Final agency selection is hard because everyone looks good on slides. Use structured criteria to reduce gut-feel regret.

Relevant experience

Have they shipped similar scope — industry, integrations, scale — not just visually similar websites?

Team you will actually get

Meet the lead developer and designer, not only sales. Seniority on your project beats brand name on the proposal.

Process transparency

Weekly demos, written backlog, change control, and defined QA are non-negotiable for multi-month builds.

References you can call

Speak to two past clients about deadlines, responsiveness, and post-launch support — not written quotes alone.

Proposal clarity

The clearest scope document often correlates with clearest delivery. Vague proposals predict vague outcomes.

Cultural fit

You will work closely for months. Communication style, honesty about risks, and respect for your domain knowledge matter.

Commercial terms

Milestone payments, IP ownership, warranty period, and maintenance options should be explicit before signature.

Red flags

Guaranteed rankings, unrealistically low fixed bids, no questions asked in discovery, or reluctance to show code practices.

Scorecard method

Weight criteria — experience, process, team, price, fit — and score each agency numerically. Discussion becomes factual.

The takeaway

Choose on relevant experience, named team, transparent process, callable references, and clear terms — not portfolio glamour alone.

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