EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Most bad agency experiences are predictable before the contract is signed. This guide gives you 12 practical checks across four areas: proof of work, process, money and ownership, and what happens after launch. Run every shortlisted agency through them and the wrong ones eliminate themselves. We’re a Manchester web design agency, so hold us to the same list.
KEY INSIGHTS
- Judge live websites, not screenshots. Screenshots can’t show speed, mobile behaviour or rankings.
- “Who actually does the work?” is the most revealing question you can ask.
- Fixed quotes and clear ownership terms separate partners from landlords.
- Anyone guaranteeing Google rankings is guessing with your money.
Proof: can they show you real results?
1. A live, checkable portfolio
Ask for URLs, not PDFs. Open their work on your phone, time the loads, try the contact forms. An agency proud of its work links to it; ours is live and checkable here for exactly that reason. If everything is “under NDA”, keep moving.
2. Work in your kind of sector
Not necessarily your industry, but your kind of job: trades sites live on local search, clinics on trust and booking, stores on checkout engineering. An agency that has solved your category before will scope it better.
3. Verifiable reviews
Google reviews with real names and details beat testimonial carousels. Ask to speak to a past client; good agencies offer before you ask.
Process: how will the project actually run?
4. Who does the work?
At many agencies the person who pitches vanishes after signature and the build is handed to whoever’s free, or outsourced entirely. Ask directly: who designs this, who builds it, who do I speak to weekly? You should have a dedicated account manager and the people on your calls should be the people doing the work, which is how we run every project.
5. Discovery before design
If an agency quotes without asking about your customers, competitors and goals, they’re selling you a template with ceremony. Real projects start with questions, then structure, then design: the process our guide to what web designers do walks through.
6. Design sign-off before build
You should see and approve your site’s design before it’s built. Better agencies show you early; we go one further and design your homepage free, before you commit at all.
7. SEO handled structurally
Speed, mobile experience, semantic structure and schema should be in the build, not sold as a bolt-on later. Ask how they handle design decisions that affect rankings, and if you’re replacing an existing site, ask specifically about redirects and ranking protection, the core of any competent website redesign.
The wrong agency is rarely hiding. They’re visible in the questions they don’t ask and the URLs they can’t show you.
Money and ownership: the contract questions
8. A fixed quote in writing
Day rates on an undefined scope make the budget a wish, not a number. Insist on a fixed quote listing exactly what’s included. Our pricing guide explains what genuinely moves the cost, so you can spot padding.
9. You own everything
Domain, content, design and code should be yours on final payment. “Website rental” schemes and agencies that register your domain in their own name are building a hostage situation, not a website.
10. No ranking guarantees
Nobody controls Google. Google’s own guidelines say as much, and an agency guaranteeing “page one” is either naive or planning shortcuts you’ll pay for later. Look for measurable engineering commitments instead: speed scores, accessibility standards, launch checklists.
Afterwards: launch is the start
11. Hosting and support that’s actually theirs
Ask where the site will live, what backups and monitoring exist, and who answers when something breaks. Agencies offering managed hosting and maintenance with a named human beat a ticket queue in another timezone.
12. An exit you could actually use
The healthiest question to ask: “If we part ways in two years, what happens?” The right answer is a clean handover of files, database and DNS. Agencies that keep clients through good work will answer instantly; agencies that keep clients through lock-in will change the subject.
The shortlist test
| Check | Green flag | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | Live URLs, happy to share | Screenshots only, NDAs |
| Team | You meet the people doing the work | Sales hands you to strangers |
| Price | Fixed quote, itemised | Day rates, vague scope |
| Ownership | Everything yours at handover | Rental, hostage domains |
| SEO | Engineering commitments | Ranking guarantees |
| Support | Named humans, clear plans | “Just email support” |
Run two or three agencies through this list and the decision usually makes itself. And if you want to test us against it: ask us the twelve questions. We enjoy them.
Frequently asked questions
Does the agency need to be local to me?
No. Meetings are nice, competence is essential. We’re a Manchester agency working with clients across the UK, and half our projects run entirely remotely without friction.
How many agencies should I shortlist?
Two or three is plenty if you run the checks above. Ten quotes mostly produces confusion and a decision made on price, which is how the £299 template merchants win.
What does a professionally built website cost?
It depends on page quantity, custom configurations and features, which is why every project should be quoted individually. Any agency should give you a fixed number in writing before you commit.
