Commissioning a corporate website can look as simple as collecting a few quotes and picking the best one. In reality, the biggest differences between proposals rarely lie in the price — they lie in what isn't written down. In this guide we have grouped the questions you should ask when choosing an agency and signing a contract under five headings.
Scope and deliverables
- How many page templates will be designed, and which ones?
- Will the design be based on a template, or created specifically for our brand?
- How many revision rounds are included, and what do they cover?
- Who will prepare the content (copy and images)?
- Which forms, integrations and modules are included?
A proposal that doesn't spell out the scope item by item opens the door to 'that's out of scope' discussions during the project. Make sure every page, every form and every integration is clearly listed in the proposal.
Technology and performance
- Which platform will the site be built on, and why?
- What will we be able to update ourselves in the admin panel?
- What is your target for speed and Core Web Vitals?
- How will the site be tested on mobile devices?
- How will security updates be handled?
SEO and measurement
- Is the technical SEO set-up (meta tags, schema, sitemap) included?
- If we already have a website, how will you prevent ranking losses?
- Will Google Analytics 4 and Search Console be set up?
- Will conversions (forms, calls) be tracked?
If old URLs aren't correctly redirected to the new ones when a new site goes live, search visibility built up over years can disappear within weeks. Always ask for a 301 redirect plan.
Ownership and rights
- Whose name will the domain and hosting be registered in?
- Will the source code and design files be handed over?
- Can we continue with a different team once the project is finished?
Process and support
- How many weeks will the project take, and what are the stages?
- How long is the warranty period after launch?
- How is maintenance and support charged, and what are the response times?
Conclusion
A good agency can answer all of these questions without hesitation — and in writing. When you compare proposals not just on the total figure but on scope, ownership, performance targets and post-launch support, making the right decision becomes much easier.
