How to Choose a Web Design Agency in Miami: 12 Critical Questions

Why most companies pick the wrong agency

Mistake #1 when hiring an agency: comparing only on price. Mistake #2: getting carried away by a slick portfolio without investigating what's behind it. This guide gives you the 12 questions that filter out 95% of mediocre agencies in Miami.

The 12 questions (in order of importance)

1. Can you show me 5 sites launched in the last 12 months?

This validates the agency is active, not a ghost with old portfolio. Ask for live URLs, not screenshots. Investigate them on SimilarWeb or Ahrefs to see real traffic.

2. What technology do you use and why?

Good answers in 2026: Next.js, Astro, Remix (modern React frameworks), Shopify (ecommerce), optimized WordPress (blog/CMS), or Webflow. If they say "PHP custom from scratch" or "Wix Pro" for an enterprise site — look elsewhere.

3. Do you include technical SEO from day one?

Expected answers: dynamic sitemap, schema markup (LocalBusiness, FAQPage, Organization), Core Web Vitals optimized, hreflang if applicable, OG images. If they don't know what schema markup is, walk away.

4. How many design revisions are included?

2026 standard: 2-3 revision rounds included in the price. Any design is iterative — you need to refine.

5. How do you handle content (copy and photos)?

3 models: (1) you provide everything, (2) agency writes copy and supplies stock photos, (3) hybrid. Ask the cost of each. An honest agency tells you clearly.

6. Who owns the code and domain?

You should own everything. Some agencies keep the domain or code in their name to create lock-in. That's a red flag. Ask for GitHub repo access and domain panel access from day 1.

7. What happens if I switch agencies in 6 months?

A professional agency should be able to migrate your site to another agency without penalty. If they say "it can't be done" or "we'll charge you $5,000 to hand over the code" — run.

8. What post-launch support is included?

Minimum standard: 30 days post-launch included for bug fixes. Beyond that, monthly plans starting at $99-$500 depending on needs.

9. Do you handle ongoing SEO or just initial technical SEO?

Ask for ongoing SEO case studies (content marketing + link building). If they don't handle it, they'll refer you to another agency — that's OK but ask about coordination between both.

10. How long does the project take?

Honest timelines: landing 5-7 days, corporate site 2-3 weeks, custom 4-6 weeks, e-commerce 4-8 weeks. If they promise "your site in 24 hours" for anything non-trivial, something's off.

11. How is payment structured?

Standard: 40-50% upfront, 25% mid-project, 25% at launch. Asking for 100% upfront is a red flag. Asking for NO upfront is also off — it means any project can be canceled mid-way and the agency loses.

12. Is there a written contract with scope, timeline, and deliverables?

Any project >$1,000 should have a written contract. Ask to see a sample before signing. Verify clauses on IP, confidentiality, late delivery penalties, and cancellation terms.

Bonus: 3 additional red flags

They only communicate via WhatsApp/email but never calls: probably offshore working under disguise.
No verifiable physical office: doesn't mean they're bad but adds disappearance risk.
Reviews only on their site without Google/Clutch: reviews on neutral platforms are more trustworthy than curated testimonials.

How we answer these 12 questions

If you want to see how a professional web design agency should answer, schedule a free 30-minute call. We'll answer each of these 12 questions with cases, contracts, and verifiable data. No commitment. Schedule →