The most expensive mistake in a corporate website project isn't picking the wrong proposal; it's not asking the right questions. The list below lets you compare proposals on the same scale.
1. Who will own the site and the code?
Some agencies host the site on their own infrastructure and never hand over the source code. When the contract ends, you're left with nothing. Three questions must be answered clearly: who owns the domain, who owns the hosting account, is the source code delivered?
2. Will you be able to update content yourself?
Having to call the agency for every text change slows you down and costs money. There should be an admin panel for blog, references, team and service pages — and you should be trained to use it.
3. What does "technical SEO" include?
The phrase "SEO-friendly" says nothing on its own. Ask concretely:
- Can a separate title and description be entered for every page?
- Are
sitemap.xml,robots.txtand canonical tags in place? - Is structured data (JSON-LD) added?
- If multilingual, are
hreflangtags correct?
4. Speed and Core Web Vitals
Google uses page experience as a ranking signal. Test a site the vendor built before with PageSpeed Insights. A mobile score above 90 is a good reference.
5. Mobile-first design
On corporate sites, more than half the traffic is mobile. Ask to see the design on mobile first; it should be an interface designed for mobile, not a "shrunk" desktop layout.
6. Security and updates
SSL is standard now; the real question is how the stack will be kept current. Who updates the framework/CMS, and how often? What is the backup policy?
7. Accessibility
Keyboard navigation, sufficient colour contrast, alt text on images. Important for legal risk and SEO — and a natural result of good UX.
8. Analytics and conversion tracking
How will you measure whether the site works? Ask whether Google Analytics and Search Console setup, and defining form submissions as goals, are included.
9. What happens to old URLs?
If you have an existing site, old pages must be 301-redirected to new ones. Otherwise you lose years of search visibility overnight.
10. Post-launch support
Is there support for the small issues that surface in the first month after launch? What does the monthly maintenance package include — and exclude?
Most of these items never appear in a proposal document; they aren't discussed unless you ask. Put this list on the table at your next proposal meeting. If you have questions, write to us.