So you've decided you need a new website. The harder part comes next: who do you actually hire to build it?

Search "web design agency" and you'll get hundreds of results. Agencies, freelancers, website builders, and they all promise more or less the same thing. Modern design, quick turnaround, a price that won't hurt. The trick is telling the ones who deliver from the ones who just sound good in an email.

Here are 7 things worth checking before you sign anything.

1. A portfolio that speaks for itself

The obvious step, and yet plenty of people skip it. Look at the actual work. Not screenshots in a deck, the live websites you can open in a browser.

A few things to pay attention to:

Does the site load fast? If their own portfolio projects are slow, yours probably will be too.
Does it hold up on mobile? Open it on your phone. Over 60% of web traffic comes from phones now.
Do the projects look different from each other? If everything looks the same, you're likely looking at templates.
Do the sites still work? Broken links in a portfolio tell you something.

An agency that's proud of its work puts the portfolio where you can find it. If there isn't one, or you have to dig for it, that's worth a second thought.

Browse our portfolio for examples of our work.

2. Clear communication from the first contact

How someone communicates before the project starts tells you how they'll communicate during it. That's usually the most honest signal you'll get.

Good signs:

They reply quickly and to the point
They ask about your business, not just what you want the site to look like
They give you clear estimates for time and cost
They explain things without burying you in jargon

Bad signs:

The replies feel copy-pasted
They quote a price before they've asked what you actually need
They don't ask anything, they just promise
Responses are vague or take days

A web project is a collaboration, not just design and code handed over a wall. If the communication is rough at the start, it won't magically improve once deadlines and revisions show up.

3. Transparent pricing and scope

The most common complaint about web projects is unclear pricing. You're quoted 5,500 DKK and somehow end up paying 11,000 DKK, because "that part wasn't included."

What you want to see:

A detailed list of what's in the price (number of pages, rounds of revisions, features)
Clear boundaries on what counts as extra work
The whole thing in writing. Verbal promises are worth nothing when there's a dispute.
No surprise costs later for hosting, domain, or maintenance. Those belong in the quote from the start.

A good agency has no problem being specific. If someone dodges a concrete number or gives you a "ballpark" with no detail behind it, take that as a warning.

Curious what a website actually costs? Read our detailed pricing breakdown.

4. Technical quality, not just looks

A gorgeous website that loads slowly, breaks on mobile, or can't be found on Google isn't a good website. It's a nice screenshot that happens to be online.

You can check the technical side yourself:

Run a portfolio site through pagespeed.web.dev. Anything above 90 is genuinely good.
Open the site on your phone and click through every page, not just the homepage.
Check the SEO basics. Does the site have proper page titles, descriptions, and structured data?
Make sure the address starts with "https". An SSL certificate is non-negotiable in 2026.

An agency that knows development as well as design hands you a site that looks good and also works under the hood.

Learn more about our approach on our services page.

5. What happens after launch?

Plenty of agencies hand over the site and then vanish. No support, no maintenance, no answer to your emails. The problem is that a website isn't a finished object. It needs updates, fixes, and the occasional tune-up.

So ask up front:

Does the price include support after launch, and for how long?
Do they offer maintenance packages, and what's actually in them?
Who handles security updates?
If you need a change six months from now, what does that cost?

The partner you want isn't the one who sells you a site and walks away. It's the one who's still around as your business grows and your site needs to grow with it.

6. Freelancer or agency?

There's no universal answer here. It depends on what your project actually needs.

A freelancer is often cheaper for a simple site, and you talk to the person doing the work with nobody in between. On a small project they can be more flexible with timing too. The downside is fragility. If they get sick or go on holiday, the project just stops. Most freelancers also lean toward design or development, rarely both at a high level, and they tend to have little room for support once the site is live.

An agency or studio gives you a team with skills that complement each other, design, development, SEO, copywriting under one roof. The process is more structured, so fewer things slip through, and you usually get ongoing support plus a portfolio and references you can actually check. The catch is that bigger agencies cost more, you might end up dealing with an account manager who can't answer a technical question, and at the larger ones your project can feel like one more ticket in the queue.

The sweet spot tends to be a small, specialized studio. Personal enough that you get real attention, capable enough to handle everything from design through SEO.

7. Reviews and references

Last, see what other people say.

Google reviews: are there any, and are they good?
LinkedIn: does the agency post, and do clients recommend them?
Reference clients: will they put you in touch with a past client for a five-minute chat?

Don't lean only on the testimonials on their own website. Those are always glowing. Go find the independent ones.

Bonus: red flags you can't ignore

No portfolio. They're either hiding it or they don't have anything worth showing.
Pressure to decide fast. "This price is only good until Friday" is a sales tactic, not a sign of quality.
Prices that are too low to be real. If someone offers a "complete website for 750 DKK," ask what you're giving up to get there.
Templates only. Ask them straight: do you work from templates or design from scratch?

Conclusion

Picking a web design agency isn't something to rush. Take your time with the portfolio, see how the communication feels, and ask the questions that actually matter to you.

Your website is the public face of your business. It's worth handing to someone who'll give it the same care you give your own work.

Looking for a studio that combines design, development and strategy, no templates and no hidden costs? Get in touch for a free consultation. Check out our projects and services to see how we work.

How to Choose a Web Design Agency: 7 Things to Look For