Ask what will be built, who controls the accounts, how success will be tested, and what happens after launch. A clear answer is more useful than a long list of software names. Put the important commitments into the written scope before work begins.
What exactly is included in the price?
Ask for the proposed pages and the job each page performs. Then ask who supplies the text, photos, logo files, product information, and policies. A quote for design and development may assume that the business provides finished content. Another may include editing or writing. Neither arrangement is inherently wrong, but the difference affects the budget and schedule.
Discuss functionality separately from page count. A basic inquiry form and a booking system with availability, deposits, cancellations, and notifications have different requirements. Request examples of what counts as a revision and what becomes a new feature. If ecommerce is involved, clarify catalog size, variants, shipping rules, payment setup, and who enters the products.
Who owns and controls the domain, site, and accounts?
Ask whose account holds the domain registration, hosting, repository or site files, analytics, and email service. The business should understand which accounts it controls and which are managed on its behalf. Ask how you would transfer the site or give another developer access if needed. Ownership of custom work and licenses for third-party assets should be stated in the agreement.
Do not send your personal password in an email just to make setup easier. Where supported, invite the provider with an appropriate role. Keep a record of renewal dates and recovery contacts. A website can look finished while still depending on a personal account nobody at the business can recover.
What does “SEO included” mean?
Ask for concrete launch work: useful page titles, descriptions, preferred URLs, a sitemap, crawlable internal links, mobile usability, and relevant service copy. For a redesign, ask how existing URLs will be mapped and redirected. Ask whether Search Console verification is included or requires your participation.
Basic launch preparation is different from ongoing SEO services. Monthly work may involve research, improving existing pages, new content, local relevance, and measuring qualified inquiries. A promise to rank first for every important search is not a substitute for a scope. Review the SEO proposal checklist if ongoing optimization is part of the offer.
How will you verify the site works?
Ask to review the site on a phone and desktop before launch. Test the main customer path: find a service, understand it, and make an inquiry. Forms need more than a “success” message; the message should reach the correct inbox, and failures should be understandable. Ask who tests spam protection, error messages, required fields, and keyboard navigation.
For a store, agree on a test plan covering a successful payment, a failed payment, order confirmation, and any refund or fulfillment workflow in scope. For a CMS, ask to perform a real edit during the handoff. Seeing someone else use an editor is different from knowing you can update a photo or correct a price.
What starts the delivery clock?
Clarify whether the estimate begins at deposit, design approval, or receipt of complete content. Ask which decisions require your input and how long review rounds allow. Existing domain access, photography, product data, and third-party approvals can determine the schedule as much as coding does.
Colby Technologies' published website packages explain the current standard-site turnaround conditions. Custom functionality and ecommerce require their own scope. If you have an event or opening date, share it early and ask what must be ready for a safe launch, including any feature that should follow later.
What costs and responsibilities continue after launch?
Separate domain renewals, hosting or platform fees, payment-processing charges, paid integrations, and maintenance. Ask whether routine text changes are included, how support is requested, and what happens if a form or third-party service stops working. Clarify response expectations without assuming that every maintenance plan includes around-the-clock emergency coverage.
Request a handoff that includes account access, editing instructions, an explanation of backups or recovery, and a list of recurring services. The website maintenance guide provides a practical comparison of ongoing tasks.
Turn the answers into a comparison
For each provider, record the deliverables, exclusions, account arrangement, launch tests, recurring costs, and support terms. Mark unanswered questions instead of filling gaps with assumptions. Review examples of real work and ask which parts the provider delivered; a screenshot alone does not explain their role.
Bring that list to a conversation about your business website. Colby Technologies can explain the proposed scope against the actual customer journey. You can also browse the portfolio to see the different kinds of businesses and interfaces the work serves.
Talk through your next step.
Share the business goal and the problem you want to solve. Colby Technologies can help define a practical scope.