How to choose a web agency — 7 questions you need to ask

Most small business owners in Serbia choose a web agency based on price and a friend’s recommendation. That’s understandable, but not enough. Price says nothing about quality, and a friend’s recommendation — when their market or budget was different from yours — can lead you in the wrong direction.

A website is a one-off investment that follows you for years. If it’s done badly, the problem isn’t just that it doesn’t work — it’s that it constantly bleeds clients, costs you in maintenance, and worst of all, holding it in your hand means accepting the loss and reinvesting in a new one.

Here are 7 concrete questions that help you recognize who you should be working with.

1. Can I see 3-5 sites you’ve built in the last year?

Ask for live sites, not screenshots. Open them on your phone and on desktop. Check:

• Whether they load fast
• Whether the mobile versions work
• Whether forms work
• Whether the site is actually live (not down, no “Coming soon” pages)

2. Who’s actually going to work on my project?

A lot of agencies in Serbia sell under one name but pass the work to freelancers, or are a one-person team. That’s not inherently a problem — the problem is when it’s not transparent.

Ask:

• How many people will work on the project
• Who is the main point of contact
• Who writes copy, who designs, who develops
• Is any of the work outsourced (subcontractors)

A small team can do excellent work. But when you don’t know who to call when something breaks, you lose control.

3. How long will it take and what does the schedule look like?

A serious agency will give you a timeline broken into phases, not just “everything done in 3 weeks”. Typical schedule for a brochure site:

• Week 1: brief, structure, wireframes
• Weeks 2–3: design, feedback, revisions
• Weeks 4–5: development and programming
• Week 6: testing, fixes, launch

If someone promises you a complete site in 5 days — either it’s a template being filled in fast (which can be fine, if priced accordingly), or quality is going to suffer.

4. What happens if I want to change agencies?

This is the key question that few people ask, but it reveals the most.

You need to know:

• Who owns the domain? It must be in your name, not the agency’s.
• Where is the hosting? Do you have direct access or does everything go through the agency?
• Do you have access to the code? If they built a custom site, do you get the source code?
• What happens to the content? Text, images, database — all must be yours.

5. What exactly do I do, and what does the agency do?

Most misunderstandings between client and agency arise from this. The client thinks the agency is building the site — the agency thinks the client is supplying all the materials. Then a month goes by with nothing happening.

Ask for a written specification that clearly defines:

• Whether the agency writes the copy or you supply it
• Whether the agency provides photos or uses yours
• Who creates the logo and branding (if you don’t have any)
• Who enters content into the site
• Who handles the technical setup (Google Analytics, Search Console, email)

This directly affects price and timeline. A site with your materials is 30–50% cheaper than a site where the agency has to create everything from scratch.

6. How do you hand it over and what happens after?

Launching the site isn’t the end — it’s just the beginning. Ask:

• How many revisions are included in the price?
• What gets billed after handover?
• What does maintenance include (updates, security patches, backups)?
• Is there a warranty period for bugs?

A reasonable agency offers a 2–4 week warranty period for bugs that originated on their side. After that, work is billed hourly or as part of a monthly maintenance package.

7. Can I get a written quote with itemized line items?

This is a test. If an agency refuses or stalls on a written quote — you’re not in good hands. A written quote should have:

• Itemized cost by phase (design, development, content)
• Clear deadlines with delivery milestones
• What’s included and what isn’t
• Payment terms (deposit, by phase, on delivery)
• Rights and obligations of both sides

If you get a quote in a single sentence “site €800” — ask exactly what goes into that figure.

What now?

With these 7 questions, you already have a filter that rejects 70% of bad options. Go to 2–3 conversations before you sign anything. The difference between “the first conversation” and “the third conversation” is critical — different questions get asked, different answers come back, and suddenly you see who actually helps you and who’s selling a package.

If you’re thinking about a website, check out the kind of sites we build and send us an inquiry. You don’t have to be sure you want to work with us — just come to the meeting with these questions in hand and see how we answer.

Related articles

• How much does a website cost in Serbia in 2026?
• WordPress vs custom website — which is better for your business?
• What every small business website in Serbia needs to bring in clients

Let’s talk?

Webant has been building websites for small and medium businesses in Serbia since 2018. No templates, no subcontractors, no “we guarantee a first-page Google ranking”. Just honest prices and sites that work.

Send us an inquiry → and you’ll get a free estimate within 48 hours.