Choosing who builds your website or software is a high-stakes decision — the wrong partner costs you months and a rebuild. The good news: the warning signs are easy to spot once you know what to look for. Here is the checklist we would use if we were hiring an agency ourselves.
1. Do they show real, verifiable work?
Ask for live URLs, not just screenshots. A credible studio can point to sites you can actually visit and use. Vague “we built this” claims without links are a red flag.
2. Is their pricing transparent?
Serious partners can give you clear, itemised pricing or fixed-price packages. If every answer is “it depends” with no numbers, expect scope creep. We publish fixed-price packages precisely so there are no surprises.
3. Who actually owns the code?
You should own everything — code, content and accounts — with a proper handover. Beware partners who keep you locked into their systems.
4. How do they communicate?
You want one accountable point of contact and regular, plain-language updates. Test this during the sales process: if they are slow and unclear now, it will not improve later.
5. Do they understand your goals — or just features?
A good partner asks about your business outcomes before talking tech. If the first conversation is a feature list with no “why”, keep looking.
6. Is performance and SEO built in?
Speed, accessibility and SEO foundations should be standard, not upsells. Ask how they approach SEO and performance from day one.
7. What happens after launch?
Launch is the start, not the end. Confirm there is a support window and a clear maintenance option so you are not stranded.
8. Can they scale with you?
Your needs will grow. A partner who offers dedicated developers or flexible capacity can grow with you instead of capping you.
9. Do they document their work?
Documentation is the difference between a maintainable product and a black box. Ask what you receive at handover.
10. Do you trust them?
Finally, trust your read. The right partner is honest about trade-offs, realistic about timelines, and easy to talk to. Those soft signals predict the relationship better than any proposal.
Ready to compare us against your checklist?
We are happy to be measured against every point above. Request a quote or browse our recent work to see the standard for yourself.