How to choose a web studio: 10 questions to ask before you sign

Choosing who builds your website is mostly about avoiding a few expensive mistakes: a domain registered in someone else's name, a price that grows with every request, a site you cannot edit, or a studio that disappears after launch. The portfolio tells you whether a studio can make something look good. The answers to the questions below tell you whether working with them will be good. Ask every candidate the same ten questions, in writing, and compare the answers side by side.

This list is for small-business websites and shops. For larger custom software, see how to choose a software development company.

#1. Whose name will the domain, hosting and accounts be in?

The only good answer is "yours". The domain, the hosting account, the admin account, analytics, and any paid licences should be registered to your company, with the studio given access. If a studio registers them in its own name, leaving it later becomes a negotiation. More in who owns the code and the accounts.

#2. What exactly is in the price, in writing?

Ask for the scope as a list: number of pages, languages, functions, who writes the texts, who provides the photos, training. A one-line offer such as "website, 6 pages" leaves every disagreement for later.

#3. What is not included, and what will I pay every year?

Domain, hosting, premium themes or plugins, booking systems, payment provider fees, and care after launch. None of these is a problem if you know about them; all of them are a problem if you learn about them after you sign.

#4. What does a change cost after the offer is signed?

Every project changes. Ask how changes are priced (an hourly rate, a fixed price per change) and whether they are agreed in writing before the work starts. Our article on fixed price or time and materials explains both models.

#5. Can I edit the site myself?

Texts, photos, prices, opening hours: you should be able to change these without paying a developer each time. Ask to see the admin panel of a site the studio built, and ask whether training is included.

#6. How fast will it be on a phone, and how will I know?

Most of your visitors will come from a phone. A serious studio names a target, for example a PageSpeed Insights mobile score, and shows you the report at hand-over. You can check any site in their portfolio yourself on PageSpeed Insights before you call them.

#7. Who writes the privacy and cookie texts?

A studio should at least provide templates and set up the cookie consent technically, and tell you honestly that a lawyer should approve the texts. Be careful with anyone who calls a template "fully GDPR compliant". See GDPR and cookies for a small website.

#8. What happens after launch?

Ask how long the studio fixes its own bugs for free after launch, whether it offers care (updates, backups, monitoring) and at what price, and how quickly it replies. A site that nobody updates becomes slow and insecure; WordPress maintenance explains what care should include.

#9. How is payment split, and is VAT included?

A common and fair split is part on order and the rest at hand-over, before the site goes live. Paying everything up front removes your leverage; paying nothing up front is a risk for the studio. Ask also whether the price includes VAT: a studio registered for VAT adds 20% to its price, one that is not registered charges none. Compare the amount you will actually pay.

#10. Can I talk to the person who will build it?

Agencies often sell with one person and build with another. Ask who will actually do the work, how you will reach them, and what happens if they are away. A short call with the builder tells you more than any portfolio.

#Red flags

• A price with no written scope.
• The domain or hosting registered to the studio.
• No way to edit content yourself.
• "Unlimited revisions" with no defined scope, which usually ends in disagreement.
• No answer about what happens after launch.

#Our answers

Here is how we answer these questions for our fixed-price packages. Code, content, domain and accounts are registered in your name. The final scope and price are confirmed in a written offer before any work starts, and work outside the agreed scope costs €35 an hour, agreed in writing first. Paid third-party licences are bought by you, in your name. A business website starts at €590, with an admin panel you edit yourself, privacy and cookie templates for your lawyer, a PageSpeed mobile target of 85 or more with the Lighthouse report, and 30 minutes of training. Payment is 50% on order and 50% at hand-over. You get 30 days of free bug fixes after launch for anything we delivered, and optional care at €39 or €79 a month. PN Scripts is not registered for VAT, so no VAT is added.

If you would like to see how we work before deciding anything, ask for the free website check of your current site.

#Frequently asked questions

Is a freelancer or a studio better for a small business site?

Either can do it well. What matters is the answers to the questions above, especially ownership of the accounts and what happens after launch, not the size of the team.

Should I choose the cheapest offer?

Choose the offer whose written scope covers what you need at the lowest total cost, including the yearly costs. A low price with no scope is usually the most expensive in the end.

How many offers should I collect?

Two or three is usually enough, as long as you ask each studio the same questions. More offers rarely add information; better questions do.

What should I prepare before asking for offers?

A list of the pages you need, examples of sites you like, your texts or bullet points, your logo, and who will approve the work. Our guide to writing a project brief helps.

#Sources

• National Revenue Agency: VAT in Bulgaria (in Bulgarian)