The 5-point checklist for choosing a web partner

Questions to ask:

• Have you built websites for businesses in my industry?
• Can I see examples of sites you've built for [tradies/cafes/consultants]?
• What results did those clients see? (Traffic, leads, conversions)
• Can you show me sites on mobile? (Test load speed yourself)
• Are your portfolio sites still maintained, or did they go stale?

Red flags:

• Portfolio shows only design mockups, not live sites
• All examples are 3+ years old
• Sites in portfolio are slow or broken
• Can't provide client references
• No examples relevant to your industry or business size

Good partners ask:

• What's the main purpose of this website? (Leads, sales, bookings, information)
• Who are your customers and how do they currently find you?
• What's not working with your current site or approach?
• What does success look like in 6 months?
• What's your budget and timeline?

Bad partners:

• Jump straight to feature lists without understanding your business
• Push their preferred solution without discussing alternatives
• Use jargon without explaining it
• Seem more interested in showing off tech than solving your problem
• Give vague timelines and "ballpark" pricing

Questions about mobile:

"How do you ensure the site works well on phones?" should get a confident answer about mobile-first design, touch targets, and testing on actual devices. If they say "it's responsive", push for specifics.

Questions about speed:

"What PageSpeed score should I expect?" Good developers aim for 90+ on mobile. If they say "around 60-70 is normal", they're building slow sites. Modern approaches (JAMstack) routinely hit 95-100.

Questions about SEO:

"How will you optimise the site for search?" should get answers about page titles, meta descriptions, heading structure, local schema, and Google Business Profile integration. Vague answers suggest they don't prioritise SEO.

Platform recommendation:

Ask why they recommend WordPress/Shopify/JAMstack/other. They should explain pros/cons for your specific needs, not just push their preferred stack because it's easy for them.

Pricing questions:

• What's included in the quoted price?
• Are hosting, domain, SSL, email included or extra?
• What are the ongoing costs? (Monthly hosting, maintenance, support)
• What happens if the project takes longer than estimated?
• What's not included that I might need later?

Process questions:

• What's the timeline from start to launch?
• How many revision rounds are included?
• What do you need from me and when?
• How do we communicate during the project?
• What happens if I'm not happy with something?

Red flags:

• "We'll give you a quote after we start" (scope creep waiting to happen)
• Hourly billing without a cap (costs can spiral)
• Vague timelines ("a few weeks" or "depends on your feedback")
• No written agreement or statement of work
• Require 100% payment upfront

Training questions:

• Will you train me to update content myself?
• Is training included or extra?
• Will I get documentation or video tutorials?
• Can I call you with questions after launch?

Support questions:

• What if something breaks—what's your response time?
• Do you offer ongoing support packages?
• If I need changes later, what's the process and cost?
• Do I own the code and content, or am I locked in?

Ownership matters:

Make sure you own your domain, hosting account, content, and code. Some agencies keep ownership to lock you into ongoing fees. Ask directly: "If we part ways, do I keep everything?"

Fixed scope vs hourly—what's better?

For most small business websites, fixed scope is better. You know the total cost upfront and there's no incentive to pad hours. Hourly makes sense for ongoing retainers or very custom projects where scope is genuinely unknown.

How many revisions are normal?

2-3 revision rounds is standard for most projects. First draft, revisions based on feedback, final polish. More than that suggests poor initial briefing or communication issues.

Do I own the code and content?

You should, always. Any reputable developer hands over full ownership at project completion. If they say you're "licensing" the code or they retain ownership, walk away—it's a lock-in tactic.

What if I need urgent help later?

Ask about their support SLA. Do they offer same-day emergency fixes? What's the cost for ad-hoc work after launch? Some agencies require retainers for any post-launch work, others charge reasonable hourly rates.