Choosing a Web Development Agency: What to Look For

Choosing a web development agency is a significant decision. You're selecting a partner who will build something fundamental to your business, often with a budget measured in thousands or tens of thousands of pounds. The wrong choice wastes money and time; the right choice creates a valuable asset.

Beyond the Portfolio

Every agency has a portfolio of attractive work. But portfolios tell you little about what matters most: process, communication, reliability, and technical quality.

A beautiful design says nothing about the code underneath. An impressive client list doesn't indicate whether those clients received good service. Case studies are marketing materials—naturally, they show the best outcomes.

Portfolios are a starting point, not a decision-maker.

What Actually Matters

Communication Quality

How an agency communicates before you're a client predicts how they'll communicate after. Consider:

• Do they respond promptly to enquiries?
• Do they ask questions to understand your needs, or jump straight to solutions?
• Do they explain things clearly without jargon?
• Do they listen, or do they lecture?

Communication problems during sales become critical problems during development. If they're hard to reach now, imagine chasing them during a urgent issue.

Discovery Process

Quality agencies invest in understanding your business before proposing solutions. They ask about your customers, your goals, your competition, your operations.

Agencies that skip discovery and jump to "we'll build you a WordPress site for £X" are treating you as a commodity. They'll deliver a generic solution that doesn't address your specific situation.

Technical Transparency

You don't need to understand every technical detail, but you should understand what you're buying. Ask:

• What technology will you use, and why?
• How will the site be hosted, and what are the ongoing costs?
• Will I own the code? Where will it be stored?
• What happens if we need to part ways?

Good agencies explain their choices clearly. Evasive answers suggest either incompetence or an intention to create dependency.

Realistic Timelines and Costs

Beware agencies whose proposals seem too good to be true—they usually are. Artificially low prices often mean:

• Inexperienced developers
• Excessive use of templates without customisation
• Missing functionality that appears as "extras" later
• Corners cut on testing and quality assurance

Similarly, unrealistic timelines result in rushed work and accumulated problems.

Structured Process

Professional agencies have a defined process: discovery, design, development, testing, launch, support. They can describe each phase and what it involves.

Agencies without a clear process make it up as they go. Projects drift, scope creeps, deadlines slip, and nobody knows who's responsible for what.

Client References

Ask for references and actually contact them. Questions to ask:

• Was the project delivered on time and on budget?
• How was communication during the project?
• Were there any significant problems? How were they handled?
• Would you work with them again?

Agencies that can't provide references, or whose references are lukewarm, reveal problems they can't hide in a portfolio.

Red Flags

Warning signs that suggest you should look elsewhere:

Aggressive sales tactics: Pressure to sign quickly, artificial urgency, "this price is only available today." Quality agencies don't need to pressure you.

Vague proposals: Generic descriptions without specifics. "We'll build you a great website" means nothing. What features? What technology? What timeline?

No questions about your business: An agency that doesn't need to understand your situation will deliver a generic solution.

Everything is proprietary: Some agencies lock you into their proprietary systems, making it difficult or expensive to leave. You should own your code and content.

No mention of ongoing costs: Hosting, maintenance, updates—these are real costs. Agencies that don't discuss them are setting up surprises.

Unreachable after sale: If it's hard to get responses before you've paid, it will be harder after.

No contracts: Professional work requires clear agreements. Resistance to contracts suggests either inexperience or an intention to avoid accountability.

Questions to Ask

Use these questions to evaluate agencies:

About Process

• Walk me through your typical project process.
• How do you handle scope changes during a project?
• What does your testing process look like?
• How do you handle bugs discovered after launch?

About Technical Approach

• What technology do you recommend for my project, and why?
• How do you approach performance and page speed?
• What security measures do you implement?
• How do you handle backups?

About Ownership and Support

• Will I own the code and content?
• Where will the code be stored? Will I have access?
• What are the ongoing hosting and maintenance costs?
• What support do you provide after launch?
• What happens if we need to change providers?

About Their Experience

• Have you built sites similar to what I need?
• What challenges do you anticipate with my project?
• Can you provide references from similar clients?

Size and Structure

Agencies range from freelancers to large firms. Each has tradeoffs:

Freelancers: Often cheaper, more personal attention. But limited capacity, single point of failure, may lack breadth of skills.

Small agencies: Dedicated attention, lower overheads. May lack resources for very large projects.

Large agencies: More resources, broader skills. But higher overheads mean higher prices, and you may get less senior attention.

Match the agency size to your project. A small business website doesn't need a 50-person agency; a complex enterprise platform may exceed a freelancer's capacity.

Local vs. Remote

Physical proximity matters less than it once did. Video calls, screen sharing, and collaboration tools make remote work effective. Many excellent agencies operate entirely remotely.

That said, some clients prefer face-to-face meetings, especially for complex projects with many stakeholders. Consider your own preferences and communication style.

Trust Your Instincts

Beyond all the practical considerations, pay attention to how you feel about an agency. Do they seem genuinely interested in your success? Do you feel respected and heard? Do you trust them?

Web development projects require collaboration. If the relationship feels wrong before it starts, it's unlikely to improve.

Our Approach

We're a small, focused agency that values long-term relationships over quick sales. We ask a lot of questions, explain our recommendations clearly, and treat your business as if it were our own.

We're not the right choice for everyone—and we'll tell you honestly if we're not the right fit. But for businesses that value transparency, quality, and genuine partnership, we deliver work we're proud of.

Contact us to discuss your project. No pressure, no obligation—just an honest conversation about what you need and how we might help.