When ordering a website, people usually ask two things: "how much" and "when will it be ready". Both matter, but they are not enough. The ten questions below show what will happen after the contract is signed, at the point where changing course is already hard.
1. Are the price and the deadline fixed in writing, or "approximate"?
If the answer is "approximate", the final price is usually higher than the first one. Ask for the scope, the price and the delivery date to be written into the contract. At CodeOrigins they are fixed before work starts and do not change during the project.
2. When do I pay?
The good answer: after you have seen and accepted the result. If the full amount is required up front, your risk grows and the company's motivation shrinks. Large projects should be split into milestones, each accepted and paid separately.
3. How many design revisions can I ask for?
Many companies cap it at "2–3 revisions", after which each one is billed. The design stage is exactly when a change is cheap; later, during development, the same change costs several times more. We do not limit revisions at the design stage and start development only after you approve the design.
4. Who handles the launch?
The site is ready, but where will it run? Server, domain, SSL certificate, email, deployment — if all of that is "your problem", the launch can drag on for weeks. Ask whether the company hands over a site that is already live. For a mobile app the same question applies to App Store and Google Play publishing.
5. What happens after launch?
Launching is the beginning, not the end. Security updates ship every month, browsers change, libraries age. Ask whether there is a maintenance contract, what it covers (backups, monitoring, updates) and how fast they respond when something breaks.
6. Will the site be upgraded when a new version comes out?
Almost nobody asks this, yet two or three years later it is the most expensive question. A site left on an old version eventually stops receiving updates, and "rebuilding" it costs more than upgrading regularly. Every project we maintain is moved to new major versions: when Laravel 14 ships, every Laravel site under our maintenance will be moved to it.
7. Who owns the code and the rights?
The right answer: you, after full payment. If the code stays with the company, you are tied to it on any terms it sets. Ask for the transfer of source code and rights to be written into the contract.
8. Which technologies will be used, and why?
The answer should follow from your problem, not from the company's habit. A simple business site and an online store with tens of thousands of products need different tools. It is a good sign when the company can explain its choice in plain words.
9. Can I see similar work and talk to clients?
A portfolio should be real and working, not screenshots. Ask for two or three client contacts; a company confident in its work gives them without hesitation.
10. How will we communicate during the project?
Ask who your contact person is, how often you will see intermediate results and in what form (call, demo, written report). A weekly demo lets you notice a deviation at the start, not at the end.
Summary
If you get clear, written answers to seven of the ten questions, the company is safe to work with. If the answers sound like "we'll see", "it depends", "we'll decide later", keep looking.
At CodeOrigins the answers to these ten questions are part of the contract: fixed price and deadline, payment after acceptance, unlimited design revisions, launch and publishing done by us, maintenance for years. For a free consultation, write to us.