BuildRocket LabsHow do you choose a web design agency?
Choose a web design agency by verifying instead of believing: ask for live client URLs and speed-test them yourself, demand published or promptly-written fixed pricing, and note how fast they answer. An agency's own website — its speed, its claims, its receipts — is the most honest portfolio piece they have.
We're an agency, so read this with that bias declared. Every test below is one we're happy to be judged by — that's why we recommend them.
[ published 2026-07-18 · updated 2026-07-18 ]What should you check before the first call?
- Live client sites: not screenshots — URLs in production you can visit today
- Speed receipts: run their site and their clients' through PageSpeed Insights (free, 30 seconds)
- Real reviews with names and companies — 97% of consumers read reviews; agencies know it, so verify them
- Pricing behavior: published ranges or a fixed written proposal — 'it depends' forever is a negotiation tactic
- Who does the work: the person pitching or a handoff you'll never meet?
What questions expose a weak agency?
- "Can I see the live URL of your last three launches?" — portfolio pages can't 404
- "What happens in month three when something breaks?" — listen for a written support window
- "What do you measure after launch?" — 'traffic' is a weak answer; enquiries and vitals are strong ones
- "Who owns the code and the domain?" — the only acceptable answer is you
- "What's your response time?" — then test it with a follow-up email
What are the red flags?
- Their own website is slow — run it through PageSpeed before believing anything
- Stock-photo teams and testimonials without checkable names
- Guaranteed rankings or 'we know Google's algorithm' claims
- Pressure to sign before a written scope exists
- You can't name the human responsible after two calls
Related questions
q01Does agency size matter?
Less than accountability does. A one-founder studio with published pricing, live proof, and a stated response time beats a 40-person shop where your project is an account number — and the reverse is true too. Judge the receipts, not the headcount.
q02How do we apply this checklist to BuildRocket?
Exactly as written: our client URLs are live on /work, our pricing is published, our speed scores are measured weekly and shown on the homepage, and the founder answers within 12 hours. If any of that fails your test, don't hire us.
Want this handled instead of researched?
Every project gets a fixed written proposal before any payment. 50% to start, 50% at launch.