Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Web Design Agency

Before you hire a web design agency, ask five things: who will actually do the work, what the price includes and leaves out, how long it will take and what could delay it, what happens after launch, and who owns the finished site. Good agencies answer these plainly and in writing. Vague answers to any of them are the real red flag, more than price.

I run a design studio, so take this with that in mind. These are the questions I would want any client to ask us, and the answers I think you deserve from whoever you hire. Below is each question, why it matters, and what a good answer sounds like.

1. Who will actually work on my project?

Why it matters. Some agencies sell with senior people and deliver with junior ones. The person in the sales call may never touch your site.

Ask: Who leads the project day to day? Who designs it? Who builds it? Will any of it be outsourced?

A good answer names real people and their roles, and is consistent with what you see on the agency's site.

At Embark, every engagement is directed by me, and design and build are handled by a small team of AI design engineers. There is no junior account layer between you and the people doing the work.

2. What exactly is included in the price, and what is not?

Why it matters. Two quotes for "a website" can describe completely different amounts of work. Budget disputes often start with an assumption nobody wrote down.

Ask:

• Is strategy or discovery included?
• Is copywriting included, or do I supply all the words?
• Is photography, stock or image production included?
• How many pages and templates are in scope?
• Are analytics, basic SEO setup and accessibility checks included?
• What would count as extra?

A good answer is a written scope you can check line by line. If you are trying to work out whether a number is reasonable, my guide to what a small business website costs in Canada breaks down the usual ranges and what drives them.

3. How many rounds of revisions do I get?

Why it matters. "Unlimited revisions" sounds generous and usually means an unclear process. A fixed number of structured rounds keeps feedback focused and the project moving.

Ask: How many rounds are included at each stage? What counts as a revision versus a new request? How should feedback be delivered?

A good answer puts the number in the proposal. For reference, our Brand Foundation includes two structured revision rounds.

4. How long will it take, and what could delay it?

Why it matters. A launch date is only as reliable as the assumptions behind it, and most of those assumptions are about you: content, feedback and approvals.

Ask: What is the timeline from kickoff to launch? What do you need from us, and by when? What happens to the date if we are late with content?

A good answer gives you a range, a list of what they need from you, and an honest view of the risks. Our Oryn Website Launch projects mostly run 4 to 6 weeks and Custom Website Systems 8 to 12. I go deeper in how long it takes to build a business website.

5. Can I see work like mine?

Why it matters. A beautiful portfolio in an unrelated industry tells you less than a solid project close to your own.

Ask: Have you worked with businesses like ours? Can I see the live sites, not just screenshots? What was the brief, and what did you change?

A good answer shows live work, explains the thinking behind it, and does not claim results it cannot back up. Google suggests similar questions when hiring an SEO, including asking about experience in your industry and your country or city.

6. What happens to our SEO if you redesign the site?

Why it matters. A careless redesign can wipe out years of search traffic by changing URLs without redirects.

Ask: Will you map our old URLs to the new ones and set up redirects? Will you keep our page titles and content that already ranks? How will you check nothing was lost after launch?

A good answer is specific about redirects and checks. Be wary of anyone who guarantees rankings. Google's own guidance is blunt: "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google." When we migrate a site, we move content, set up URL redirects, preserve SEO and switch the domain over without downtime.

7. What does the site cost to run after launch, and who updates it?

Why it matters. The build is one bill. Hosting, platform fees, maintenance and every change you want for the next few years are the others.

Ask: What are the monthly costs after launch? Can my team edit pages, copy and images ourselves? What does it cost when we need your help?

A good answer puts every recurring cost on the table before you sign. Ours is separate and stated up front: after launch, an Oryn Website Launch site is hosted on Oryn, our AI platform, which your team uses to update the site by asking in plain English. A Custom Website System can run on it when the build is compatible. It is billed monthly, apart from the project fee.

8. Who owns the website, the code and the accounts?

Why it matters. If the relationship ends, you need to be able to take your site, your domain and your data with you.

Ask: Will the domain be registered in our name? Who owns the design files and code? Who holds the logins for hosting, analytics and Search Console? What happens if we leave?

A good answer is clear and written into the contract. Whatever agency you choose, make sure your domain and analytics accounts are in your company's name from day one.

9. How will we communicate?

Why it matters. A lot of frustration on agency projects comes from silence, not from bad design.

Ask: How often will we hear from you? Where do we see progress? Who do we contact when something is urgent?

A good answer describes a rhythm you can picture. Ours is async first, with a project board and scheduled planning calls at the cadence your engagement includes.

Red flags worth walking away from

• A price without a written scope.
• Guaranteed rankings or traffic numbers.
• No named person responsible for your project.
• No live work you can look at.
• Vague answers about ownership or monthly costs.
• Pressure to sign this week.

Where to go from here

If you are comparing studios, send each one the same brief and the questions above, and compare the answers side by side. If you would like ours, start a project brief and we will reply within one business day with a recommended engagement, timeline and scope. The proposal is written by a person, not a template.

Sources

• Google Search Central, Do you need an SEO?
• Embark Studio, FAQ, Website services and About