What to ask before you sign with a web design company: 12 questions

The most dangerous moment in a web project isn't when something breaks. It's when you sign. That's when the paper quietly decides who owns the domain, who holds the passwords, what happens if you want to leave, and who pays when Google Analytics stops working eight months later. None of this shows up in the pretty mockup you liked.

We're the MPO Web Studio team, working out of Cluj-Napoca in Cluj-Napoca, and we've inherited enough sites from other providers to know exactly where things break. Almost never because of the design. Almost always because of something nobody asked before signing. So here's the list you'll wish you had printed next to the contract.

The 3 ownership questions (these matter most)

If you only get to ask three questions, ask these. This is where it's decided whether the site is an asset your business owns or a disguised rental.

• "Whose name is the domain registered under?" — The domain must be under your company, in your account at the registrar, with your email as administrator. If it's under their company, one day you lose it and buy it back. Ask to see in writing that you're the holder (the person/company in the "Registrant" field).
• "Who owns the code and design after payment?" — You want a clear clause transferring the copyright to you upon full payment. Without it, you technically can't move the site to another provider without their consent.
• "Will you hand over all access — hosting, domain, CMS, analytics — in writing?" — The right answer is "yes, in a handover document." If they hesitate, you've found exactly why so many stay stuck for years with a company they're tired of.

What you deliver, exactly

The word "website" means different things to you and to them. Put it on paper before, not after.

• "How many pages, and which ones?" — Ask for the list by name: Home, Services, About, Contact, Blog. "A presentation site" with no list is an argument waiting to happen.
• "Text and photos — who produces them?" — This is the most common source of delay. If you have to provide the content, ask by when, or the project sits with you while it looks like it's sitting with them.
• "Is mobile and speed included, or are those separate costs?" — Most visitors arrive on a phone today, so optimizing for mobile and speed isn't an extra; it's the minimum.
• "Can it be found on Google from launch?" — Don't ask for "number 1" (no serious provider promises it). Ask that the site be indexable, with correct titles and descriptions, and linked to the Google Business profile.

Time, money, and what happens after

This is where the surprises hide — the ones that show up three months in, once the signing euphoria has passed.

• "What's the deadline, in days, and what happens if it's missed?" — A deadline with no consequence isn't a deadline; it's a hope.
• "How many rounds of revisions are included?" — "Unlimited" doesn't exist; "two rounds, then €X/hour" is honest and shields you from surprise invoices.
• "What do I pay monthly, and for what exactly?" — Hosting, updates, backups, small edits — ask for them itemized. Our maintenance starts at €29/month and you know what's inside.
• "If I leave in a year, what do I take with me, and how long does it take?" — An honest provider already has an answer. One who bristles at the question just gave you the answer.

What it should cost, for reference

So you're not negotiating blind, here are our real ranges. Use them as an anchor even if you're talking to someone else.

If you want to understand where the price differences between quotes come from, we wrote at length about how much a website costs. A price far below market usually hides one of the "bad" answers above — the domain in their name, code that doesn't transfer, or mandatory maintenance without which the site "disappears."

The red flag to remember

The rule we work by: any provider who dodges the access-and-ownership question is already telling you how the breakup will go. A fair partner answers all the questions above in writing, calmly, because they have nothing to hide. A good site keeps you because it's good, not because you can't leave.

Let us show you, not just tell you

The easiest thing is to see for yourself how we work. We'll build you a free demo site for your business — no obligation, no hidden clauses, with exactly the answers above on the table from the start. Message us on WhatsApp: wa.me/40750257140 and tell us what you do.