Most people choose a web design company the way they choose a restaurant:
by the photos. That is exactly how businesses end up with a beautiful site
that nobody visits. The criteria that actually predict a good outcome are
less glamorous — and they are all checkable before you pay anything.
1. A portfolio you can open, not just admire
“We’ve built 400 websites” means nothing if you cannot open a single one.
Ask for live links and open them on your phone. Look for sites with
real content, in your region, that still load quickly. A screenshot proves
nothing; a live URL with a client name does.
2. A process that starts with questions
The first meeting tells you a lot. A good partner asks about your
customers, your margins, what a lead is worth to you and how people currently
find you. A weak one opens a template gallery and asks what colour you like.
If nobody asks what the site has to achieve, the design has no
target.
3. Clarity on ownership
Who owns the domain? Whose hosting account is it? Can you take the website
with you if you leave? Get this in writing. A studio that will not put the
domain in your name is renting you your own shop.
4. Evidence they understand SEO and speed
A beautiful site that is invisible in search is an expensive brochure. Ask
what they do about page titles, headings, internal links, structured data,
image weight and mobile load time. Ask to see a site they have measurably
improved. Vague answers here mean you will pay someone else to fix it later.
5. Responsive is not a feature, it is the baseline
Most of your visitors are on a phone. Ask to see the design at three
widths — desktop, tablet and phone — in both light and dark mode if your
brand uses them. Anything that “will be adjusted later” will not be.
6. What happens after launch
The launch is the midpoint, not the finish. Ask about warranty, update
policy, backups, monitoring and what a change costs six months from now.
Ask for training on your own admin panel, so you are not dependent on a
single person to change a phone number.
7. Transparent pricing
A quote should be a scope: pages, layouts, integrations, content, and the
assumptions behind it. If the number arrives without any explanation of what
is included and what is not, the surprises are coming later.
The five-minute test
Before you sign with anyone, answer these:
- Can I open three sites they built, on my phone, in under five seconds
each? - Did they ask more questions than I did?
- Is the domain in my name?
- Does the quote say what is included?
- Do I know what support looks like in month six?
If any answer is unclear, that is your answer. If you want a straight
answer to all five, talk to us — or see
our work first.
Codex WP designs and builds fast, high-converting websites for companies and stores across Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. See our services or request a quote.