Choosing a web design agency is an important decision. Your company’s website will represent you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and a bad choice can cost time, money and business opportunities.

In this guide we explain the criteria that really matter, the questions to ask before signing any contract, and the red flags to avoid.

1. Analyse the Portfolio Carefully

The portfolio is the most concrete proof of an agency’s work. But you can’t just look at the designs. You need to go deeper:

  • Visit the live sites: do they work well on mobile? Do they load quickly?
  • Is there variety in the projects? An agency that only does one type of project may not have the flexibility you need
  • Do you recognise the clients? Projects with documented results are worth more than purely visual portfolios
  • Does the design age well? Do sites made 3 years ago still look modern?

At Sueste Creative, all portfolio projects are real projects with real clients. You can visit the live sites and verify the quality yourself.

2. Understand the Technology Used

The technology behind the site affects speed, security, maintenance cost and project longevity. Always ask:

“What technology do you build with?”

  • WordPress: flexible and widely supported, but heavy, vulnerable to attacks and with high maintenance costs if poorly managed
  • Wix / Squarespace / Webflow: quick to launch but with serious performance and advanced SEO limitations. The site isn’t really yours
  • Astro, Next.js, Nuxt: modern technology, ultra-fast sites, excellent SEO, greater durability. Requires more technical expertise

Also ask: “What is the Google Lighthouse score?” Any serious agency should achieve above 90 in Performance, SEO and Accessibility.

3. Check What’s Included

Many agencies present low prices but charge extra for everything that matters. Always confirm whether the quote includes:

  • Responsive design (mobile, tablet, desktop)
  • Basic technical SEO (meta tags, sitemap, schema markup)
  • Functional contact forms
  • GDPR-compliant privacy and cookie policy
  • Testing on multiple devices and browsers
  • Training to manage the site independently
  • Post-launch support (and for how long?)

4. Ask for References and Case Studies

Any agency with real experience should be able to present:

  • Previous clients you can contact: not just names, but real contacts
  • Measurable results: increased traffic, conversions, speed
  • How they handled a difficult project: the answer to this question reveals a lot about the agency’s culture

If an agency hesitates to provide references, that’s a red flag.

5. Evaluate Communication Before Signing

The relationship with the agency is as important as the final product. During the quoting process, observe:

  • Do they respond quickly? If they take days to respond to a proposal email, imagine during the project
  • Do they ask intelligent questions about your business? A good agency wants to understand your objectives before proposing solutions
  • Do they explain their decisions? Or just say “it’ll look like this because it’ll look good”?
  • Is the contract clear? Deadlines, included revisions, payment terms, code ownership

6. Be Wary of Prices That Are Too Low

A quality professional website has real costs: design hours, development, testing, SEO, communication, project management. A €300 budget for a complete site is mathematically impossible to execute with quality.

Prices below market usually mean:

  • Generic templates with minimal customisation
  • No SEO or superficial SEO
  • No support after delivery
  • Poorly structured code, difficult to maintain or expand

Use our quote calculator to get a reference for what similar projects typically cost.

7. Contract and Code Ownership

This point is frequently overlooked and can have serious consequences. Always confirm:

  • Who keeps the code: it should be yours after full payment
  • Where the site is hosted: you should have independent access to the server/hosting
  • What happens if the agency closes: do you have access to all files?
  • Who owns the design rights: logos, images, graphic elements created for the project

In our terms, all intellectual property transfers to the client after full payment.

Quick Checklist: Questions to Ask the Agency

  • Can I see the complete portfolio with live links?
  • What technology do you use and why?
  • What’s the typical Lighthouse score of your sites?
  • What’s included in the quote? And what isn’t?
  • What’s the realistic timeline for this project?
  • How many rounds of revisions are included?
  • How does post-launch support work?
  • Can I speak with a previous client?

About Sueste Creative

We are an agency based in the Algarve with projects across Portugal and internationally. We work with the best modern technologies: Astro, Next.js, Vercel, Cloudflare and others, always choosing the right solution for each project.

See our work, meet our team or request a free quote. You can also follow our daily work on Instagram.

Have questions about the right option for your project? Talk to us. The consultation is free and with no commitment.