How to choose a web design company: a checklist
The short answer
Choose a web design company on the work it has really built, a clear written scope before any work starts, the standards every site is built to, and who owns the site and its logins at the end. Ask how you will see the site as it is built, what happens after launch, and who you will deal with. Good companies answer all of this plainly and in writing.
Look at real work, live
Ask to see sites the company has built and open them yourself on your phone. Do they load quickly? Is it easy to find what you need? Do the forms work?
Check that the work is theirs and that they show it with the client’s permission. Real case studies say what the business needed, what was built and what changed. Be wary of portfolios that are all mock-ups or templates.
Ask for a written scope before any work starts
A good company wants to understand your business before it quotes. Expect a conversation about what you sell, who you sell to and what the site has to do.
Then expect it in writing. A clear scope covers what will be built, the cost, how it is paid and the timeline. If anything is vague, ask now. Disagreements later often come from things that were never written down.
Check who will own the site
This is an easy question to forget. At the end, you should have:
- the domain, registered in your name
- the hosting account, in your business’s name
- every login, handed over to you
- the content, and either ownership of the site or a clear written licence to use it
If a company keeps the domain or hosting in its own name, leaving later can be painful. Ask before you sign.
Ask what standards every site is built to
A professional site should be:
- Fast, especially on a phone, since slow pages lose customers and can hold a site back on Google.
- Secure, with sensible protections and software kept up to date.
- Accessible, usable by people with disabilities, working towards the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.
- Easy to find, with titles, descriptions and the details search engines read set up from the start.
Ask how they check each of these, not just whether they do it.
Find out how you will see the site as it is built
You should not have to wait until the end to see your site. Ask whether you can follow it as it takes shape, on a real preview you can open on your own phone and laptop, and how changes are made along the way.
Ask about legal pages
A UK business website usually needs a privacy policy, and often a cookie policy, terms of use and the company details limited companies must show. Ask who drafts these and who checks them. A good company drafts them for your solicitor to approve, rather than leaving you to find out later.
Ask what happens after launch
Websites need updates, backups and fixes, and businesses need changes. Ask:
- Is there a care plan, and what is included?
- How quickly are requests answered?
- If you leave the plan, what do you keep?
Know who you will deal with
Find out who your contact is from the first conversation to launch, and how you reach them. One person who knows your project saves a great deal of time and repetition.
Ask how they work with businesses like yours
A company that has built for similar businesses will ask better questions. A restaurant needs a menu that reads well on a phone and clear allergen information. A wholesaler needs search, pack sizes and a way for trade buyers to order. Ask what they have built that is close to what you need.
Warning signs to look out for
Some answers should make you pause:
- No written scope, or a price given before anyone has asked about your business.
- The domain or hosting kept in the company’s name, with no clear way to take it over.
- Only mock-ups in the portfolio, and no live sites you can open yourself.
- No answer on legal pages or care after launch.
- Nobody named as your contact, or a different person every time you ask a question.
None of these alone means a company is bad, but each is worth asking about before you sign.
How we answer these questions ourselves
| The question | Our answer |
|---|---|
| Ask for a written scope before any work starts | Every project starts with a conversation and a written scope covering what will be built, the cost, how it is paid and the timeline. |
| Check who will own the site | Your contract states whether you own the site outright or have a clear written licence to use it. |
| Find out how you will see the site as it is built | You follow the site on a private preview link at real screen sizes as it is designed and built. |
| Ask about legal pages | Legal pages are drafted by us and ready for your solicitor to approve. |
| Ask what happens after launch | Care plans keep the site looked after once it is live. |
| Know who you will deal with | The director is your one point of contact throughout. |
In short
Judge a web design company on real, live work and a clear written scope before any work starts. Make sure the domain, hosting and logins will be in your name, with ownership of the site or a clear written licence to use it. Ask what standards every site is built to, how you will see it as it is built, who drafts the legal pages and what happens after launch. A good company answers all of it plainly and puts it in writing.