Choosing a web studio is hard because every studio website says the same things. "Experienced team", "individual approach", "quality at an affordable price" — none of that distinguishes anyone. What helps is asking the right questions.
First, who are you actually looking for?
- A freelancer. Cheapest. Works well for small, clearly scoped jobs. The risk is one person: if they become unavailable, the project stops.
- A studio. More expensive, but you get a designer, a developer and a manager. Worth it when the project runs longer than a month and needs support afterwards.
- An in-house team. Justified only when the website is your product rather than a marketing tool.
Seven questions worth asking
- Can I see a comparable project? Not a portfolio in general — something from your industry or at your level of complexity. Ask for a link to a live site, not a screenshot.
- What happens after handover? Who does updates? Is there a maintenance agreement, and what does it cost?
- Who owns the site? The code, the domain and the hosting account should be registered to you. This is the most important question on the list.
- What can I change myself in the admin panel? If every text correction means emailing the studio, that is a monthly cost forever.
- What is included in the price? Copy, photography, content entry, testing? Ask for it in writing, itemised.
- How will results be measured? Is analytics connected, are goals configured, and who reads the numbers?
- What happens if the deadline slips? The answer belongs in the contract, not in a conversation.
Warning signs
- A price without questions. If someone quotes before understanding the job, that is not an estimate.
- A portfolio without links. Screenshots are easy to borrow. Working sites are not.
- Guaranteed rankings. Nobody can guarantee first place on Google. Anyone who does either does not know or is misleading you.
- 100% upfront payment. Staged payments are the normal practice.
- Vague timelines. "About a month or two" means nobody has planned the work.
How to compare proposals
Two proposals rarely arrive in the same format, so comparing them on price alone tells you nothing. Put them in a simple table: number of pages, languages, design approach, admin panel, integrations, support period, total. Once everything sits side by side, a threefold price difference usually has a plain explanation.
One last thing: notice how quickly and clearly a studio answers your emails before there is a contract. It does not improve afterwards.
