-ended work, but on a defined project it moves the risk of overruns onto you.
What are the warning signs when choosing a web design agency?
Watch for vague pricing, refusing to say who owns the site, guaranteed number-one Google rankings, long contracts you cannot leave, and no examples of live sites you can visit. Any one of these is worth questioning before you sign.
How many quotes should I get for a website?
Two or three quotes is usually enough to understand the market, as long as you ask each agency the same questions. Comparing on what is included matters more than comparing the headline price.