How to Choose a Web Design Company in Dublin and Ireland: 12 Questions to Ask

There are well over a hundred web design agencies in Dublin, and from the outside, most of their websites say the same things: bespoke, responsive, SEO-friendly, award-winning. The words stop helping you choose. The questions you ask do.

Here are the 12 we would ask if we were in your shoes, along with what a good answer sounds like and the red flags to watch for.

Before you start: know what you are buying

Write down three things before you contact any agency: what the website must achieve (for example, 10 quote requests a month), your budget range, and your deadline. Agencies give better, more comparable quotes when they know these. If an agency doesn't ask about them, that tells you something too.

The 12 questions

1. Can I see three websites you launched in the last 12 months?

Recent work matters more than an old portfolio. Look at the sites on your phone, not just the screenshots. Red flag: only mock-ups, or every example is more than three years old.

2. Can I speak to one of those clients?

A confident agency will put you in touch. Ask the client whether the project ran on time and how support has been since launch.

3. Who will actually do the work?

Some agencies sell in Dublin and build elsewhere. That isn't automatically bad, but you should know who designs, who builds, and who you call when something breaks.

4. Who owns the website, the domain and the code?

The answer should be you, once the final invoice is paid. Red flag: the agency registers your domain in its own name, or the site lives on a proprietary platform you cannot move.

5. What exactly is included in the price?

Ask for a written scope: number of pages, design rounds, copywriting, stock photos, forms, integrations, training. Ask what it costs to run each year too: hosting, domain renewal, licences and maintenance are where hidden costs usually sit. Two quotes are only comparable when the scopes match.

6. How do you handle SEO, and what happens to my current rankings?

If you already have a site, the agency should talk about a redirect map from old URLs to new ones. A new site that ignores this can lose most of its search traffic in the first month.

7. Will the site be built for AI search as well as Google?

In 2026, a growing share of people get answers from Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT and similar tools. A good agency writes pages with clear headings and direct answers and keeps your business details consistent across the web. Be wary of anyone selling special "AI files" or markup: Google says its AI features need none.

8. How will we measure whether the site works?

Look for an answer about conversion tracking: knowing how many calls, forms and bookings the site produces. Without it, nobody can tell whether the redesign paid off.

9. How fast will the site load on a phone?

Ask for a target in seconds, and ask to see a speed test of a recent build. Under two seconds on mobile is a sensible goal; Google's own "good" mark is the main content appearing within 2.5 seconds.

10. What happens after launch?

Every site needs updates, backups and security monitoring. Ask what the monthly maintenance plan includes and costs, and what happens if you don't take one.

11. How are payments structured?

A deposit to start and the balance at or before launch is normal. Larger projects are often split into stages. Red flag: 100% upfront, or no written contract.

12. What will you need from me, and when?

Waiting on content is one of the most common reasons projects run late, along with unclear scope and slow feedback. A good agency gives you a clear list and dates up front.

Red flags at a glance

• Price quoted before anyone asks about your business goals

• No contract, or a contract with no scope

• Domain or hosting held in the agency's name

• "Guaranteed first page of Google", or a quote built around a "Trading Online Voucher" (that grant closed in December 2024)

• No mention of redirects when replacing an existing site

• Can't show recent live work

Agency, freelancer or DIY builder?

The right choice depends on how much your website is worth to you. If one extra client a month covers the cost of the site, the extra thinking an agency brings usually pays for itself.

Sources and further reading

• How to move a site with URL changes — what any agency replacing your site should follow (question 6)

• AI features and your website — Google's guidance for appearing in AI Overviews (question 7)

• Web Vitals — the speed metrics to ask about (question 9)

• Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content — Google's standard for website content

• European Accessibility Act — National Disability Authority; in force since 28 June 2025 for businesses selling to consumers online; service microenterprises (under 10 staff and up to €2m turnover) are exempt