How to Choose a Web Design Company: What to Check on the Quote

When looking for a web design company, you often end up with several quotes with very different totals and very different ways of writing things 🌸 If you only compare totals, it's easy to miss costs that show up later.

This article goes through the parts of a quote worth checking one by one, using our own How We Work and Pricing & Plans as examples, so you can see what we put on a quote.

Item 1: Does it list what's included and what isn't, item by item?

The most important part of a quote is the "scope." A good quote lists the work item by item, with the cost and time for each, so you can see how the total adds up.

Just as important is "what's not included." For example, copywriting, photography, product photos and multiple languages are included in some quotes and not in others. If these aren't written on the quote, it's easy to end up with mismatched expectations later 💡

Our approach is to first turn the work into a scope list: what's included, what isn't, and what you need to prepare. Once the scope is confirmed, we provide you with a quote. The quote lists each item, its price and timeline, and also states what is outside this project's scope.

Item 2: When does the timeline start counting?

If a quote says "20 business days," check which day it starts from. The signing date? The payment date? Or the day all materials are in?

The timelines on our pages are all "counted from the scope confirmation date." For example, Brand Website takes 10 to 20 business days. Actual progress also depends on how quickly materials are ready, and the quote will state exact dates.

Along the way, the progress and test results of each stage are recorded on your project page, so you don't have to keep asking how far along things are ✨

Item 3: Payment installments, acceptance and warranty

It's best to have the payment terms written on the quote: how many installments, how much each, and when each is due.

Our one-time purchase projects are paid by bank transfer in three installments:

• 40% at signing; work starts once it's received
• 30% after the design is approved
• 30% after acceptance and launch

Monthly plans and maintenance plans are billed monthly, so the ratios above don't apply.

What counts as "done" should also be agreed up front. If the quote includes finished-work standards, you can confirm them item by item at the end, and anything that doesn't pass is fixed until it's done.

The warranty is another thing to check: how long it lasts and what it covers. Our websites come with a one-year warranty after delivery, and anything that doesn't match the quote is fixed for free 🌸

Also, it's fine to change your requests partway through. For anything beyond the original scope, we'll tell you the extra time and cost first, and only start once you confirm in writing.

Item 4: Who owns the source code, hosting and domain

This one is often overlooked, but it affects whether you can switch providers later:

• Domain: we recommend registering it in your own name
• Hosting: a website you've bought outright can be moved to any host; it isn't tied to us
• Source code: once the project is delivered and fully paid, the code and design files made for you belong to you

For rental-type websites, check separately whether the source code is handed over. For example, our Small Shop & Studio Website is a monthly rental that doesn't include handing over the code or templates; if you want to own the code, look at our one-time purchase Brand Website. Neither is better or worse; they just differ in how you pay and who owns what. Just ask clearly when getting a quote ♡

Item 5: What else do you pay each year?

Beyond the total, some costs only appear after launch. You can ask about them when getting a quote:

• Domain fees
• Hosting fees from the second year (most of our website plans include the first year of hosting)
• Fees for third-party APIs and paid services
• License fees for stock photos, fonts, and audio/video material
• Payment and shipping transaction fees, charged by each provider at the rates in their announcements
• Maintenance fees after launch, for example Website Maintenance from US$50 per month

Listing these out first makes it easier to estimate what your website really costs over a year.

Finally, for comparison, take our Brand Website as an example: the Lite plan at US$285 is a one-page website with layouts for phones, tablets and computers, a contact form and basic SEO setup. The Lite plan doesn't include hosting or SSL; the website goes on a host you rent yourself, or you can add first-year hosting. It also has no admin panel, so contact us for content changes.

The Starter plan at US$510 has up to 3 pages and includes first-year hosting, SSL and backups. From the second year, you renew the hosting and domain yourself or switch to monthly maintenance.

Within the same service, different plans include different things, so when comparing prices, check each item rather than only the starting price.

Want to see a sample quote?

If you'd like to see what our quotes look like first, you can go to Pricing & Plans to see each service's plans, or check How We Work to learn the six steps from first inquiry to delivery.

If you have a website in mind, you can also go to Contact Us and tell us your ideas and budget. Consultations and quotes are free, and work only starts once you've agreed to the scope and amount ✨