40-Question Web Development Agency Evaluation Checklist
Score agencies on technical capability, project management, and support quality. Prevent budget disasters with questions that expose hidden costs.
Scoring Framework
Score each agency 1–5 on each question. Agencies scoring below 140 total (3.5 average) typically have budget overruns exceeding 50%. Focus on agencies scoring 160+ with no category below 3.0 average.
Evaluation Criteria
Technical Competency and Code Quality
30% weightEvaluate actual development skills, code documentation practices, and technical architecture decisions. Poor technical foundation causes 60% of post-launch performance and security issues.
Sample Questions
- Can they show you Git commit history from similar projects with detailed commit messages and technical decision explanations?
- Do they provide specific Google PageSpeed score guarantees (85+ mobile) with written remediation process if targets missed?
- Can they demonstrate their WordPress/Shopify update testing process with staging environment and rollback procedures?
- Do they follow code documentation standards that allow project continuity if lead developer leaves mid-project?
- Can they explain specific caching strategies, CDN setup, and database optimization techniques they'll implement for your site?
Project Management and Communication
25% weightAssess their ability to deliver on time and budget with clear communication. Poor project management causes 70% of timeline delays and scope creep issues.
Sample Questions
- Do they provide staging environment access within 2 weeks with weekly progress demos you can test?
- Is their change request policy clearly defined with caps on fees and distinction between bugs vs. additions?
- Can they show documented examples of how they've handled project delays and client communication during problems?
- Do they coordinate with your marketing calendar for launch timing and campaign dependencies?
- Is there a specific escalation process when your primary project manager is unavailable or leaves?
Integration and Data Management
20% weightEvaluate their experience with CRM, email, and payment system integrations. Integration failures cause 40% of post-launch operational problems and lost leads.
Sample Questions
- Can they demonstrate staging environment testing of Salesforce/HubSpot integrations with realistic data volumes?
- Do they have documented procedures for content migration with zero data loss guarantees and rollback capabilities?
- Can they show examples of load testing integrations with 1,000+ records rather than just 10 sample entries?
- Do they provide automated content audit reports to verify migration accuracy before launch?
- Is there a specific process for testing payment processing under high transaction volumes?
Support and Maintenance Capabilities
15% weightAssess post-launch support quality and emergency response procedures. Poor support leaves you vulnerable to extended outages costing $5,600/hour.
Sample Questions
- Do they provide written SLA for emergency response (2-hour maximum for site-down issues) with 24/7 contact information?
- Can they demonstrate their backup and disaster recovery process with quarterly testing and 15-minute restoration guarantee?
- Is security monitoring included with documented malware cleanup procedures and response timeframes?
- Do they provide specific maintenance scope definition with clear triggers for additional hourly charges?
- Can they show examples of how they've handled security incidents and site compromises for other clients?
Business Understanding and Results
10% weightEvaluate their understanding of your business goals and track record of delivering measurable results. Agencies without business focus deliver pretty sites with no ROI.
Sample Questions
- Can they show specific conversion rate improvements or lead generation increases from similar client projects?
- Do they ask detailed questions about your sales process, customer journey, and revenue goals during discovery?
- Can they provide references from clients in similar industries with quantified business results?
- Do they recommend specific analytics setup and conversion tracking aligned with your business objectives?
- Is there a process for post-launch performance analysis and optimization recommendations?
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