Every agency says the same things. We are experienced. We are creative. We care about results. When every pitch sounds alike, the choice can feel like a coin toss, and a wrong choice can cost months and a lot of money.
We are an agency, so we write this with some awkwardness. But we have also sat on the buyer side, and we know which questions separate a good partner from a risky one. Here are twelve questions to ask, what a good answer sounds like and what should worry you.
Before you talk to anyone
Write a one-page brief. It does not need to be fancy. Include what you sell, who buys it, what your site must do, any features you already know you need, your launch date and a budget range. A brief helps you compare quotes, and it shows you how well each agency listens.
Questions about experience
1. Have you built something like this before?
A good answer names specific projects close to yours, explains what was similar and what was different, and is honest about gaps. A worry is a list of famous logos with no detail about what they did for each one.
2. Can I speak to a past client?
Good agencies are happy to connect you with someone, or share a written review. Ask that client what went wrong during the project and how the agency handled it. Every project has a bump, and how it was handled tells you more than the success story.
3. Who will actually work on my project?
Some agencies sell with senior people and build with juniors. That can be fine if the work is supervised, but you should know. Ask for names, roles and how much time each person will spend on your project.
Questions about process
4. How do you start?
A strong start involves questions about your customers, your products and your goals before any design appears. If an agency jumps straight to a design or a price after one call, it has not learned enough to do either well.
5. How will I see progress?
Look for regular check-ins and working previews you can click through, not only slide decks. The earlier you see real screens, the cheaper changes are.
6. What do you need from me?
Projects stall when content, photos and decisions arrive late. A good agency tells you exactly what it will need and by when. A vague answer often means delays later.
7. How do you handle changes?
Ask what happens when you want something new halfway through. A clear process, with changes estimated and agreed before work begins, protects both sides. “We will figure it out” is a worry.
Questions about money
8. What is included in the price, and what is not?
Ask for a written scope that lists pages, features, integrations, revisions, content work, training and testing. Then ask what is not included, such as photography, copywriting, plugin licenses or hosting. Surprises usually come from the lines nobody wrote down.
9. How are payments structured?
Payments tied to milestones, such as design approval and launch, keep both sides motivated. Be careful with agencies that ask for most of the fee up front or with no link to deliverables.
10. What will it cost after launch?
Sites need hosting, updates, security and small improvements. Ask what support costs and whether it is optional. A good agency can describe a simple monthly option, such as a care plan, and does not make you sign it to get the site.
Questions about ownership and the future
11. Who owns the site, the code and the accounts?
You should own your domain, your hosting account, your content and the code written for you. Ask this in plain words and ask for it in the contract. Be cautious with an agency that keeps the domain or the main accounts in its own name.
12. What happens if we part ways?
A trustworthy agency has a clear handover: access, documentation and a way to move the project to another team. If the answer feels defensive, take note.
Red flags to watch for
- A price with no questions. Real quotes follow real discovery.
- Guaranteed rankings or sales. Nobody controls search engines or your customers’ choices.
- No written scope. If it is not written down, it is not agreed.
- Pressure to sign today. A good agency will give you time to compare.
- Portfolio you cannot visit. Ask for live links and open them yourself on your phone.
Green flags to look for
- They ask about your customers and your business before they talk about design.
- They tell you what they would not build, and why.
- They are comfortable with a small first release and a plan to add more.
- They give you a timeline with dependencies, not a single date.
- They explain things in plain language.
How to compare two or three agencies
Ask each agency the same questions and take notes. Then score each one from one to five on experience, process, clarity of scope, price fairness, communication and ownership terms. Add them up, but also trust your own feeling: you will work with these people for months, so you should like talking to them.
Do not pick the lowest quote by default. Compare what each quote includes. A lower price that leaves out testing, training or content can cost more in the end. Our guide to custom website costs shows what drives a quote up or down.
A fair test before you commit
If the project is large, consider paying for a short paid discovery phase first. It produces a written plan, a scope and a clearer price. If you are not happy with it, you can take the plan elsewhere. If you are, you start the build with far fewer unknowns.
Freelancer, agency or in-house?
An agency is not always the right answer. Small jobs may suit a freelancer. Ongoing work may justify a person on your team. We cover the trade-offs in our post on freelancer, agency or in-house.
Frequently asked questions
How long should it take to choose an agency?
Two to four weeks is reasonable: brief, three conversations, references and a decision. Rushing costs more than the extra week.
Should I choose a local agency?
Location matters less than communication. Remote teams work well when they share working hours, communicate clearly and show progress often.
Is a bigger agency safer?
Not automatically. A larger team has more resources, but you may become a small account. A smaller team may give you more attention. Ask who will work on your project.
What if I already have a bad experience?
Tell the new agency about it. A good partner will want to know what went wrong so they can avoid repeating it.
Next step
Write your one-page brief and send it to two or three agencies with these twelve questions. If you want to see how we would answer them, look at our portfolio and send us your brief. We will answer every question above in writing.