largest website design companies
How to evaluate big agencies for SEO, service quality and cost — and pick the right partner for your small business
Large design firms promise scale, polish and enterprise-grade processes — but they also come with higher price tags and complexity. This guide gives you a repeatable checklist, scoring template and negotiation tips so you choose confidently.
Typical enterprise project
Weeks for large launches
Stakeholders involved
Risk without clear scope
Why consider the largest website design companies?
Large agencies can bring enterprise-grade processes, specialist teams and proven delivery for complex digital programs. They're a fit when your project requires integrations, global rollouts, custom engineering, or strict compliance.
When big makes sense
- Multi-region sites with language variations
- Heavy e-commerce with custom checkout and integrations
- Large traffic and performance SLAs
- Accessibility and compliance (WCAG, privacy)
When big is overkill
- Local service businesses with simple brochure sites
- Vendors that lock you into long contracts for basic updates
- When you need speed and low cost over advanced features
How to evaluate a large agency's SEO capability
SEO is often the single biggest driver of long-term organic traffic. Large firms may have dedicated SEO teams — but don't assume expertise. Validate it with these tests.
Technical SEO
- - Can they audit crawlability, indexability and renderability?
- - Do they provide Lighthouse / Core Web Vitals improvement plans?
- - Ask for examples of schema and structured data they implemented.
Content & strategy
- - Do they produce topical content with measurable traffic lift?
- - Request before/after organic traffic or keyword ranking examples.
- - Confirm they use keyword research tools and a content calendar.
Measurement & accountability
- - Do they set KPIs (traffic, leads, conversions) and report monthly?
- - Ask for sample analytics dashboards and attribution models.
- - Check if they handle local SEO (Google Business Profile) if relevant.
Quick 10-minute SEO audit you can run
- Search "site:their-client-domain.com" — is content indexed properly?
- Run Lighthouse on a client page: check Performance, SEO, Accessibility scores.
- Inspect title tags and meta descriptions for 3 sample pages (are they unique & keyworded?).
- Check mobile rendering on a phone — does content fit and CTA remain visible?
- Ask for a case study showing organic traffic before/after (with dates and metrics).
Tip: Don’t accept generic claims like "we do SEO" — ask for measurable outcomes and references you can call.
Service quality & delivery: what to probe
Large agencies sell process. You need to verify how that process will work for your business — not just for enterprise clients.
Project management
- - Who is your day-to-day contact? (PM or account director?)
- - What tools do they use (Jira, Asana, Trello) and will you have access?
- - Ask for a sample project timeline with milestones and deliverables.
Quality assurance
- - Do they perform cross-browser and device testing?
- - Ask about automated testing, regression plans and acceptance criteria.
- - What is their bug-fix SLA after launch?
Support & handover
Large firms sometimes retain knowledge behind support retainers. Ask these direct questions:
- - Will you receive full admin access to CMS, hosting and analytics?
- - What documentation and training is included at handover?
- - Is there a realistic roadmap for small change requests post-launch (pricing & turnaround)?
Cost & pricing models: what to expect
Large agencies use several pricing models. Understand total cost of ownership, not just the headline price.
Fixed-price project
You pay a set amount for a defined scope. Watch for strict change request fees.
Time & materials
Hourly rates for work done. Transparent, but can escalate without a cap.
Retainer / support
Monthly fee for ongoing work. Useful for continuous optimization, not ideal for one-off sites.
Hidden costs to watch for
- - Third-party license fees (analytics, CDNs, plugins)
- - Integrations (CRM, ERP) billed separately
- - Ongoing hosting, backups, and security monitoring not included
- - Long-term UX or content updates charged at premium hourly rates
Negotiation tips
- - Ask for a breakdown of hours by role (designer, front-end, developer, PM).
- - Negotiate a capped contingency and a clear change-request process.
- - Push for a shorter trial support period at a reduced retainer to validate delivery.
Portfolio, case studies & references
A glossy portfolio page is a start — but the real proof is measurable results and clients willing to be contacted.
What to ask for
- - Industry-relevant case studies with traffic, conversion and revenue metrics
- - References you can contact (ask for one similar-sized client)
- - Live examples you can click through on desktop and mobile
- - Explain the role they played vs. the client’s internal team
Evaluate the outcomes
- - Do they show before/after KPIs with dates?
- - Was the uplift sustained or short lived?
- - Were technical or SEO issues fixed permanently or patched temporarily?
Reference call script (3 quick questions)
- Did the project hit the promised milestones and deadlines?
- How responsive was the team when issues appeared after launch?
- Did the agreed KPIs (traffic, leads) materialise? Ask for numbers.
RFPs, proposals and the scorecard
Use a consistent scorecard to compare proposals objectively. Below is a simple template you can copy into a spreadsheet.
| Criteria | Weight | Score (1-5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO capability | 25% | — | — |
| Service & PM | 20% | — | — |
| Portfolio & results | 20% | — | — |
| Technology & integrations | 15% | — | — |
| Cost & TCO | 20% | — | — |
How to use it
- Score each vendor 1–5 per row (1 = poor, 5 = excellent).
- Multiply score by weight to get weighted score, then sum to compare.
- Run reference checks to validate high scores before you decide.
Migration, handover & onboarding
A common failure point is an incomplete handover. Confirm these items are included in writing:
- Access: Full admin access to CMS, hosting, DNS, analytics and GSC before final payment.
- Documentation: Architecture diagram, deployment steps and runbook for common tasks.
- Training: 2–3 hours of team training and recorded sessions.
- Security: List of credentials, rotation plan, and verification of SSL, CSP, and backups.
Red flags when evaluating large agencies
Vague deliverables
If the proposal is fuzzy about scope, acceptance criteria or testing — walk away or demand clarity.
Unrealistic timelines
Promises like "launch in 2 weeks" for a multi-system build often mean corners will be cut.
Knowledge lock-in
If they refuse to provide admin access or documentation, assume they'll charge heavily for any future changes.
Opaque pricing
High-level quotes without a breakdown of hours and roles make it impossible to compare vendors.
Decision checklist — print & use
- Scope clarity: Are deliverables, milestones and acceptance criteria explicit?
- SEO proof: Ask for a real client case study with traffic and ranking improvements.
- Access & ownership: You will have admin access and own your domain, content and code.
- Pricing breakdown: Hours, roles, third-party costs and post-launch support rates listed.
- References: At least two reference calls from similar-sized projects.
- Change control: Clear process and capped contingency for scope changes.
- Handover & training: Documentation, recordings and a 30-day support window included.
Quick scoring
If a vendor scores under 3/5 on more than two core areas (SEO, PM, portfolio, cost transparency), they’re a risky choice for small businesses.
What small businesses should know — and a faster alternative
Large agencies can be the right long-term partner — but they require time, budget and internal bandwidth to manage. Many small businesses get better ROI from modern subscription design partners that handle updates, SEO and hosting for a predictable monthly fee.
When to hire a large firm
- - You need complex integrations, multi-site support or enterprise security.
- - You have internal marketing and technical resources to collaborate closely.
- - You have a multi-year digital roadmap with enterprise budgets.
When a fast subscription service makes more sense
If your goal is to launch quickly, keep costs predictable, and get unlimited updates without technical overhead, consider subscription models.
Example: Congero builds professional, mobile-first websites and handles ongoing SEO, hosting and unlimited updates for a flat monthly fee. You can launch fast via WhatsApp and avoid large upfront agency fees — ideal for trades and service businesses.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a large-agency website typically take to launch?
Will a large agency guarantee SEO results?
Can I move away from a big agency later?
How much should I budget for a large agency project in 2025?
Need results fast without the agency cost?
If your needs are local, time-sensitive or budget-limited, consider a modern subscription website service that includes hosting, local SEO and unlimited updates for a predictable monthly fee.
Congero is Australia’s AI-powered website service built for busy trades and service businesses — professional, mobile-first websites with local SEO, hosting and unlimited updates from $49/month. No lock-in contracts.
