How to choose a website contractor? 12 things worth checking
A company sends the same brief to several contractors and comes back with three numbers: PLN 1,800, PLN 5,000 and PLN 12,000. Every quote lists a home page, an offer page, contact, “responsive design”, “SEO” and a form. On paper it looks like the same product at three prices. In practice a feature list barely describes quality.
Do not judge a contractor by screenshots and page count. Check live work, how it was shipped, tests, technical SEO, analytics, and what you actually receive after launch. Below are 12 checks worth doing before you compare prices — and before you sign.
If you are still shaping the work, see how to build a website step by step.
Contents
- Why two similar sites can cost completely different amounts
- 1. Compare scope, not page count
- 2. Check the portfolio live
- 3. PageSpeed is a helper test
- 4. Was the site prepared for Google
- 5. The form must actually be tested
- 6. Ask what will be measured
- 7. Who owns everything after launch
- 8. Template or custom design
- 9. Tests before launch
- 10. What happens the day after launch
- 11. Comparing a PLN 1,500 quote with PLN 6,000
- 12. 12 questions to send every contractor
- FAQ
Why two similar sites can cost completely different amounts
Five pages are not the product. The product is design, copy, implementation, forms, analytics, technical search readiness, redirects from old URLs, tests and access handoff. Two quotes for “home + offer + contact” can differ by weeks of work.
Page count measures a skeleton. It does not measure whether someone writes a real offer instead of placeholder copy, whether a form reaches an inbox, or whether you are left with a CMS nobody can log into. The cheaper quote is not automatically worse, and the expensive one is not automatically better — until you know what is in scope.
1. Compare scope, not page count
What exactly will be delivered?
Ask for a breakdown, not a single “website” price:
- design — custom layout or a template adaptation;
- copy — written by the contractor, edited from your materials, or left as “client to fill in”;
- implementation — which stack, whose hosting, which admin panel;
- forms — how many, where submissions go, spam protection, confirmation;
- integrations — calendar, payments, CRM, newsletter: yes / no / later;
- analytics — GA4, Search Console, events (form, phone, CTA);
- technical SEO — titles, H1, sitemap, canonicals, indexability; this is not a “Google rankings” service;
- migration — a 301 map if you replace an existing site.
Without that list you compare packaging, not work. A broader company-site checklist is in how to prepare a company website for SEO and enquiries.
What does “SEO included” mean?
It is one of the vaguest lines in website quotes. Confirm whether it means:
- proper titles, descriptions, H1/H2 and readable URLs;
- sitemap, robots, canonicals, no accidental
noindex; - redirects when the structure changes;
- or a promise of rankings, “keyword articles” or link building.
Technical readiness for Google and an SEO retainer are different jobs. If the quote only says “SEO”, ask. Do not sign a guarantee of a specific search position — a serious contractor will not offer one.
2. Check the portfolio live
A screenshot is not enough
A screenshot does not show the phone menu, time to content, a dead link or a form that never sends. Open live URLs, not a PDF gallery.
Check the site on a phone
Use your own browser, not the contractor’s emulator: usable menu, visible offer and contact button, no horizontal scrolling, tappable phone number.
Look for unfinished shipping
Typical signs a project was handed over “by eye”:
- placeholders and Lorem Ipsum;
- dead links and buttons to nowhere;
- staging URLs (
netlify.app,vercel.app,*.test) in the footer or sitemap; - wrong contact details;
- a menu that covers content or will not close;
- horizontal overflow on mobile;
- a green “sent” message that never reaches the inbox.
If several “case studies” share the same leftovers, that is a process, not bad luck.
3. PageSpeed is a helper test, not a verdict on the whole site
PageSpeed is a warning light, not a full technical review.
A score of 100 does not mean the offer is clear, the form works, or the copy answers buyer questions. A weak score can still reveal heavy scripts, uncompressed images or render-blocking work — worth asking about.
UX, copy, the path to an enquiry, indexability and whether you can see where contacts come from still matter. Speed is one quality signal, not the answer to “is this a good site”. More on slow loading: slow company websites.
4. Check whether the site was prepared for Google
Indexability
Can the site enter the index at all: robots.txt is not blocking the offer, no accidental noindex on service pages, a sitemap exists.
Structure
One meaningful H1, logical H2s, unique titles, readable URLs, internal links between offer and contact — not only a button drawn on an image.
Migration
If you replace an old site: 301s from old URLs to the closest new equivalents, not a blanket dump onto the home page. See also new site or modernisation.
Search Console
Who creates the property, on whose Google account, and whether verification stays with the company after launch. Without Search Console it is hard to tell “the site exists” from “Google can see it”.
5. The form must actually be tested
A “submit” field is not the end of the job. Agree — and at acceptance, check:
- validation (clear errors, not only a red border);
- the message after submit;
- what happens when the server rejects the request;
- filling the form on a phone;
- spam protection that does not block real customers;
- actual delivery to inbox or CRM, not only a UI “sent” state.
A form on the page does not mean lead capture works. If you have visits but no enquiries, the issue is often copy and the contact path, not ads alone: why a website does not generate enquiries.
Already have a site and considering a rebuild? See how we approach designing and modernising company websites, and what we look at before quoting.
6. Ask what exactly will be measured
The question is not “will there be Google Analytics”. It is: after launch, will you be able to tell whether the site generates enquiries?
Clarify:
- GA4 — on the company account, with a form-submit event;
- Search Console — owned by the company;
- phone clicks and key CTAs;
- at least source / medium for traffic, without promising perfect attribution of everything.
A tag dropped in without events or consent gives a visits chart, not a business answer.
7. Agree who owns everything after launch
This is not paperwork. Missing handoff means the next DNS or copy change depends on someone who may disappear.
Domain
Who it is registered to, who has the registrar panel, whether company email survives DNS changes.
Hosting
Who pays, who has access, whether files and database can be exported.
Code / repository
Whether you receive source or a platform export, on what licence, whether the contractor keeps exclusivity.
Google Analytics / Search Console
Control on the company account, not the contractor’s personal Gmail.
Photos and copy
Rights to stock photos, text and graphics so you can keep using them.
Admin accounts
CMS, hosting, DNS, analytics: passwords in the company password manager.
8. Template or custom design — both can make sense
Do not treat WordPress or ready-made themes as automatically wrong. A template can be rational for a small scope, a fast start, a limited budget and an honest agreement to a typical layout. Custom design makes sense when the offer, enquiry process or industry does not fit a stock grid — or when adapting a theme would cost as much as designing properly.
The problem is not the template. The problem is selling a template as a “custom project”. Ask what is unique and what comes from a theme or builder. Either answer can be fine — if it is true. Landing vs full site: landing page or company website.
9. Ask about tests before launch
Ask for a short list of what will be checked on the production domain, not only on the contractor’s laptop:
- mobile and desktop;
- Chrome and Safari;
- forms (test submit + delivery);
- 404;
- redirects (www, HTTP→HTTPS, old URLs);
- metadata and social preview (Open Graph);
- consent banner and analytics after consent;
- SSL;
- consistency on the live domain (not staging).
If tests are “not included”, budget your own time with the acceptance checklist — or another quote.
10. What happens the day after launch?
Write down:
- who does the production check after DNS (form, SSL, redirects);
- who submits the sitemap in Search Console;
- how you report a bug in week one;
- when you receive access (not “we’ll send it later”);
- what sits in the fix window versus new paid work.
A site “launched Friday night” without a check on the live domain is a common way for the client to discover problems first.
11. How to compare a PLN 1,500 quote with PLN 6,000
The table below is not a DevSentinel price list. It is a question grid you can copy into a spreadsheet for each quote.
| Item | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Custom design or template (stated clearly) | ||
| Mobile tests (real phone, not only a preview) | ||
| Technical SEO (title, H1, sitemap, canonical, index) | ||
| Analytics (GA4 + Search Console on the company account) | ||
| Form tests with delivery confirmation | ||
| Migration / 301s if a site already exists | ||
| Ownership of domain, hosting, code and analytics | ||
| Post-launch support (window, response time, what is covered) |
Compare price only after you compare scope and contractor responsibility. A number without this table compares hopes.
12. 12 questions you can send to every contractor
Copy this with your brief:
- Which portfolio pieces can I open live — and at which URLs?
- What technology will the site use, and who will maintain it?
- Do you test the layout on a real phone (Chrome and Safari) before launch?
- What does “SEO included” mean in your quote?
- If I have a current site: who prepares the 301 redirect map?
- How do you test forms, and how will you prove delivery?
- On whose account will GA4 and Search Console live after launch?
- Who will own the domain, hosting, code, copy and admin accounts?
- Are hosting and DNS included, or do I provide them separately?
- What is the pre-launch test list on the production domain?
- What does post-launch support cover (days, ticket types, response)?
- What is in the quote, and what is out of scope (copy, photos, integrations, articles, ranking work)?
Answers do not need to be long. They need to be specific. “Everything is standard” usually means the standard is not written down.
FAQ
How much should a website cost?
There is no single “website” price. Cost follows scope: design, copy, implementation, integrations, migration, tests and support. Compare quotes after those points are listed, not by page count. DevSentinel prices individually — no package table.
Is WordPress a good choice for a company?
It can be — when scope, maintenance and update security are accepted on purpose. It is neither automatically bad nor universally best. The engine name matters less than whether the contractor can ship and maintain it, and whether you receive access and a copy.
Should you pick the cheapest quote?
Only if the checklist still shows the same scope and responsibility. The cheapest quote often skips tests, migration, analytics or copy. That is not always a scam — sometimes it is simply a different product.
How do you check whether a portfolio is real?
Open public URLs, not screenshots. Look at the footer date, consistent company details, a working form and the mobile version. Several dead projects in a row are a process signal.
What should the contractor hand over at the end?
Access to hosting, DNS, CMS, analytics and Search Console; domain details; code or the export agreed in the contract; a short how-to; the production test list; support rules.
Should a website contractor do SEO?
They should prepare the site technically for indexing and write a clear offer. That is not the same as an ongoing ranking retainer. Split those roles in the contract so you do not pay twice for the same word.
How do you check speed before choosing a contractor?
Measure selected portfolio URLs (for example with PageSpeed) as a signal, not a final grade. Then open the site on a phone and see whether content and contact are usable.
Should the site have Google Analytics and Search Console?
Yes if you want to know whether it is visible and whether it collects enquiries. Accounts should belong to the company. A tracking snippet without events or Search Console is an incomplete picture.
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Still planning a site? See industry concept directions in the showroom — templates of direction, not a finished project for your company.
Already have a brief or quotes from others? Describe the project on the website development page — we will settle scope before a quote. To see how we approach website development in practice, start with that offer page rather than comparing prices alone.