Portfolio and price are the easy part
Both are worth looking at, and neither tells you what it will be like six months in. These seven questions do.
1. Do I own the source code after the final payment?
Some agencies keep the code so you cannot leave. The answer should be yes, in writing, with no conditions attached.
2. What will you build it with, and why that?
Any answer is fine as long as there is a reason behind it. "It is what we always use" is not a reason.
3. What is in the price, and what is not?
Ask for a fixed price against a written scope. Is SEO setup in it? How many rounds of changes? Who pays for the domain and the hosting?
4. How will we talk during the project?
You want one channel and a habit of writing decisions down. Ours is WhatsApp for the day to day, with everything agreed also written down so there is no argument later about what was decided.
5. What happens after launch?
Find out how long support lasts and what it costs after. We include ten days of free support on web projects, with maintenance available after that.
6. Can I see live sites you built?
Not screenshots. Real addresses you can open on your own phone and test for speed yourself.
7. What is your refund policy?
It should exist and be written down before you pay. Ours: full refund if you cancel before work starts, 20% within two days of starting, nothing after the mid-project milestone.
Our prices and terms are on one page, so you can check these answers before you ask us anything.