Give each agency the same commercial brief
Describe your business, the services you want to grow, the buyer, the current website problem and any genuine deadline. Explain who decides internally and which assets are ready. Ask each agency how it would approach the problem. Quotes become easier to compare when suppliers respond to the same situation rather than different assumptions about page counts.
Ask how the structure will support the sale
An agency should be able to explain which buyer questions each important page will answer and how visitors will move towards an appropriate enquiry. Ask how it will handle distinct services, technical detail, project evidence and buyer objections. Look for a clear explanation of the proposed work rather than a promise that a new appearance will automatically produce more sales.
Compare the complete scope
Check whether discovery, copywriting, content entry, design, development, redirects, technical SEO, measurement setup, launch and handover are included. Clarify the number and scope of review rounds. Identify who supplies logos, photography, testimonials and any specialist content. Ask what changes the price. A lower initial quote can represent a smaller scope rather than a more efficient delivery model.
Examine proof and its limits
Ask to see live work and understand what the agency actually delivered. If a result is quoted, ask for the period, baseline and measure used. A percentage without a starting value tells you little. New practices may show concept work to explain their approach; that can help you judge design and thinking, but it must not be presented as an achieved client result.
Understand what search optimisation includes
Ask about crawlable page content, descriptive titles, redirects for changed addresses and how the sitemap will be checked. If content strategy or ongoing SEO is proposed, ask what will be produced, who will approve it and how performance will be reviewed. Technical foundations help search engines access and understand pages. They do not guarantee rankings, traffic or a fixed number of leads.
Agree how enquiries will be measured
Clarify whether the website sends forms, opens email drafts or connects to another system. Ask how receipt will be tested and how enquiries will be recorded. A click to open an email is an expression of interest, not a confirmed lead. Useful reporting follows received enquiries through qualification and sales outcomes, with search or campaign data providing context.
Make ownership and ongoing costs explicit
Ask who controls the domain, hosting, website source, accounts and analytics property after handover. Clarify third-party licences, recurring charges and the process for moving providers. Understand what maintenance covers and how additional work is priced. These should be written decisions, not assumptions left until the last week of the project.
Check what makes the schedule achievable
Ask which materials, access and approvals are required before the production slot begins. Confirm who can approve work on your side and how delayed feedback changes the schedule. Integrations, content volume and review complexity influence delivery. Choose a schedule tied to an agreed scope and readiness rather than the shortest headline promise.
Choose on fit and accountability
Summarise each proposal against commercial understanding, evidence, scope, ownership, delivery and ongoing responsibilities. Resolve unclear items before signing. The right choice is the team whose approach fits the problem and whose commitments you can understand, verify and manage. Quill's service and process pages explain how we approach that conversation.
Plan your next step
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