The shortlist test
Most Alberta businesses pick a web design agency from a Google search result, a referral from a friend, or a stack of Instagram ads. The first hour of evaluation determines whether the next 6 months go well or badly. Here's the test we'd want a client to run on us — and on every other agency on their shortlist.
Ask to see a recent live site they built
Not a portfolio screenshot. A live URL you can open. Then run two checks:
- Open Chrome DevTools, switch to the Network tab, reload. Look at the total page weight. Under 250 KB on the homepage = excellent. 250–500 KB = acceptable. 500 KB+ = bloated. Builder-platform sites (Wix, Squarespace, Webflow with default settings) routinely run 1MB+. Hand-coded sites usually land under 200 KB.
- Open pagespeed.web.dev and paste the URL. Look at LCP and CLS on the Mobile tab. Green = good. Yellow or red = the site has performance issues that will cap its Google ranking.
If an agency's recent live work fails this test, that's how your work will perform too.
Ask what stack they use
Three categories of answer:
- "WordPress + Elementor / Divi / theme." They're a builder-platform agency. Expect templated work and ongoing maintenance burden.
- "Webflow." They're a builder-platform agency. Better than WordPress + Elementor, still constrained by the platform.
- "Custom-coded in [TypeScript/React/Next.js/Astro/etc.]." They're a hand-coded agency. This is what we are. Significantly fewer agencies in Alberta, but the work is consistently faster, more flexible, and ranks better.
There's no "wrong" answer — depends on your needs (see our comparison article). But you should know which category they fall into before signing.
Ask about the design process
Two structured revision rounds per deliverable is standard. Unlimited revisions usually means the agency expects to grind out churn rather than land design directions cleanly. Beware also of agencies that won't show wireframes — design that skips straight to high-fidelity often gets reworked because the structure was wrong, costing you rounds.
Ask who actually builds the site
Some agencies sell custom work and outsource development to overseas contractors. The design might be local; the code is being assembled by someone you'll never talk to. This is fine if it's disclosed. It's a problem when the agency presents themselves as a local builder and isn't.
Ask: "Who specifically writes the code?" If the answer is a name you've never heard, find out where that person works.
Ask about ownership
Three questions:
- "Do I own the code at the end of the project?"
- "Can I take the work to another developer?"
- "Where will the source files live?"
The right answers: yes, yes, in your GitHub or your Figma org. If the answer to any of these is "we host everything in our system," you're being locked in.
Ask about post-launch
Most projects need at least a 14-day stabilization period after launch — bug fixes, small adjustments, performance tweaks. A reasonable agency includes this in the project quote. A less-reasonable one bills hourly from minute one post-launch.
Also ask: "What's your maintenance retainer cost?" Even if you don't sign one, you want to know the rate.
Red flags to watch for
- They quote without asking what your business does.
- The portfolio is mostly mockups and screenshots, not live URLs.
- They don't mention performance or Core Web Vitals.
- They want a 100% deposit upfront. Standard is 50% to start, 25% at design approval, 25% at launch.
- They claim "unlimited revisions." This usually means low-effort revision rounds that don't actually advance the design.
- They can't explain the difference between LCP and INP. (Even if they're a designer, not a developer, they should at least know what these are.)
Specific to Red Deer
Red Deer's web design market is small enough that you can ask around. The local business community talks. If a name keeps coming up — positively or negatively — that's signal.
Designer Digital is one of a handful of hand-coded agencies operating from Red Deer. We work province-wide and our case studies span Calgary, Edmonton, and beyond. If you're evaluating us against another agency, the questions above are exactly what you should ask both of us.
A summary checklist
Before signing with any agency:
- [ ] Run their recent work through DevTools + PageSpeed. Performance is real.
- [ ] Confirm the tech stack and who actually builds the code.
- [ ] Check ownership: code, design files, hosting.
- [ ] Ask the design process: wireframes? two revision rounds?
- [ ] Confirm post-launch terms.
- [ ] Watch for the red flags above.
If they pass all six checks, the agency is probably real. From there, choose the one whose work moves you most.