How to choose a web design company in India: a 12-point checklist

To choose a web design company, judge each one on things you can check rather than on promises: live websites they have built, the people who will actually do your work, a written scope you can compare, and clear terms on who owns the domain, design and code at the end. Price only means something once you know what each quote covers. These 12 checks are written for Indian business owners, so they include a few that general guides leave out, such as verifying a GSTIN and reading the copyright clause. We build websites ourselves, so treat this as the list we would expect any client to use on us.

Checks 1 to 4: can they actually do the work?

Run these before you ask anyone for a quote. They usually cut a long list of names from Google, Justdial and WhatsApp forwards down to two or three.

1. Live websites you can open on your phone

Ask for links to three or four recent sites, not a PDF of screenshots, and open them on your phone over mobile data, the way your customers will. Check that the menu works with one thumb, the call and WhatsApp buttons are easy to tap and pages appear without a long blank wait. Then ask what the company did on each site, because "our work" sometimes means only the design, or only the hosting.

2. A past project that solved a problem like yours

The job the site has to do matters more than your industry. A clinic taking appointments online, a D2C brand that needs Razorpay, COD and Shiprocket, and a manufacturer whose dealers log in to see a price list are three different problems. Ask to see one project with the feature you need most, and ask what went wrong on it and how they fixed it. An honest answer to the second question is a good sign.

3. The people who will actually build your site

Ask who will design the site, who will build it and who you will speak to each week. Some firms win the project with a senior person and hand it to a junior team or an outside freelancer you never meet. That isn't always wrong, but you should know before you sign. If you can, meet the designer or developer once, not only the salesperson.

4. Two past clients you can call

Star ratings are easy to collect and hard to judge, and a ten-minute call with a past client tells you far more. Google's advice on hiring an SEO, which works just as well for a web company, says to check business references and ask past clients whether the service was useful, the company easy to work with and the results positive. Also ask what happened the first time something broke after launch.

Checks 5 to 8: will they run your project properly?

5. Questions before a quote

A good company asks about your customers, your goal and your current site before it names a figure. A quote that arrives minutes after a WhatsApp message saying "need website, 5 pages" is a guess, and guesses tend to change once the real work starts. Send every company the same short brief so the quotes describe the same project; this website brief template shows what to put in it.

6. A written scope, not just a figure

The quote should list every page type and feature, who writes the text and supplies photos, how many rounds of design changes are included, what testing happens before launch and what is left out. Ask how extra work is priced, so a new idea halfway through doesn't turn into an argument. For the full list, see what actually affects website design cost in India.

7. Stage payments and proper GST invoices

Pay in stages linked to things you can see and approve, such as signed-off designs and a working preview of the site, rather than everything upfront. A GST-registered company must show its GSTIN on its tax invoices, and you can check any GSTIN free on the GST portal's Search Taxpayer page, which shows the legal name, type of business, registration date and any cancellation. A small freelancer may not need GST registration, but if a company charges GST, the name on its GSTIN should match the business you pay.

8. Speed, mobile and search planned from the start

Ask how they keep a site quick on an ordinary Android phone, and run one of their client sites through Google's free PageSpeed Insights tool while you talk. You aren't after a perfect score, just someone who can explain the result in plain words. If you already have a website, ask how old page addresses will be redirected to new ones, so pages Google already knows don't drop out of search at launch.

Checks 9 to 12: what will you own when it's finished?

9. The domain, registered to your business

Your domain is your address online, and usually your email too. Whoever pays for it, your business should be the registrant (the legal holder), using an email address you control, and you should be able to get the login or a transfer code whenever you ask. If a domain sits in a former designer's name, the renewal reminders go to them, and one missed renewal can take your website and email offline together.

10. Accounts opened in your name, not theirs

Google Search Console, Google Analytics, your Google Business Profile, the payment gateway and the website's admin panel should all be opened in your business's name, with the company added as a user. If the company hosts the site for you, which is common, ask for a full backup at launch and a written line confirming you can move to another host whenever you choose. Changing companies later then means removing a user, not asking for your own data back.

11. Copyright in the design and code, assigned in writing

Paying for a website does not, by itself, make its design and code yours. Under Section 17 of India's Copyright Act, 1957, the author of a work is its first owner, and the exception for employers covers your own staff, not an outside agency or freelancer. So unless a signed document says otherwise, the copyright stays with the company that made the site, even after you pay in full.

Section 19 of the Act says an assignment is valid only in writing and signed. If it states no period, it is treated as five years, and if it states no territory, it covers India only. Ask for a clause assigning the copyright in everything made for your project to your business, for the full term of copyright and worldwide, with a list of any licensed themes, plugins or fonts that stay outside it. On a large project, have a lawyer read the clause.

12. Aftercare, and a clean exit

Ask who updates the software and plugins, how often backups are taken, where they are kept and what happens if the site is hacked. Then ask the awkward question: if we stop working together, what do we get? The answer should be a complete copy of the files and database plus every login, handed over without a "release fee" that never appeared in the contract.

Red flags: when should you walk away?

One of these is a reason to slow down. Two or more usually mean it's time to try the next name on your list.

• A promise of first-page or number-one rankings. The same Google guidance says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.
• A cold email or WhatsApp message saying your site "isn't listed on Google". Google warns about firms that contact you out of the blue, and you can check yourself by searching site: followed by your domain.
• No written scope, no live links, or the domain registered in the company's name "for safety".
• Pressure to pay the full amount today for a discount that ends tonight.
• A "free website" tied to a yearly plan, where the site can't be moved anywhere else.

Key takeaways

• Judge live websites, the actual team and a call with past clients, not screenshots and star ratings.
• Send every company the same brief, then compare written scopes before you compare figures.
• Pay in stages, against GST invoices you can verify.
• Keep the domain, logins and accounts in your business's name from day one.
• Get the copyright in the design and code assigned to you in writing, for the full term and worldwide.

FAQs

Should I hire a freelancer or a web design company?

A good freelancer can be the right choice for a simple brochure site, as long as you know who takes over if they fall ill or take a full-time job. A studio or agency makes more sense when the site needs payments, logins, integrations or regular updates, because design, development and support sit with one team. Either way, the same 12 checks apply.

How many quotes should I get?

Two or three is usually enough, as long as every company gets the same brief. Beyond that, quotes get harder to compare, not easier. When one figure is far below the others, look at what its scope leaves out before you treat it as a saving: content writing, testing, redirects and aftercare are the usual gaps.

Does the company need to be in my city?

No, but meeting in person at least once helps, especially for the first conversation about your business. If you are in Mumbai, a studio in or near your suburb is easy to visit. A remote team can work just as well if it shares progress on a preview site and replies on agreed channels. For an online store, what matters more is that they know Indian payments, shipping and GST.

Can I move my website to another company later?

Usually, yes, if the domain, accounts and copyright are already yours and you have a full backup. A WordPress site can be moved to a new host and developer without much trouble. A custom-built site needs its code plus a short technical note so a new team can pick it up. Some closed website builders don't let you export your site at all, so ask about this before you start.

If you are shortlisting web design companies in Mumbai, you are welcome to use this checklist on us too. We have written down how we work, including who owns the domain, content and code at the end, and our website design and development page explains what a project with us includes. When you're ready, tell us about your project and we'll come back with questions first, then a fixed written quote.