How to choose a web agency | Union 10 Design

Your website is often the first thing a potential client sees. Research shows that visitors form an opinion in as little as 0.05 seconds^[1], and 75% of people judge a company’s credibility based on its website design alone^{^[2]}. So choosing the right agency to build it — or rebuild it — is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your business.

Get it right and you’ve got a site that generates enquiries, reflects your brand and is easy to manage day to day. Get it wrong and you’re looking at a costly rebuild within a couple of years.

The problem is that every web design agency looks great on the surface. Polished portfolios, glowing testimonials, competitive pricing. Knowing how to separate the agencies that will genuinely move your business forward from the ones that will deliver something average and disappear is the hard part.

This guide covers exactly what to look for, what to ask, and the red flags to watch out for.

[1]Lindgaard et al. (2006). “Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!” Behaviour and Information Technology.

[2]WebFX: 75% of consumers judge credibility based on website design. webfx.com/blog/seo/site-speed-statistics/

1. Look at their portfolio honestly

A portfolio tells you more than you might think — but only if you look at it properly. Most people scan for visual appeal, and that matters, but it’s not enough.

Ask yourself: do the sites in their portfolio look like the kind of website your customers would trust? An agency that builds striking, minimal websites for hospitality brands might not be the right fit if you run a law firm or a manufacturing business. Style and substance need to match your audience, not just look impressive.

Look for evidence of range too. Can they handle ecommerce? Membership sites? Larger B2B builds? The ability to solve different problems is usually a sign of a mature, technically capable team.

What to ask: Can you show me a recent project similar to what we need? What were the specific challenges on that project and how did you solve them?

2. Understand their process

How an agency works matters as much as what they produce. A good process keeps your project on time, on budget and on brief. A poor one leads to scope creep, delays and miscommunication.

Look for agencies that start with discovery — understanding your business, your customers and your goals — before they go anywhere near a design tool. If an agency jumps straight to talking about templates or page layouts before they’ve asked about your objectives, that’s a warning sign.

Key process stages to ask about:

Discovery and strategy — how do they learn about your business and audience?
Design sign-off — how many rounds of revisions are included? What happens if you need more?
Development — are they building on a platform you can manage yourself, like WordPress? WordPress powers over 43% of all websites[1], making it the most widely used CMS by a considerable margin.
Testing and launch — how do they handle quality assurance and going live?
Handover — do they train you to manage the site yourself?

What to ask: Walk me through what happens between us signing and the site going live. What do you need from us at each stage and what should we expect from you?

3. Ask about ongoing support after launch

A website isn’t a one-time project. It needs updates, security patches, plugin management and occasional technical fixes. Many businesses only realise this once something goes wrong — and by then, they’re scrambling to find someone to help.

WordPress security vulnerabilities increased by 34% year-on-year, with over 6,700 new vulnerabilities identified in the first half of 2025 alone[2]. Regular maintenance isn’t optional — it’s essential.

Ask every agency you speak to what happens the day after your site launches. Some agencies offer dedicated maintenance and support packages. Others hand over the files and disappear. Neither approach is inherently wrong, but you need to know what you’re signing up for.

If you’re not technically minded and don’t have an in-house developer, a support retainer is worth every penny. It means you’ve got someone accountable when something breaks — and things do break eventually. Good managed hosting with SSL certificates, security monitoring and regular backups should be part of the package too.

What to ask: Do you offer ongoing maintenance and support after launch? What does that include and what does it cost? Who do we contact if there’s a problem at 9am on a Monday?

4. Check what’s actually included in the price

Web design quotes vary enormously — not always because the quality is different, but because what’s included is different. Before comparing prices, make sure you’re comparing like for like.

Things that are sometimes included and sometimes not:

Copywriting — will they write the content or do you need to supply it?
SEO — is on-page optimisation built into the build, or is it an add-on? Organic search accounts for around 53% of all website traffic[3], so this isn’t a nice-to-have.
Photography and imagery — do they source stock photography or is that on you?
Hosting — is hosting included, or will you need to arrange it separately?
CMS training — will they show you how to update the site yourself?
Analytics setup — will Google Analytics and Search Console be configured at launch?

A cheaper quote that excludes copywriting, hosting and SEO can easily end up costing more than a comprehensive proposal that includes everything. Always ask for a detailed scope of what is and isn’t covered.

5. Think about communication, not just capability

The best technical team in the world will frustrate you if they’re hard to reach, slow to respond or don’t explain things clearly. Web design projects require ongoing back-and-forth — approvals, feedback, questions and decisions. You want an agency you can actually talk to.

Pay attention to how they communicate before you’ve signed anything. Do they respond promptly? Do they explain things in plain English? Do they ask good questions about your business or just give you a generic presentation?

Smaller agencies and studios often have an advantage here. You’re more likely to work directly with the designer and developer building your site rather than being handed off to account managers. That direct relationship usually means fewer misunderstandings and faster decisions.

A note on local agencies: There’s real value in working with an agency that knows your region. They understand the local business landscape, may have worked with similar businesses nearby, and are easier to meet face to face when needed. If you’re based in Hertfordshire, London or anywhere across the UK, look for agencies with a genuine local presence — not just a keyword on their website.

6. Don’t overlook branding

A website doesn’t exist in isolation. It sits within a wider brand — your logo, your colours, your tone of voice, the way your business presents itself across every touchpoint. If your branding is outdated or inconsistent, even a beautifully designed website will feel disjointed.

The best agencies will ask about your brand early in the process. Some offer brand design alongside web design, which can save time and ensure everything feels cohesive from day one. If you’re investing in a new website, it’s worth considering whether your brand needs attention at the same time.

7. Red flags to watch out for

Even with a thorough selection process, there are a few warning signs that should give you pause:

No discovery or strategy phase — if they never ask about your customers or business goals, the design will be built on guesswork.
Vague pricing — any reputable agency should be able to give you a detailed proposal. “It depends” without a follow-up process is a red flag.
No CMS or training included — if you can’t update your own website, you’re dependent on the agency for every change. That gets expensive and frustrating fast.
Template-only work — bespoke doesn’t always mean better, but if every site in their portfolio looks identical, ask why.
No mention of SEO or performance — a beautiful website that Google can’t find or that takes more than three seconds to load isn’t doing its job. Research shows 53% of mobile visitors will leave a site that takes over three seconds to load[4].
Overpromising on timelines — a realistic agency will give you a timeline based on their capacity and your project’s complexity. If it sounds too fast to be true, it usually is.

The bottom line

Choosing a web design agency isn’t just a purchasing decision — it’s a working relationship. The right agency will take the time to understand your business, challenge your thinking, deliver something that genuinely performs, and be there when you need them after launch.

Take your time, ask the right questions and don’t make your decision on price alone. A well-built website pays for itself. A poorly-built one just costs more in the long run.

If you’d like to see examples of how this approach works in practice, take a look at our recent projects or read what our clients have to say.

Thinking about a new website?

We’re a Hertfordshire-based design agency specialising in bespoke WordPress websites, brand design and print. We’ve been helping businesses across the UK build better websites since 2013.

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[1]W3Techs, March 2026. WordPress powers 43% of all websites. w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress

[2]Patchstack: State of WordPress Security 2025. 6,700+ new vulnerabilities in H1 2025.

[3]Search Atlas: Organic search accounts for 53% of all website traffic. searchatlas.com/blog/seo-statistics/

[4]Google data via WebFX: 53% of mobile users abandon sites taking over 3 seconds to load.

How to choose a web design agency