Choosing the wrong web agency can be costly: wasted time, wasted money, a botched site that needs to be redone. Here are the 7 criteria we recommend to all our prospects before signing anything — including with us.
1. Check the portfolio with real links
Anyone can show beautiful Canva mockups. What counts is live sites, visitable, with their real performance. Test the links, check loading speed on Google PageSpeed, look at the design on mobile.
2. Are the announced timelines realistic?
A serious agency gives precise deadlines and meets them. Beware of agencies that say '2-4 weeks depending on workload': it's often 2 months. At Ziara, it's 48h, timed.
3. Price transparency
The price must be clear before starting. Watch out for quotes that explode along the way. Ask for a detailed quote with what's included and what isn't.
4. Communication during the project
Does your contact respond quickly? A web project involves frequent exchanges. An agency that takes 3 days to reply to an email will be frustrating to work with.