How to choose a web agency? 7 questions you must ask

A beautiful portfolio isn't enough. Before signing with a web agency, ask these 7 questions — they'll save you from wasting money and time.

Why a portfolio is not enough

Every agency has a beautiful portfolio. The problem is that portfolios show the best 10% of projects — the rest is hidden. You won't see the project that was 3 months late. Or the client who paid 4k and got a site loading in 8 seconds.

A portfolio is a starting point, not a decision. Before you sign, ask these 7 questions — each reveals a potential problem that costs money and time.

Question 1: Do I own the code?

This is the most important question. Some agencies keep your site on "their" hosting — when you leave, you lose everything. Or they build on a proprietary CMS you can't take elsewhere.

Always demand:

HTML/CSS/JS files on your server
Your database — yours
No "exit fees"
Access to hosting and domain accounts

At NoStressStudio 100% of the code is yours. Code, domain, hosting, content — you get everything. Zero vendor lock-in.

Question 2: Who will actually do the work?

Large agencies sell you seniors at the sales meeting. A junior you never met does the project. Ask: who specifically will be on my project? Can I talk to them before signing? In small studios (2-5 people) you talk to the same person building your site. Zero middlemen. Faster communication = faster project.

Question 3: What's included in post-launch "support"?

Industry standard is 30-90 days of fixes. Then a subscription starts. Ask about prices: is a plugin update 10 EUR or 100 EUR? A new subpage 50 EUR or 500 EUR? The best site is one that doesn't need monthly "care". A static site (no CMS) doesn't need plugin updates. Cloudflare Pages hosting is free. SSL is automatic.

Question 4: What does the site cost after a year (TCO)?

700 EUR sounds great. But calculate TCO (Total Cost of Ownership):

Build: 700 EUR
"Care" 50 EUR/mo × 12 = 600 EUR
Hosting: 120 EUR
Domain: 15 EUR
Year 1 total: 1 435 EUR

Versus a 1 050 EUR site with no subscription? Cloudflare hosting (0 EUR) + domain (15 EUR) = 1 065 EUR for year 1. Following years: just 15 EUR/year for the domain.

More about costs in our article on website costs in 2026.

Question 5: Will the site be indexed by Google?

Many agencies deliver WordPress sites with dozens of plugins that slow loading to 6+ seconds. Google penalizes slow sites. Ask about Core Web Vitals and basic SEO (meta tags, schema.org, sitemap). If the agency doesn't know what Core Web Vitals are — keep looking.

Question 6: How does communication work?

Communication chaos = missed deadlines and budget overruns. Ask: Do I get a dedicated account manager? Response time on email? Weekly status updates? What project management tool? Red flag: an agency that needs 3+ days to respond during the sales process.

Question 7: What references do you have from my industry?

Call 2-3 clients from their portfolio (in similar industries) and ask: do you recommend them? Was the deadline met? How was post-launch support? Does the site generate leads/sales? An agency that refuses to share client contacts — suspicious.

Summary — checklist before signing

Before signing with a web agency, make sure you:

Get code ownership (no vendor lock-in)
Know who's building the project
Have clear post-launch support pricing
Calculated the annual TCO (not just the build price)
The site will be fast and SEO-optimized
Communication is clear (manager, updates, response time)
Have references from a similar industry

Looking for a studio that meets all 7 points? Check NoStressStudio — sites ready in 5-14 days, code ownership, zero subscription.