The most expensive IT project isn't the one with the biggest quote. It's the one you end up paying for twice. Looking back, the warning signs were nearly always visible before anyone signed, if someone had asked the right questions. Here are ten. Ask them of anyone you're considering, including us.
Ownership and access
1. Whose name are the domain and hosting registered in?
Yours, with the logins in your hands. If the domain is registered to the supplier, you can't leave without their cooperation.
2. Do we get the source code and every password at the end?
The code, the server, the database, the accounts for any outside services: all of it should belong to you, and the contract should say so.
What the price covers
3. What exactly is included?
Design, copy, the second language, images, the mobile layout, basic Google optimisation, training. Anything you discover is missing after signing turns into another invoice.
4. What will it cost each month after launch?
Domain, hosting, licences, subscriptions, maintenance. Ask for the yearly total, not just the project price.
5. How are changes charged?
Every project changes along the way. Know in advance whether that's billed by the hour, per change, or already inside a fixed price.
After launch
6. If something breaks, who fixes it, and how fast?
You want a response time and a name. "Write to us and we'll look into it" isn't a commitment.
7. What happens with backups?
Who makes them, how often, where they're kept, and when someone last tried restoring one. That last part matters more than people think.
Proof
8. Can we see live projects at real addresses?
Screenshots prove nothing. Open the sites on your phone, see how fast they load, and if you can, talk to one of their clients.
The contract
9. Which deadlines are written down?
A schedule broken into stages, with what you receive at each one, beats a single final date. Ask what happens if a deadline slips.
10. How does payment work?
Paying in stages protects both sides. Pay everything up front and you've given away your only leverage if the project stalls.
Red flags
- A price before a single question about your business.
- "First place on Google in two weeks."
- No contract, or one without deadlines and without a list of what you'll get.
- Nothing live you can check.
- Reluctance to hand over access "for your own safety".
If you've got a quote on the table and want a second opinion, we're happy to go through it with you as part of our IT consulting.