How to choose a web development company: 12 questions to ask before you pay

12 questions to ask

• Can you send a written feature list and timeline with the quote?
• How is payment split — per milestone, or a large amount upfront?
• Will I get a working demo link at each milestone?
• Who owns the code, design and content once the project is paid?
• Will the code be in a repository under my account?
• Are the domain, hosting and app-store accounts registered in my name?
• Which technologies will you use, and why?
• How do you test on mobile phones and different browsers?
• What is included in post-launch support, and for how long?
• How are changes outside the agreed scope priced?
• Who will I talk to day-to-day, and how often will I get updates?
• Can I see or try work you have actually built?

Red flags

• A fixed price before they have asked about your project.
• Pressure to pay everything upfront.
• Refusal to give you access to the code or hosting.
• Portfolio items you cannot verify or try.
• Vague answers about who will actually do the work.

Good signs

• They ask a lot of questions and push back on unnecessary features.
• They explain trade-offs in plain language.
• They are honest when a cheaper ready-made tool would serve you better.

Our answers

At OmegaAPI: written feature list and timeline, payment per approved milestone, demo links throughout, code and accounts in your name, and an agreed support period after launch. You can try our live demos before talking to us.