In early 2025, the owner of a small import business in Prague-West contacted three web agencies. Two quoted between 2,800 and 3,500 EUR. The third quoted 1,800 EUR and promised delivery in three weeks. He picked the cheapest.
The site launched five weeks late. It loaded in 7.2 seconds on mobile. The contact form broke on Safari. There was no sitemap, no structured data, no meta descriptions. After eight months of trying to patch the problems, he scrapped the site and hired a different agency to rebuild from scratch. Final bill: roughly 5,400 EUR, plus eight months of a website that was actively turning away customers.
His mistake was not choosing a cheaper agency. His mistake was not asking the right questions before signing. This post gives you the 12 questions that would have saved him thousands.
One honest admission: we are biased as an agency ourselves. But these questions should help you choose well, even if you do not choose us.
Why choosing an agency is so hard
Two websites quoted at 60,000 CZK and 180,000 CZK are not the same product at different markups. They are different products entirely. The problem is information asymmetry. Most business owners do not know enough about web development to evaluate what they are buying.
You cannot see quality until it is too late. A beautifully designed site can have terrible code underneath. Performance, SEO setup, and code quality are invisible to someone who does not know where to look.
These 12 questions cut through that fog. They force agencies to give you specific, comparable answers.
12 questions you must ask before signing
Portfolio and references
1. Can you show me projects similar to mine?
You want evidence they have solved the same kind of problem you have. Live sites, not Dribbble mockups.
Green flag: Relevant projects with specific results. Red flag: Only their flashiest work regardless of relevance.
2. Can I contact a past client for a reference?
Any agency worth hiring will happily connect you with a past client.
Green flag: References offered proactively. Red flag: They hesitate or say references are "confidential."
3. Who owns the code and design files after the project?
Green flag: Full ownership transfers to you. You get all source code and assets. Red flag: They own the code and "license" it to you, or use a proprietary CMS only they can manage.
Process and communication
4. What does your project workflow look like?
A professional agency has a defined process. We detailed our own seven-step process for exactly this reason.
Green flag: Structured process with named phases. Red flag: "We start designing and then build it."
5. Who will be my main contact person?
Green flag: You know exactly who your contact will be. Red flag: The founder sells the project but a junior delivers it.
6. How will I see progress?
Green flag: Staging URL, regular updates, wireframes and agile milestones. Red flag: "We will show you the site when it is ready."
Technology and SEO
7. What technology stack and why?
You need to understand why they chose it for your project. See our WordPress vs. custom comparison.
Green flag: They explain the choice in terms of your business needs. Red flag: "We always use WordPress" without explaining why.
8. Is SEO included? What specifically?
This is where the gap between cheap and professional hides. See our technical SEO checklist.
Green flag: Specific deliverables listed (meta tags, sitemap, structured data, hreflang, image optimization). Red flag: "We make the site SEO-friendly" with no specifics.
9. What performance benchmarks do you target?
Core Web Vitals directly affect search rankings and conversions.
Green flag: Specific benchmarks ("PageSpeed score 90+ on mobile"). Red flag: They do not mention performance at all.
Price and contract
10. Is this a fixed price or an estimate?
See our web development pricing for reference ranges. Also see our full cost breakdown.
Green flag: Fixed price for defined scope with itemized proposal. Red flag: "Around 80,000-120,000 CZK" with vague scope.
11. What happens when scope changes?
Green flag: Documented change request process. Red flag: Either extreme — charging for every tiny change, or agreeing to everything without discussing cost.
12. What post-launch support do you provide?
Green flag: Defined support period (14-30 days) plus maintenance retainer option. See our pricing page. Red flag: "The project ends at launch."
Freelancer vs. small agency vs. large firm
| Factor | Freelancer | Small agency (2-8) | Large firm (15+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (corporate site) | 25,000-60,000 CZK | 50,000-150,000 CZK | 120,000-400,000 CZK |
| Communication | Direct with builder | Direct with team | Through project manager |
| SEO expertise | Varies widely | Often integrated | Separate department |
| Availability risk | High | Low | Very low |
| Best for | Simple sites, tight budgets | Corporate sites, MVPs | Large-scale, enterprise |
Match the partner to the project, not the project to the price tag.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell if expensive is justified?
Compare deliverables, not totals. Ask each agency to itemize their proposal. A 150,000 CZK proposal with custom design, full SEO, and post-launch support is a different product from a 60,000 CZK template with no SEO. Read our full cost breakdown for specifics.
Should I get multiple quotes?
Yes. Always. Three quotes minimum. Send the same brief to all. Compare process, transparency, and fit — not just price.
Your next step
Print these 12 questions. Send them to every agency you are evaluating. If you want to see how we answer them, book a free consultation. Thirty minutes, no commitment. We will walk you through our process, show you relevant projects, and give you a fixed-price estimate. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you that too.