How to Choose a Web Design Company: 10 Questions to Ask First

When choosing a web design company, what matters most is not a pretty portfolio or the lowest price — it is clear answers to a few specific questions: who will own the site and the domain, what the process looks like, exactly what is included in the price, and what happens after launch. Before you sign anything, ask the 10 questions below. Within half an hour you will know whether you are dealing with a long-term partner or a "build it and vanish" contractor. A good supplier answers them calmly and concretely, rather than getting defensive or going vague.

Why the questions matter more than the portfolio

Most business owners pick a web developer on two things: how their work looks and how much it costs. Both matter, but neither protects you from the most common mistake — paying for a pretty layout that brings no enquiries, loads slowly, or that you can no longer update a year later because all the code and access stayed with the supplier. A website is not a one-off purchase; it is a three-to-five-year asset. So you should judge not only the finished screenshot, but what happens before and after it.

A useful mindset is to treat the first meeting like a job interview. You are hiring a team for the long haul, so you have every right to ask about process, responsibility, and what happens when something breaks.

10 questions to ask before you sign

1. Can I see real, live examples of your work?

Ask for working links you can open on your phone, not slides. Check whether the pages load fast, whether they are comfortable on mobile, whether the forms actually work. Ideally, ask for one or two client references. Browse a gallery of real projects as well — it shows the studio's craft and quality level far better than any promise.

2. What does your process look like?

The supplier should be able to walk you through the stages: research and structure, design, copy, development, testing, launch. Ask how many rounds of review you get, how material is handed over, and who writes the copy. If the answer is unclear or "well, we just build it," that is a red flag.

3. What technology will you use, and why that one?

There is no single right answer, but there should be a rationale. WordPress suits many content sites; a custom build (e.g. Next.js) suits speed and more complex logic. What matters is understanding the trade-offs: maintenance, speed, security, scalability. If you are unsure, we compare the options in WordPress vs a custom website.

4. How do you handle SEO and site speed?

A good supplier will talk about a technical SEO foundation, semantic structure, meta data, and Core Web Vitals — not just "keywords." Ask what speed you will achieve and how it will be measured. Speed is not cosmetic: a fast website genuinely sells more, while a slow one loses people before they even reach your content.

5. Who will own the site, the code, and the domain?

This is arguably the most important question. Your .lt domain must be registered in your company's name (the registry is run by domreg.lt), not the supplier's. You should receive full admin access, the code, and all logins. If the supplier keeps the domain or hosting "on their side" and won't hand over access, you become a hostage. A .lt domain costs only about EUR 10–15 a year, so there is no reason for it to sit in someone else's hands.

6. What happens after launch?

Ask about updates, backups, security, and small changes. Will you be able to edit content yourself? How much do later changes cost? For some businesses a fixed monthly model is easier — more on that on the website-as-a-service page, where maintenance, hosting and updates roll into one fee.

7. Is the price transparent, and what exactly is included?

Ask for an itemised quote, not a single number. What is included: design, copy, images, SEO foundation, training, how many revisions? What are the monthly costs (hosting, domain, maintenance)? In Lithuania, custom websites realistically run from around EUR 1,500 to EUR 6,000 and up depending on scope — we break down what a website actually costs separately, and you can see clear pricing ranges upfront.

8. How long until launch?

A realistic timeline for a simple business site is 3–6 weeks; complex projects take longer. Be wary of both overly long and suspiciously short promises. What usually delays a project is not the developer but late material from the client — we cover what really drives the timeline in how long building a website takes.

9. What does support and response time look like?

A form will break, hosting will go down, an urgent change will come up — you need to know how fast you will get a reply and through which channel. Is there an agreed response time? What happens if the main person is on holiday? A clear support clause in the contract is worth more than any verbal "we'll always help."

10. Template or custom — and what do you recommend for me?

A good supplier asks about your goals before proposing a solution. If they immediately push the most expensive custom build, or conversely only a cheap template without understanding your business, that is a signal. The recommendation should rest on your budget, growth plans, and whether the site needs to actively win customers through professional web development or simply exist as a digital business card.

Red flags worth acting on

• They won't share access. The domain or hosting is registered under the supplier and you get no admin rights.
• No contract, or a very vague one. Undefined scope, deadlines and ownership turn into disputes later.
• An "all-inclusive" price with no breakdown. A transparent quote always beats a round number.
• No live work shown. Only pretty mockups with no working links.
• They ignore speed and SEO. If it never comes up, the site probably won't bring traffic.
• They pressure you to "sign today." Rushing often hides inconvenient questions.

Template or custom: the short version

A template (e.g. a ready-made WordPress theme) is cheaper and faster — fine when you need a tidy business card on a limited budget. A custom solution costs more but gives better speed, uniqueness, and room to grow. In practice, most small businesses are well served by the middle ground: a clean structure, a fast build, and strong copy that sells. Make the call based not on trend but on what the site needs to earn for you over the next three years.

If you'd like to walk through these questions against your own situation, book a free consultation — we'll help you judge whether a template or a custom website build fits you better, and what budget you'll realistically need. No commitment, just clarity before you sign.