Sri Lanka has hundreds of freelancers and agencies offering web design, and from the outside they all look similar: nice portfolio images, big promises, competitive prices. The difference shows up three months after you've paid. These ten questions surface it before you sign — ask them of every web design company in Sri Lanka you shortlist, including us.
Questions about proof
- 1. Can I click your portfolio? Screenshots prove nothing. Ask for live URLs and open them on your phone — our recent work links straight to client sites like tedxcolombo.org and traveltreasures.lk for exactly this reason.
- 2. Can I speak to a past client? Two minutes with a previous customer tells you more than any proposal document.
- 3. Do your sites actually generate enquiries? A website is a salesperson, not a painting. Ask how they measure results after launch.
Questions about ownership and money
- 4. Who owns the domain, hosting and code? The only acceptable answer is you. Agencies that register your domain under their own name are building a hostage situation.
- 5. Is the quote fixed, and what's excluded? Get it in writing. Vague quotes grow; that's what they're for.
- 6. What do changes cost after launch? Small edits shouldn't require a renegotiation.
If an agency can't show you live websites, you're not looking at a portfolio — you're looking at a promise.
Questions about quality and afterwards
- 7. Is it mobile-first, and how fast on Sri Lankan mobile data? 70–85% of your visitors are on phones. Ask them to open their own sites on 4G in front of you.
- 8. What SEO is included? Minimum: proper titles and descriptions, a sitemap, fast loading, and analytics — not sold separately as an "SEO package" for the basics.
- 9. Who writes the content? Design without words is a frame without a picture. Agree who produces text and photos before the timeline starts.
- 10. What happens after launch? Support window, response times, and who to contact. "We'll always be around" is not an answer; a written support term is.
If you're still comparing options, our complete guide to web design in Sri Lanka covers costs and timelines in detail — useful context before any sales conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Ask for live website URLs rather than screenshots, a reference from a past client, confirmation that you own the domain and code, a fixed written quote with exclusions, the cost of post-launch changes, how the site performs on mobile data, what SEO is included, who writes the content, and exactly what support you get after launch.
You should. Your business must be the registered owner of the domain and have full access to hosting and the website files. Agencies that register domains under their own name leave you unable to move providers later.
Basic SEO should always be included: proper page titles and descriptions, a sitemap, clean heading structure, fast loading and analytics. These are build fundamentals, not an optional upgrade. Ongoing content and ranking campaigns are legitimately separate services.