What to Look For When Hiring a Web Development Agency (From an Agency)

This might seem like an odd article for an agency to write. We're basically giving you the playbook for evaluating us. But that's kind of the point. We'd rather you make a well-informed decision, even if it means you pick someone else, than win a project through vague promises and slick presentations.

Look at Their Code, Not Just Their Portfolio

Anyone can make a website look good in a screenshot. What you can't see is whether the code underneath is a mess. Ask potential agencies if they can show you a code repository from a past project (with client permission, obviously). Look for clean structure, tests, documentation, and consistent patterns. If they can't or won't show code, that's a red flag.

Ask Who Will Actually Work on Your Project

Some agencies have amazing senior engineers who do the sales calls, then hand the project to juniors who are learning on your dime. Ask specifically: who will be writing my code? What's their experience level? Can I meet them before we sign?

A Good Agency Says No

If you describe a feature and the agency's response is always "yes, we can do that," be careful. A good agency pushes back. They'll tell you when a feature is premature, when a simpler approach would work better, or when you're solving the wrong problem. That's what you're paying for: judgment, not just keystrokes.

Ask About Ownership

When the project is done, who owns the code? Who owns the hosting accounts? Who has the passwords? Make sure the answer is "you." We've seen too many companies get locked into expensive maintenance contracts because their agency controls the infrastructure.