How to choose a web agency or freelancer: red flags in a proposal and questions to ask
How to choose a web agency or freelancer: red flags in a website proposal, 15 questions to ask, a comparison table and what to put in the contract.
Short answer: choose a contractor not by price or by how pretty the portfolio is, but by how clearly they describe the scope, the outcome and what happens after launch. Red flags: a total with no scope, “guaranteed #1 on Google”, the domain and accounts registered to the contractor, no mobile version or analytics in the proposal, and 100% upfront for a large project. Ask the 15 questions below and the answers will quickly show who’s worth hiring.
We regularly see what a bad choice leaves behind: a website the owner can’t log into, a store with no analytics, a redesign that wiped out Google traffic. Most of it could have been spotted at the proposal stage. This is a checklist for business owners hiring someone to build a website, store or automation — for the first time, or the second time after a bad experience.
Red flags in a website proposal
| What you see | The risk | What to ask for instead |
|---|---|---|
| One total with no scope | Arguments about what was “included”, extra charges at every step | A list of pages, features, integrations and exclusions |
| “Guaranteed #1 on Google” | An unrealistic promise; no contractor controls rankings | Concrete SEO work: structure, meta tags, speed, schema, sitemap |
| Domain, hosting or accounts registered to the contractor | Lock-in: you can’t change the site or leave without them | Everything in your name, the contractor gets user access |
| No mobile version, analytics or lead forms | The site exists but doesn’t sell or show what works | Responsive design, GA4, lead events and notifications as standard |
| “2–3 days” for a custom-designed site | You’ll get a template with swapped images | Dated stages: wireframe, design, build, testing, launch |
| 100% upfront for a multi-week project | Little leverage if things go wrong | Staged payments tied to deliverables |
| Nothing about life after launch | A small edit turns into a search for a new developer | Warranty, support and handover terms |
| A redesign with no word about existing pages | Lost Google rankings and traffic | An SEO migration plan: redirects, meta tags and copy carried over |
| A proprietary CMS “nobody else knows” | No other developer can maintain the site | A mainstream platform, or documentation and code access |
15 questions to ask before hiring
Scope and outcome
- What exactly is included in the price, and what isn’t? Can I have that in writing?
- What does the process look like: stages, who does what, when do I sign off?
- Who writes the copy and provides the photos — you or me? If me, in what format and by when?
- How will the site work on phones, and how do you test speed?
- What about SEO: meta tags, structure, sitemap, schema.org? If it’s a redesign, how will you keep rankings?
Technology and ownership
- Which platform will you use, and why that one?
- Whose name will the domain, hosting, Google and ad accounts be in?
- Will I get full administrator access and the code?
- What analytics and tracking will be set up: GA4, lead events, ad pixels?
- Where will enquiries go: email, a messenger, a CRM?
Money, deadlines and after launch
- How are payments split across stages?
- What happens if a deadline slips, on your side or mine?
- What do changes cost after launch, and how fast do you make them?
- Who handles updates, backups and security?
- Can I talk to one of your clients or see a detailed case study?
A good contractor answers these calmly and specifically. If the answer is “don’t worry, it’ll be fine”, ask again.
Freelancer, agency or DIY builder: a comparison
| Criterion | Freelancer | Agency or small team | DIY site builder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Usually lower | Higher, with wider scope | Lowest upfront, your time not counted |
| Range of skills | One or two strengths | Design, development, SEO, analytics, integrations | Limited to the builder’s features |
| Risk of the project stalling | Higher: depends on one person | Lower | None, but no help either |
| CRM, payment and accounting integrations | Depends on experience | Usually yes | Only ready-made add-ons |
| Support after launch | An agreement with one person | A separate contract and process | You, on your own |
| Best for | Landing pages, small changes | Websites, stores, CRM, automation end to end | Testing an idea on a minimal budget |
How to compare several proposals
The most common mistake is putting three totals side by side and picking the middle one. Instead, put the proposals into one table with these rows:
- number of unique pages and templates;
- custom design or template;
- languages and integrations (CRM, payments, shipping, messengers);
- SEO at launch, analytics, speed;
- migration of the old site and redirects (compare against our redesign SEO checklist);
- timeline, stages, payment terms;
- warranty and support after launch;
- who owns what at the end: domain, hosting, code, accounts.
Empty cells are your questions for the contractor. Often the table shows that the “cheap” offer simply leaves out half the work. For realistic price ranges, see how much a website costs in 2026.
The most expensive proposal doesn’t guarantee quality either. If a contractor pitches a complex custom system where WordPress or Shopify would do, or adds work you didn’t ask for, ask which business problem it solves. An honest answer is sometimes “you don’t need that yet” — and that’s a good sign.
What to prepare before you contact anyone
The clearer your brief, the more precise and comparable the quotes. One page is enough:
- What you sell and to whom. Main services or product categories, your customers, the cities or countries you serve.
- The site’s goal. Enquiries, online sales, bookings, credibility with partners — and how you’ll know it’s working.
- What already exists. An old site, domain, logo, photos, copy, CRM, ad accounts.
- Must-have features. Payments, shipping, languages, online booking, accounting or CRM integrations.
- Examples. Two or three sites you like, and what exactly you like about them.
- Budget and deadline. Even a rough range helps the contractor propose something realistic rather than “everything at once”.
How to check a portfolio and reputation
- Open the work on your phone. Polished screenshots say nothing about how the site really behaves.
- Check speed. Paste a few portfolio URLs into Google’s free PageSpeed Insights and look at the mobile result.
- See if the site is alive. Current prices, real copy, a working enquiry form — is it still doing a job for the client?
- Ask about their role. Did the contractor build the whole thing, only the design, or a few fixes?
- Look for detail, not adjectives. A case study describing the task, the solution and the constraints is worth more than “creative approach and bespoke solutions”.
What the contract must cover
- The scope of work, or a reference to the agreed brief.
- Stages, deadlines and what counts as completing each stage.
- How many rounds of design revisions are included.
- Transfer of rights and access: domain, hosting, code and accounts belong to you once paid.
- A warranty period for fixing bugs.
- Support terms after launch: price and response time.
- Who supplies copy, photos and access, and by when — delays on your side move the launch too.
- Confidentiality: what the contractor may show in their portfolio and whether they may name you as a client.
Warning signs once work has started
- You see no intermediate results for several weeks in a row.
- You’re shown screenshots, never a staging site.
- Questions about access get “later, after launch” (if a contractor has already vanished with your access, see how to take back your website).
- Every small thing is suddenly “out of scope”.
The simplest protection is short regular updates and access to the staging site from the first stage.
How we work — and what to expect from anyone
We don’t ask you to take our word for it, so here’s how it looks in real projects from our portfolio:
- Discovery first, estimate second. For complex jobs we run a technical discovery: requirements and current system review, a technical solution and a phased estimate. For a beauty brand’s website audit, the deliverable was a prioritised report and a phase-two estimate, so the client knew exactly what they’d pay for next.
- Small releases, tested first. On the Shopify store for a supplements brand, changes shipped in small releases and were tested on a staging store before going live.
- Documentation. After the tracking audit, the client’s team kept documentation of what is set up where and why, plus a step-by-step guide to publishing the fixes.
- A fixed price before work starts, access in your name. The final amount is agreed in writing before we start, and the domain, hosting and access are registered to you.
When to bring us in
If you already have several proposals and can’t tell how they differ, send them over and we’ll help you sort them out. If a previous contractor vanished and your website is held hostage, start with a technical audit from €300: we’ll find out what state the site is in, which access you need to recover and what to fix first. After that we can take the site on ongoing support or handle a full redesign.
Describe your project or send us the proposal you received and we’ll tell you what to clarify.
FAQ
Agency or freelancer — which is better for a small business?
It depends on scope. For a simple landing page or small changes, a good freelancer is a fine choice. If you need design, development, integrations, SEO and support together, an agency or small team is safer: there is less risk of the project stalling when one person disappears.
Why do quotes for the same website differ so much?
Because “a website” can mean very different scopes: a template with no SEO or analytics, or a custom design with integrations, ranking migration and training. Compare the scope, not the totals, and ask for a list of what is not included.
Is it normal to pay 100% upfront?
For small jobs sometimes, but for a project lasting several weeks staged payments are better: a deposit, a payment after design approval and the balance after launch. That protects both sides.
Who should own the domain and hosting?
You or your company. The contractor can help register them, but the business should be the owner and payer, and you should hold the administrator access too.
How do I check a contractor’s portfolio?
Open the portfolio sites on your phone, run them through PageSpeed Insights, and check whether they have real copy and enquiry forms, not just pictures. Ask what exactly the contractor did on each project and whether you can talk to a client.