Choosing the Right Partner
Hiring a web development agency is a significant investment. The right partner can transform your business. The wrong one can waste months of time and thousands of dollars. Here are five questions that will help you make the right choice.
1. Can I See Your Recent Work?
Any reputable agency should have a portfolio of recent projects. Look beyond the screenshots — visit the actual sites. Are they fast? Are they well-designed? Do they work properly on mobile? An agency's portfolio is the most honest representation of what they will deliver for you.
2. What Is Your Development Process?
Good agencies have a clear, repeatable process. They should be able to explain how they handle requirements gathering, design, development, testing, and deployment. If the answer is vague or improvised, that is a red flag.
3. Who Will Actually Be Working on My Project?
Some agencies sell you on their senior team and then hand your project to juniors. Ask specifically who will be writing code, designing interfaces, and managing your project. Ask to meet them before signing anything.
4. How Do You Handle Communication and Feedback?
Misalignment and poor communication are the top reasons agency projects fail. Ask about their communication cadence, project management tools, and how they handle feedback and change requests. You want a partner who is responsive and transparent.
5. What Happens After Launch?
A website is not a one-and-done project. Ask about ongoing support, maintenance, hosting, and how they handle bugs or issues that come up after launch. The best agencies build lasting relationships with their clients, not just websites.
Trust Your Gut
Beyond these questions, pay attention to how the conversation feels. Are they listening to your needs or pushing their preferred solution? Are they honest about timelines and limitations? The best agency relationships are built on trust and honest communication.