Start with these three questions
Ask them before you even look at a portfolio.
What to watch for
No real pricing process. "It depends" with no explanation of what it depends on, or the quote keeps growing after you've signed.
Contracts you can't exit. Long-term lock-ins with no month-to-month option if you're not happy.
Slow, non-mobile demo sites. If their own portfolio is slow on a phone, yours will be too.
No direct human contact. Everything routed through a ticket system or chatbot, with no one you can actually reach.
A portfolio of near-identical templates. Client logos slapped on the same layout, not real, distinct builds.
What a good process looks like
A free consultation before any commitment, so the price is based on your actual project, not a guess.
A fixed price and delivery date, in writing, agreed before you sign anything.
A named person you can reach directly, not a queue or a different rep each time.
A straight answer about support after launch: what's included, and what isn't.
Real, clickable proof: live sites you can visit, not just a wall of logos.
Freelancer or agency: what actually differs
| Freelancer | Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | Lower: no overhead for a team or office | Higher: covers account management and a larger team |
| Who you talk to | Usually the person doing the work, if they run their business well | Often an account manager relaying to the actual builder |
| Speed | Can be faster for a single, focused project | More process, but more capacity for large or urgent scopes |
| Best for | A single site done well, with an ongoing personal relationship | Large projects needing many services (ads, SEO, branding) run in parallel |
Questions to ask before you sign
- 1Can I see a fixed price and delivery date in writing before I commit?
- 2Who exactly will I be working with, and how do I reach them?
- 3What's included after launch: bug fixes, backups, updates?
- 4Is there a contract, and how do I get out of it if I'm not happy?
- 5Can I see 2–3 live examples of sites you've actually built?
- 6How fast do you typically respond to a message?
- 7What happens if my site goes down or breaks?