You found a web designer. They have a portfolio. They sent a quote. They sound confident. You signed the contract.

Three months later, the website looks nothing like what you expected, the handover was a mess, and every small change costs $200 and takes two weeks.

This happens constantly in Singapore. Almost always because the business owner didn't ask the right questions before signing. Here are the 12 that actually matter.

1. Can I see examples of websites you've built for businesses like mine?

Not just beautiful websites — websites for businesses your size, in your industry, with a similar budget. A portfolio full of tech startups and e-commerce stores doesn't tell you how well they handle a $5,000 service business site. Ask for two to three relevant case studies, including what the brief was, what the outcome was, and whether the client is contactable.

2. What is your design and development process?

The answer to this question tells you almost everything. Agencies with a proper process will walk you through discovery, wireframes, design, development, UAT, and launch. Freelancers might skip straight to design based on a two-line brief. Neither is wrong — but you need to know what you're getting into.

Ask specifically: when do I see the design? How many revision rounds are included? If someone won't tell you their process, that's a red flag.

3. Is your pricing hourly or fixed-rate?

This distinction matters more than most people realise. Hourly pricing means you have no ceiling. A fixed-rate quote means you have a budget you're working within. Fixed-rate is almost always better for website projects — you want to know what you're paying, not discover the meter has been running for 200 hours.

If they do bill hourly, ask: what is the typical total project cost for a brief like mine? Any experienced web professional should be able to give you a rough answer.

4. What exactly is included — and what isn't?

This is where most Singapore website projects go wrong. The quote says "$5,000 for a 5-page website." What it doesn't say: stock photos cost extra. Copywriting costs extra. SEO setup costs extra. The domain registration costs extra. The annual hosting costs extra. Suddenly the "$5,000" website is $8,500.

Get a line-item breakdown. Know what you're paying for each component before you sign.

5. Who owns the website after it's built?

This one surprises people. In Singapore, many agencies use proprietary platforms or build on frameworks where you effectively don't own the website — you license it. If the agency shuts down, your site goes with it. Or they can hold the domain hostage.

Ask specifically: who owns the code and design files? Can I get a copy if I want to move to another provider? You should always own your domain name and have the right to host your site anywhere. If an agency refuses to transfer your domain or give you source files on request, walk away.

6. How do you handle content that doesn't exist yet?

Most Singapore SME owners don't have finished copy ready on day one. The question is whether the designer expects you to have it all ready before they start — or whether they'll help you figure it out.

If someone quotes you to build a website and says "just give us the copy when you have it," that's not a quote — that's a placeholder. Content strategy and copywriting are part of the project. If they're not helping you figure out what to say, you're paying for a beautiful brochure nobody understands.

7. What does support look like after launch?

The question is never "do you offer support?" It's "what does support cost after 30 days, and what does it cover?"

Most agencies offer a free support window (30–90 days) for bug fixes. After that, change requests are billable. Some charge per-hour, some have retainer options. Know what you're signing up for before you need to make a small change in six months and discover it costs $150 and takes two weeks.

8. Will my website be mobile-friendly?

You already know the answer should be yes. But ask specifically: how do you test mobile responsiveness? "It works on my phone" is not a QA process. Ask whether they test on actual devices, what breakpoints they design for, and whether they show you the mobile version before launch.

9. Who handles SEO and do you optimise for local search?

SEO is not a feature you add at the end — it should be baked into how the site is built. Page structure, heading hierarchy, image alt text, page speed, meta tags — these are decisions made during development, not after.

Ask: are meta titles and descriptions included? Is the site set up for local SEO (Google Business Profile integration, schema markup, location signals)? If someone says "we can add SEO later," that's someone who doesn't understand SEO.

10. What happens if the project goes over timeline?

Delays happen. They almost always involve someone's content not being ready or decisions not being made. Ask: what is your change request process? If you need to add a page mid-build, or change the scope, how is that handled — and at what cost?

Also ask: what are the project milestones and payment schedule? A typical structure is 50% upfront, 30% at design approval, 20% at launch. If someone wants 100% upfront, that is not normal in Singapore and you should have a serious conversation about why.

11. Can I speak to three past clients?

Any web designer or agency that has done good work should be able to give you three references — ideally from businesses similar to yours. Not just "here's their website, it looks fine" — actual conversations where you can ask: was the project delivered on time, on budget, and did the agency communicate well when things got difficult?

If they can't provide references, that's a serious red flag. If they can but seem reluctant, that's also a red flag.

12. What's the contract like?

Get it in writing. Not a scope-of-work document with vague language — an actual contract that specifies what is being delivered, when, for how much, and what happens if either party needs to exit.

Specifically check: exit clause (can you leave if things go badly?), IP ownership clause (do you own what is built?), and limitation of liability (what happens if the site breaks and costs you business?). If an agency refuses to put things in writing, do not work with them.

The one question that covers all 12: "If this project goes badly, what is my recourse?" A confident, experienced web professional will have a clear answer. Someone who is about to waste six months of your time will deflect.

Ask it. If you don't like the answer, get a second quote.