12 questions to ask any website provider before you sign

Before you sign with a website provider, ask twelve questions that cover four areas: total cost including setup and extras, ownership of the domain and content, written service commitments after launch, and proof in the form of client sites that are still running. Insist on written answers; verbal assurances are hard to enforce later.

Why the proposal alone tells you little

Prices in this market spread wide. A custom agency build in the US typically costs between 8,000 and 30,000 dollars. Website subscriptions run from 100 to 500 dollars per month, and many providers add a setup fee on top. The proposal shows you the headline number and little else. The twelve questions below surface what it leaves out. We operate several hundred business websites ourselves, and each question reflects a gap we check for in our own contracts and daily operations.

The 12 questions

1. What will we pay in total during the first twelve months? Setup and onboarding charges often appear only in the fine print. Ask for one number that covers everything through month twelve, then compare providers on that number alone.

2. Is there a setup fee, and what work does it cover? Setup fees are a common extra in subscription models. If the fee exists, the provider should be able to name the work behind it. Vague answers signal padding.

3. Do SSL, mobile optimization, or a second language cost extra? All three are standard production work in 2026. A provider who bills them as add-ons will bill other basics as add-ons too.

4. Who owns the domain, the content, and the site itself? Some providers register the domain in their own name or build on a platform you can never export from. Get ownership terms in writing before any work starts.

5. If we cancel, what do we take with us, and in what format? The answer shows whether the provider plans for your exit or profits from making it painful. Usable means full site files and editable source content, not a folder of PDFs.

6. Which response times do you commit to in writing? “We are usually fast” is not a commitment. A provider who trusts its own operations will put 24 or 48 hours into the contract.

7. Who maintains the site after launch, and at what cost? Many agency projects end at launch, and maintenance becomes a second contract with its own monthly fee. Clarify who handles updates and fixes, or compare against a managed website service where operations are part of the price.

8. How many revision rounds are included, and what happens if we are not satisfied? Unlimited revisions sound generous but usually mean unlimited delays. A fixed number of rounds plus a defined exit clause protects both sides.

9. Is visibility work included, or is it a separate line item? A site nobody finds returns nothing. Ask whether basic search optimization, structured data, and page speed work are part of the package or billed on top.

10. How do you check whether the site shows up in AI answers? Buyers increasingly ask ChatGPT or Perplexity when they research providers. A provider who cannot show you measurement data for this channel is guessing.

11. What is the minimum term, and how does cancellation work after it? Twelve months is a reasonable minimum for a subscription. Automatic renewal for another full year is not. Look for monthly cancellation once the initial term ends.

12. Can you show three client sites that are still live and still under your care? Portfolios prove launches. Sites that have run for years prove operations. Call one of the references and ask how change requests actually go.

What should you do with the answers?

Put every answer in writing and attach it to the contract. A provider who resists written commitments on response times, ownership, or exit terms is telling you how the relationship will go. Score the answers, compare two or three candidates, and weigh the total first year cost against the service level you actually get. The lowest monthly rate is rarely the cheapest offer once setup fees and missing service commitments are priced in.

Where we stand on these questions

We built Mr.Site, a website subscription for B2B companies, around these twelve answers: no setup fee, SSL, mobile, and a second language included, SEO and GEO optimisation in every plan, a written commitment to implement change requests within 48 hours, site ownership transfer possible after 24 months, and a 12 month minimum term with monthly cancellation afterward. Our plans and terms are public, so you can run this checklist on us before you run it on anyone else.