Web design agency questions to ask before you sign

What to take away

Test every candidate on company facts, data handling, accessibility and references, and record the answers to these questions to ask before hiring a web designer.
Ask for the Companies House number and filing history, then check both before you request a proposal.
Make the agency name the data roles it will hold and the consent wording it will ship, with the ICO guidance as the baseline.
Request two UK client references that match your sector or platform, and call them without the agency on the line.
Get the exit terms, content ownership and post-launch support in writing before any deposit is paid.

Check the company record first

A polished portfolio can hide a newly formed company or a trail of late accounts. Ask for the registered name, company number and registered office. Then check Companies House for filing history, persons with significant control and strike-off proposals.

Companies House checks before signing

Registered name and company number
Registered office address
Filing history and late accounts
Persons with significant control
Strike-off proposals
Legal entity signing the contract

The GOV.UK Companies House page explains what the register holds and how to search it. Treat an unexplained name mismatch as a reason to pause, not a deal-breaker by itself.

Ask which legal entity will sign the contract and invoice you. If a parent company or a freelancer sits behind the pitch, name that arrangement in the contract. This matters when a dispute arises and your only contact has been a salesperson.

Ask how the agency will handle data

Any website collecting enquiries, running analytics or setting cookies has data protection duties under the UK GDPR. Ask who is controller, who is processor and which subprocessors touch personal data.

UK GDPR questions for the agency

Who is controller and who is processor
Which subprocessors touch personal data
Retention schedule for personal data
Transfer mechanism for non-UK tooling
Breach notification route
Consent banners, privacy notices, cookie inventories

Ask for the retention schedule, the transfer mechanism for any non-UK tooling and the breach notification route. The ICO guide to the UK GDPR is the practical baseline, and your agency should point to the clauses that match it.

Push for examples of consent banners, privacy notices and cookie inventories the agency has written. A template copied from another client is a warning sign. Ask how it records consent and how a visitor withdraws it. For a purpose-by-purpose split of those duties, see our guide to data protection on a website project.

Test accessibility claims with a real page

Accessibility is a legal and commercial issue in the UK. The Equality Act 2010 sets the duty not to discriminate. Public sector bodies also face accessibility regulations.

Test accessibility claims on a real page

Keyboard paths through the page
Colour contrast of text and controls
Form labels and input names
Error messages and recovery
Audit sample, not a badge

Ask the agency how it tests keyboard paths, colour contrast, form labels and error messages. Request an audit sample, not a badge. The legislation.gov.uk text of the Equality Act 2010 is the statute, not a design opinion.

Get UK references and call them

A reference is only useful if it matches your context. Ask for two clients of similar size, sector or platform. Ask whether the agency worked on the live site or only the pitch. Then call the referee directly.

Ask the agency to email an introduction to the referee before you call.
Prepare five questionsscope, timeline, budget changes, post-launch support and the hardest surprise.
Ask whether the referee would hire the agency again at the same fee.
Record the date and the answers in your selection file.
Compare the referee's account with the proposal, line by line.

Put the commercial terms in one table

Before you sign, make the agency answer these in writing. A vague answer is a cost you will carry after launch.

Strong answer

Who owns the code and content on exit?: Named assignment and handover pack
What is included after launch?: Fixed support window and rates
How are changes priced?: Rate card and change log
What happens if the agency closes?: Source, credentials and documentation held by you
Which third-party tools are used?: Named licences and renewal costs

Warning sign

Who owns the code and content on exit?: 'We keep the licence'
What is included after launch?: Open-ended 'we will help'
How are changes priced?: Hourly rate only
What happens if the agency closes?: No escrow or handover
Which third-party tools are used?: Unnamed plugins

Add the deposit, acceptance test and termination notice to the same page. If the agency resists a written exit, walk away. For a fuller contract record, see our guide to the contract records for a website commission.

Common questions

What should I check on Companies House before hiring a web design agency?

Check the registered name, company number, filing history and persons with significant control. Late accounts, a recent name change or a proposal from a different entity all deserve an explanation. The check takes minutes and costs nothing.

Should a web design agency be GDPR compliant?

Any agency that handles personal data for your project must work within the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Ask for its role, its retention rules and its breach process before you share customer data.

What should I ask a web design company in the UK about references?

Ask for two referees that match your sector or platform, and check whether the agency delivered the live site. A reference from a different market may still help, but it should not replace a close match.

What is a fair exit term in a web design contract?

The contract should name what you receive on exit: source files, domain access, analytics, CMS accounts and documentation. If the agency keeps the licence or the credentials, you are renting rather than buying.