How to choose a web design agency: what to check before you sign
What customers say went wrong, the questions that catch it early, and the red flags to walk away from. Plus when you don’t need an agency at all.
In short · updated 17 Oct 2026
The short answer
Start with the job, not the agency. If you need one page or a quick fix, hire a freelancer. If one team should write, design and build the whole site by a set date, shortlist three or four agencies whose work looks like what you need. Ask each one the same questions: who does the work, what’s in the price, when it launches, and who owns the site after. Then get the scope, the price and the date in writing before you pay.
One page or a quick fix
Hire a freelancer
One team to write, design and build the whole site by a set date
Shortlist three or four agencies
Step by step
How to choose, step by step
Six steps, from your first note to a signed contract.
- 01
Write down what the site has to do
Who it’s for, what it has to do, when it has to be live, and your budget. Agencies match those answers, or they don’t. Share your budget early. It saves everyone time.
You end withA one-page brief: customers, goal, launch date and budget.
- 02
Pick the kind of help
A freelancer for small jobs. A template if one fits. An in-house hire for ongoing work every week. An agency when one team should write, design and build the whole site.
You end withFreelancer, template, in-house or agency.
- 03
Shortlist three or four
Look for live sites like the one you need, for customers like yours. Open them on your phone. Ask founders whose sites you like who built them.
You end withA shortlist of three or four, each with live work you checked.
- 04
Ask every agency the same questions
Use the questions below on every call, so you can compare the answers. Notice who asks about your customers before they talk price.
You end withAnswers you can put side by side.
- 05
Compare the written proposals
Scope, price, launch date, what’s in the price, who owns what, and what happens after launch. If it isn’t written down, it isn’t in the deal.
You end withOne proposal you trust, in writing.
- 06
Start small if you’re unsure
Some customers start with a small paid test or an audit before the full project. A few weeks together tells you a lot.
You end withA small first piece of work before the big one.
On every call
Questions to ask every agency
Ask each agency the same eight questions. Good agencies answer them plainly.
- 1Who will actually do the work, and can we talk to them?
- 2Who writes the copy, and is that in the price?
- 3What exactly is in the price, and what costs extra?
- 4When will the site launch, and is that date in the contract?
- 5How often will we see the work?
- 6Who owns the domain, the hosting, the code and every account?
- 7We have a site today. How will you keep our Google rankings?
- 8What happens after launch, and can our team edit the site without you?
Watch for
Red flags customers report
What customers and builders on Reddit say to watch for, and what to ask for instead.
The domain, hosting or site is in their name
You may have to pay them to reach your own site, or start over if you leave.
Ask for every account in your company’s name.
They can’t say who will do the work
Some agencies hand the work to people you never meet.
Ask for the names of the people on your project, and a call with them.
No questions about your business before the quote
A price given before they understand the job is a guess.
Ask for a call about your customers and goals before any price.
In a redesign, they only talk about looks
Old pages that rank on Google can lose their traffic.
Ask for a list of every URL and a redirect plan.
A promise of page one on Google, or rankings by a date
Nobody can promise rankings.
Ask for a plain plan for the SEO basics.
Very cheap, and done by tomorrow
It often means a template and no SEO setup.
Ask for what is custom, what is a template, and which SEO basics are included.
No live work to show
You can’t judge what you can’t see.
Ask for two or three live sites like the one you need.
Vague updates and missed dates
Customers say this is how projects end up months late.
Ask for an update every week, and the launch date in the contract.
Reddit threads where people and builders talk about hiring web design agencies, found through search on 10 Oct 2026. Paraphrased.
Before you sign
Check the work yourself
Open their sites on your phone
Most visits now come from phones. If a site they built breaks on a phone, yours may too.
Run their sites through PageSpeed Insights
It’s free, from Google, and shows how well a site is built.
Ask what Google and AI search can read
Some sites show search tools almost no text. On many sites built with AI builders like Lovable or Bolt, AI crawlers see about 8 words of the homepage. Ask how they build pages so every word can be read.
Talk to past clients
Ask the agency for two clients you can call. Ask them what went wrong, not only what went right.
Our answers
Our answers to the same questions
We’re an agency, so ask us too. Here are our answers.
Who does the work
Your first call is with Erfan, the founder. One team writes, designs and builds your site, and you get a written update every week from the person doing the work.
Messaging and copywriting
We write all the copy. It’s included in the price, and you approve it before we design.
Price and date in writing
After the call, you get the scope, price and launch date in writing within 3 business days. Our prices are on the pricing page.
You own it
Once the project is paid, the site, the code and every account are handed over to you.
Your rankings
Before launch we list every URL on your site and map a redirect for each one that changes.
After launch
A recorded walkthrough, a site your team can edit without a developer, and 30 days of free fixes.
Choosing an agency: questions
How do I choose a web design agency?
Start with what the site has to do and when it has to be live. Shortlist three or four agencies with live work like what you need. Ask each the same questions about who does the work, what’s in the price, the launch date and who owns the site. Then compare written proposals.
What questions should I ask a web design agency?
Who will do the work. Who writes the copy. What’s in the price and what costs extra. When it launches, and whether that date is in the contract. How often you’ll see the work. Who owns the domain, hosting, code and accounts. How they’ll keep your Google rankings. And what happens after launch.
What are the red flags when hiring a web design agency?
Accounts in their name, not yours. No clear answer on who does the work. A price before they ask about your business. Promises of page one on Google. Very cheap and done by tomorrow. No live work to show. Vague updates and missed dates.
How much should I pay a website designer?
It depends on who you hire and what the site has to do. In the Upwork posts we read, only 5 fixed budgets were $1,500 or more, and the highest was $5,000. In Reddit threads, $3,000 to $10,000 came up most. Studios that publish prices often start a site at $10,000. Our prices are on the pricing page.
Should I hire an agency or a freelancer?
Hire a freelancer for one page, a quick fix or a small budget. Freelancers are good for small jobs and are often paid by the hour. Hire an agency when one team should write, design and build the whole site, with the price and launch date in the contract.
Should we start with a small project first?
It can help. Some customers start with a small paid test or an audit before the full project. Our Free Website Audit is one way to start: send us your website, and in 3 business days we’ll tell you what’s missing and what to fix.
Your business grew up. Your website should too
If customers need a demo just to understand what you sell, your website isn’t doing its job.
- We sign an NDA on request.
- You own the site, the code and every account once it’s paid.
- Your first call is with Erfan, the founder.
Kazi Mohammed ErfanFounder
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Pentaclay, in short
Pentaclay is a B2B website design agency for AI companies that sell to enterprises. We write, design and build marketing websites in Framer, Webflow and Next.js, and stay to help after launch. Pentaclay LLC is registered in New Mexico, USA; our team works from Dhaka, Bangladesh, with calls until 12:30pm US Eastern. Founded in 2023 by Kazi Mohammed Erfan, who brings 12 years of design experience.