Hiring a web design agency: 18-point checklist before signing (2026)

Before you hire a web design agency, run through this 18-point checklist. It takes under 30 minutes and consistently surfaces the issues that cause projects to fail, overrun, or leave clients locked out of their own websites. A reputable agency will answer every question clearly — hesitation or vague answers on any item is a signal worth noting.

Why a structured checklist matters

Most web project problems are contractual and process failures, not technical ones. The site that launches three months late, the client who cannot update their own pages, the business that loses their domain when they change agencies — these outcomes almost always trace back to something that was not clarified before work started. This checklist closes those gaps before you commit.

It is designed for SMBs with 50–200 employees evaluating agencies for a corporate website, landing pages, or a service-business site. The questions apply whether you are working with a local agency or, increasingly, an offshore team in countries like Vietnam where quality design studios offer competitive pricing alongside international project management standards.

Ownership and access (items 1–5)

1. Who owns the domain after the project? You should own your domain outright and have full registrar-level access. Agencies that "manage" your domain without transferring ownership create a dependency risk.
2. Who owns the hosting account? The hosting account should be in your name, or transferable to you without penalty. Confirm renewal terms and what happens if you decide to move providers.
3. Who owns the source code? Intellectual property assignment should be explicit in the contract. Custom code built for your project should transfer to you on final payment, not remain licensed to the agency.
4. Will you have CMS admin access from day one? You should be able to edit, publish, and manage your own content without requesting access from the agency.
5. Who controls third-party accounts (Google Analytics, Search Console, tag manager)? These should be set up under your own Google account, with the agency added as a contributor — not the other way around.

Process and communication (items 6–10)

6. What is the defined project timeline with milestones? A real timeline has specific dates for: kickoff, wireframes, design review, development complete, QA, client review, and launch. A vague "6–8 weeks" with no milestones is not a timeline.
7. Who is your primary point of contact? Confirm whether you are working with a project manager or directly with the designer/developer. For foreign clients, a dedicated English-speaking PM reduces friction significantly.
8. How are revisions defined and limited? Get in writing: how many rounds of design revisions are included, what constitutes a "revision" vs. a scope change, and what the out-of-scope hourly rate is.
9. How is feedback collected and tracked? Agencies using structured feedback tools (Figma comments, project management software, written revision logs) are easier to work with than those managing feedback over WhatsApp messages.
10. What happens if the project runs over the agreed timeline? Is there a process for escalation? Is the delay billable? A serious agency has an answer.

Technical and SEO requirements (items 11–14)

11. Is the site mobile-first and tested on real devices? Ask to see examples of their sites on mobile. "Responsive" in 2026 means tested across device sizes, not just scaled down.
12. What is the expected page speed score? Request a Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights score commitment for the delivered site. Core Web Vitals — LCP under 2.5 seconds, INP under 200ms, CLS under 0.1 — should be achievable as part of a properly built site.
13. Is basic on-page SEO included? At minimum: title tags, meta descriptions, H1 structure, image alt text, XML sitemap, and robots.txt. Ask explicitly — many agencies exclude this.
14. Will the site pass WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility checks? Basic accessibility is increasingly expected and, in some markets, legally relevant. Confirm it is being checked before launch.

Contract and commercial terms (items 15–18)

15. What is the payment structure? Standard practice is 30–50% deposit, a milestone payment at design approval, and the balance on delivery. Avoid 100% upfront arrangements.
16. Is there a warranty period post-launch? A reasonable agency offers a 30–60 day bug-fix warranty covering issues with their own work, distinct from change requests.
17. What are the post-launch support and maintenance terms? Hosting, plugin updates, security patches, and minor edits — clarify what is covered, for how long, and at what monthly cost.
18. What is the process for exiting the relationship? If you decide to move to a different agency in 18 months, what do you receive? Source files, database exports, documentation? The answer reveals a lot about how the agency views client relationships.

Applying this checklist

A 50-person professional services firm in Sydney or Austin evaluating a Vietnamese agency for a corporate rebrand should run through all 18 items on the discovery call. Items 1–5 (ownership) and 15–18 (commercial terms) are the highest-risk areas for international engagements. Items 11–14 (technical) are frequently where lower-cost providers cut corners that show up only after launch.

For context on what a project should cost before you evaluate proposals, see the Vietnam website pricing guide. For a checklist to run internally before the site goes live, the 15-item website launch checklist covers the technical and content checks needed before you flip the switch. For businesses that need a structured engagement from a studio with English-language project management, Skylabs' web design service follows the practices described in every item above.