Almost every studio has a beautiful portfolio. It shows the team’s taste, but not how they work: whether they hit deadlines, hand over source files, or can explain why a button sits where it does.
These are the questions we would like to hear from clients on a first call. Thirty minutes of answers tell you whether a studio will take your website all the way to a result.
About the goal
A good studio starts with questions about the business, not the price. If the first call is only about page count and colours, you are buying a template, not design.
- Which business problem does the site solve, and how will we know it worked?
- What will you ask me before starting?
- What will you do if you think my idea will not work?
The last one matters more than it seems. A contractor who quietly does “as told” saves you time at the start and costs you money after launch.
About process and timelines
- What are the stages and what do I get at the end of each?
- How many revision rounds are included, and what counts as new work?
- Who exactly runs the project and how often do we talk?
- What happens if you miss a deadline?
Timelines should come with conditions, not “about a month”. We designed and built StarCheck in two weeks and the corporate site for KAPO in two months. The difference is scope and how quickly the client gives feedback.
Agree on revisions in writing before you start. We covered how “small” revisions eat a budget in the $7,500 project that becomes $42 an hour.
About technology and ownership
- What will the site be built on, and why?
- Can I edit texts and add pages myself?
- Who owns the source code, accounts and domain?
“What we always use” is a warning sign. Tilda suits a fast launch, Webflow suits marketing sites with rich animation, and custom Next.js code fits when you need an admin panel, integrations and control over speed and data.
Ask about rights separately. Under Russian law the result belongs to its author unless the contract explicitly transfers the exclusive right. A good studio raises this itself.
About money and support
- What makes up the price, and what is not included?
- What happens after launch: who fixes bugs and at what cost?
An honest estimate breaks down stages, not just the total. We explain what drives the price in what a website really costs.
How to check the answers
Ask to see intermediate work, not only final layouts: a prototype, a structure, a revision log. Call one or two clients from the portfolio. Look at the case studies: do they describe the problem and solution, or only show pretty pictures?
In short
Choose a studio that asks about your business, names stages and timelines, agrees on revisions up front and does not hide the source. To go through these questions for your own project, tell us about it.
