Choosing a website developer: a supplier checklist

Trust your business website to a contractor who shows live sites with similar tasks, works under a contract, registers the domain and access in your name, and describes stages, timelines and support up front. You can check all of this before paying.

Freelancer, agency or in-house developer?

How to vet a contractor before signing

When choosing a contractor, check that they can handle the tasks your project involves. Ask them to show a similar order form, catalogue or customer account and explain how support and bug fixing work.

• Portfolio. Open the sites from their case studies: do they work, load quickly, do the forms send?
• Reviews. Google Maps, GoodFirms, recommendations from people you know. Call one of their clients.
• Legal entity. A real company, a contract, invoices, an office address.
• Technology. A current stack: WordPress, WooCommerce, Shopify, MODX, Next.js, Laravel. A closed in-house CMS ties you to one contractor.
• Timelines. A realistic plan by stage. We, for example, launch a landing page within 3, a website within 10 and an online store within 15 working days after the brief is agreed and materials are received.

What to agree on before signing

Describe the main visitor journey and what your staff do after an enquiry arrives. For integrations, specify the system, the data exchanged, the direction of exchange and what happens on failure. For example, website enquiries can be sent to KeyCRM; whether this works is checked against the documentation and a test request.

Agree who prepares copy and photos, who approves the design and how much time the client has for approvals. Write down requirements for language versions and page editing separately.

If your website is already live

Ask for a page inventory and a migration plan. Keep URLs that bring traffic; for changed addresses, prepare a redirect map. Google's site migration guidelines cover redirects, internal links and monitoring after launch. With such a plan you can discuss search traffic risks in concrete terms. We handle this as part of a website redesign.

Accepting the work by scenario

• A customer places an order and sees a clear confirmation.
• An enquiry reaches the right employee with no lost fields or duplicates.
• An editor updates a page through the CMS.
• The team demonstrates a backup and the restore procedure.

The estimate should explain the result of each stage, terms for extra work and the scope of support. Before the final payment, check that access and documentation were actually handed over as agreed. Put ongoing maintenance in a separate website support agreement.

Red flags when choosing a developer

• The domain or hosting is registered to the contractor.
• Work without a contract or signed acceptance certificates.
• Promises of "number one on Google in a month" or "guaranteed sales".
• A portfolio of mock-ups with no live sites.
• Refusal to hand over admin and code access.

Portfolio projects

• CrystalTax — moving from an old site to a new one: custom structure and design, SEO optimisation
• Dental Clinic — dental clinic website with online booking; the case includes the chief doctor's review

FAQ

Should I hire a freelancer or an agency to build my site?

A reliable freelancer is fine for small edits and a simple page. A company website, a store or a project meant to grow through Google is better handled by a team under contract, with design, development, SEO and support in one place.

How can I be sure the contractor won't disappear with the money?

Work under a contract with a registered company, pay in stages against signed acceptance certificates, check live sites from the portfolio and client reviews. Register the domain and access in your name from day one.

What should a website development contract include?

Scope of work by stage, timelines, the approval process, terms for extra work, transfer of rights to code and design, handover of access, a warranty period and support terms.

How long does website development take?

At our agency, a landing page takes up to 3 working days, a website up to 10 and an online store up to 15 working days after the brief is agreed and materials are received. Projects with integrations are estimated after the brief.

How do I keep my Google rankings when changing contractors or redesigning?

Keep working URLs, set up 301 redirects for changed ones, carry over copy and meta tags, and check the sitemap and Search Console after launch.

Is it worth starting with a small first stage?

Yes, if you are unsure about a contractor. Order a home page prototype, an audit of your current site or a landing page for one service. A small stage shows how the team keeps deadlines, asks questions and documents the result, with minimal risk to your budget.

Sources

• Google Search: Site moves with URL changes
• KeyCRM API documentation