Commissioning a website is something most businesses do less than once a year. Naturally, it is not obvious what to ask — and the questions you skip come back as problems mid-project. Ask these seven in every quote conversation, and listen not only to the answers but to how they are answered.
1. Can I update the content myself after launch?
This is the most important one. If the answer is "no" or "email us for every change", you will depend on that company for every post, price and phone number — usually at a cost.
A good answer: "You get an admin panel; you change posts, images, references and contact details. Anything needing code changes comes to us."
2. Will the site and content belong to me?
In whose name is the domain registered? Who owns the hosting account? Will access be handed over at delivery? Ask about all three separately — this is where most disputes start.
A good answer: the domain and hosting are set up in your name and you hold the panel access. Transfer of the software is stated explicitly in the contract.
3. How long will it take, and what happens if it slips?
As important as the timeline: what happens when it slips? A healthy answer separates the causes — saying "if your content is late the timeline moves" is honesty, because most projects wait on client content.
For reference: a corporate website usually takes 3–6 weeks; a custom web or mobile application 2–4 months. Be wary of promises far below that.
4. What is included in the price, and what is not?
Ask: are the domain and hosting included for the first year, and what do they cost afterwards? How many pages are included and what does an extra one cost? Who writes the copy and prepares the images? Are SSL, email accounts and post-delivery fixes included?
Warning sign: a quote that says "everything included" without itemising. An itemised quote usually works out cheaper even when the headline total is higher.
5. How will it look on a phone?
Most of your visitors will arrive on a phone. "It will be responsive" is not an answer — open a site they built before on your own phone and look. Is the text readable, can you hit the buttons with a thumb, does the page scroll sideways?
6. What happens after delivery?
How long are bugs fixed free of charge? Is a maintenance agreement compulsory or optional, and what does it cost monthly? Who do you contact in an emergency, and how?
These answers should be written into the contract. A verbal "of course we'll look after you" is not a commitment.
7. What about Google?
The answer here reveals honesty faster than anything else. Do not work with someone who says "we will get you to number one" — nobody can guarantee Google rankings.
A good answer: "We get the technical side right — speed, mobile support, titles, structured data, a sitemap. The rest is content and time."
How to judge the answers
A good counterpart says "I don't know, let me check and come back to you"; someone who answers "sure" instantly to everything either did not understand the question or will cause trouble later. One more thing: look at how the quote itself is written. A careless quote is a preview of a careless project.
Ask us these seven questions too — we answer in writing. The free quote form takes two minutes and places you under no obligation.
