A good web agency has a public portfolio with real projects, fast websites (over 90 points on PageSpeed), transparent pricing with no hidden fees, and a clear support plan after launch. Before you pay a deposit, check these 7 things - they save you thousands of euros and months of frustration.
What to check:
- 1.Portfolio with real projects
- 2.PageSpeed scores
- 3.Quality of communication
- 4.What is included in the price
- 5.The technology they propose
- 6.Support after launch
- 7.Reviews from real clients
If you're reading this article, you have probably already decided that you need a website. Good. But now comes the harder part - finding someone who will actually build it properly.
A year ago a client came to us who had paid 1000 EUR for a website from another agency and received a 50 dollar WordPress theme. Installed in a rush, with English demo content and stock photos. When he complained, the agency stopped replying. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case.
So I put together these 7 things I personally would check if I were hiring an agency from the outside. They are not ordered by importance - they all matter.
46.1% of people judge a website's credibility partly on its visual design - layout, typography and colours (Stanford, 2002)
1. Does the portfolio show real projects, not templates?
This is the first thing I open. And not just "do they have a portfolio", but what they actually show.
An agency might show 20 websites, but if they all look the same, it means they are using one template and just swapping the logo and colours. That is not web design, that is copy-paste.
Here is what I look at specifically:
- Are the sites actually different from each other - as in structure, not just colour?
- Do they work properly on a phone? (Open them on your mobile - you can tell straight away)
- Is there real content or is it lorem ipsum and stock images?
- Do the links work or do they lead to 404 pages?
We show our projects publicly and for each one we describe what the client's problem was and how we solved it. If an agency has no portfolio at all - that's a serious red flag.
2. What do their PageSpeed scores actually say?
Here is something most clients don't do but should: grab a link from the agency's portfolio and run it through Google PageSpeed Insights. It's free and it takes 30 seconds.
25-45
Typical WordPress site with 5+ plugins
50-70
WordPress with optimisation
90-100
Next.js / custom site
Indicative ranges based on our own PageSpeed testing; actual scores vary by setup.
Why does this matter? Because Google uses speed as a ranking factor. A slow website means a lower position in Google, which means fewer customers. And people simply close slow websites - 53% of mobile users leave if a site takes more than 3 seconds to load (Google, 2016).
If the agency shows you a portfolio of sites that score 30-40 points on mobile PageSpeed, think hard about whether you want the same for your business.
3. How does the web agency communicate with you?
Send them an enquiry and clock how quickly they reply. Not the next day - within the first few hours. If you're waiting 3 days for a reply to your first message, imagine what it will be like once they have your money.
What to watch for in the first conversation:
- Do they ask about your business, or do they jump straight to quoting a price?
- Do they explain things in plain language, without jargon?
- Do they propose a concrete plan with stages and deadlines?
- Do they honestly say "you don't need this" when that's the case?
I've had cases where clients come to us after months of silence from their previous developer. The site is half-finished, the money is paid, and the agency simply doesn't reply. Communication is not a bonus - it's the minimum.
4. What does the price include (and what doesn't)?
"600 EUR for a website" - sounds clear, right? Except later it turns out the domain is separate, hosting is separate, the SSL certificate is 25 EUR a year, and if you want to change anything after launch, it's 15 EUR per hour.
Before you pay anything, ask for a breakdown. Literally on paper (or in an email). Here's what should be in the price:
- Design and development
- Mobile version (responsive)
- Basic SEO (meta tags, titles)
- Contact form
- SSL certificate
- Training on how to use the site
- Domain and hosting (first year)
- Google Analytics setup
- Copywriting
- Photos and visual content
- Support after launch
- Revisions after sign-off
Globally, the GoodFirms web development cost survey shows just how wide the range is - from a few hundred to tens of thousands of euros depending on scope. The price figures in this article come from our own projects on the Bulgarian market. For a detailed local reference, see our detailed article on website pricing. But in short - if someone offers you a "professional website" for 150 EUR, you'll get a template. And if they want 5,000 EUR for 5 pages - ask why.
5. Technology - WordPress, custom or something else?
There's no right or wrong answer here, but there is an honest and a dishonest one. If an agency works exclusively with WordPress and tells you it's the best solution for everything, that's not quite true.
WordPress is good for blogs and sites where the client wants to write their own content. But it comes with a pile of plugins, constant updates, and security risks. Many agencies offer it because it's fast for them - install a theme, drop in 5-6 plugins and done in a day or two.
Custom solutions (Next.js, Nuxt, Astro and similar) are faster, more secure, and don't need constant maintenance. But the initial investment is higher. For a detailed comparison, we wrote a separate article on WordPress vs custom websites.
An important question to ask: "Why are you proposing this technology for my project?" If the answer is "because that's how we work" - that's not a good answer. The technology should fit your needs, not the agency's habits.
6. Support after launch - what happens on day 31?
The site is ready, you've paid, everything works. A month goes by. You spot a bug. Or you want to add a new page. Or Google sends you a message that something's not right. Who do you turn to?
Many agencies "forget" about their clients after handover. Or they don't have a clear plan - they will help "if something comes up", but with no specifics. That doesn't work.
Ask directly:
- Is there a warranty period and what does it cover?
- How much does a change after launch cost?
- Do they offer a maintenance subscription and what does it include?
- What happens if the site goes down at 2 in the morning?
We, for example, offer a free revision window after launch on every project. Because small things always come up that you can't foresee in advance.
7. Are the reviews and references from real clients?
"But they have 5 stars on Google" - sure, but check whether those reviews are from real people with real profiles. Three reviews from accounts with a single review each and a default profile picture say nothing.
Better yet, ask the agency directly: "Can you connect me with a previous client?" If they refuse, or take too long to think about it, that tells you something. A good agency has clients who are happy to vouch for their work.
Another option - look up the agency on social media. See what they post, how they reply to comments, whether they show their process. An agency that is active and transparent online is usually that way in its work too.
And one more thing - ask in business groups on Facebook. "Has anyone worked with agency X?" You'll be surprised how many people will share their experience, both positive and negative.
Bonus: Red flags - when to walk away
From experience - if you see even one of these, think very carefully:
They want 100% payment upfront. The norm is 30-50% deposit. If they want everything in advance, they have no incentive to finish the work.
They promise "first place on Google in 2 weeks". SEO takes months. Anyone who guarantees results on Google is either lying or using black-hat techniques that will hurt you.
They don't offer a contract. Without a written contract you have no protection. Even if it's a friend of a friend - still sign something.
"Free website" with a monthly subscription. Do the maths - 25 EUR a month for 3 years equals 900 EUR. And the site isn't yours. If you stop paying, they switch it off.
They refuse to give access to the code or hosting. The site is yours. You should have full access. If tomorrow you decide to switch agencies, you shouldn't be a hostage.
So how do I actually choose a web agency?
There is no perfect agency. There is an agency that is right for you. A small business with a 500 EUR budget doesn't need an agency with a 20-person team and corporate clients. And the opposite - a serious e-commerce project shouldn't be handed to a freelancer working solo in their spare time. And if you're not sure what to expect from the finished site, read about conversions to understand what actually makes a website "good".
Do your homework. Spend 2-3 hours researching 3-4 options. Open their portfolios, run their websites through PageSpeed, send them an enquiry and see how they respond. Those 2-3 hours can save you thousands of euros and months of frustration.
Sources
- Stanford Web Credibility Research (2002, 46.1% judge credibility on design) (accessed June 2026)
- Google: The Need for Mobile Speed (2016, 53% mobile abandonment) (accessed June 2026)
- web.dev: Web Performance Best Practices (accessed June 2026)
- GoodFirms: Web Development Cost Survey 2025 (accessed June 2026)
- Google PageSpeed Insights (accessed June 2026)