Why the questions matter more than the portfolio
Every studio's portfolio looks good. That is what portfolios are for. What a portfolio cannot tell you is whether the site will be yours, whether the booking will work, what happens after launch, and what the number on the quote really means. Those come out in the answers to direct questions, and a good studio will have crisp ones.
Ask all twelve. Write the answers down.
1. Who will own the domain, the hosting and the logins?
Good answer: you, in accounts in your name, with the studio added as a collaborator. Walk away: "we handle all that for you" with no mention of your name on the accounts.
2. Is the price fixed, and what would make it go up?
Good answer: fixed for the scope on the quote; anything outside it is quoted before it starts and you can decline. Walk away: an hourly rate with an estimate, or a "from" price with no scope attached.
3. Who writes the words?
Good answer: a clear owner, either you from a structured conversation, or the studio from one. Walk away: silence, or "you just send us the content". Copy nobody owns is the number one cause of a stalled launch.
4. Which booking system will you use, and why that one?
Good answer: a named tool that suits your sector and how you run the diary, with a reason. Walk away: "the website will have a booking form" with no system named, or an insistence on their own custom booking code for a standard business.
5. Will confirmation and reminder emails be tested to Gmail and Outlook before launch?
Good answer: yes, and the domain's email authentication will be set up as part of the build. Walk away: a blank look. Emails in spam are the most common post-launch fault.
6. How fast will it load on a phone, and how will you show me?
Good answer: under two seconds on a mid-range phone, shown on a real device or a field-data tool, not just a lab score. Walk away: "it will be optimised" without a number.
7. What can I change myself after launch?
Good answer: prices, staff, hours, photos and text on existing pages, through an editor they will show you. Walk away: "just send us the changes" for everything.
8. What does a round of changes mean, and how many are included?
Good answer: a round is one consolidated list of feedback, and the number is stated. Walk away: "unlimited revisions", which means either padding in the price or a fight later.
9. What happens after launch?
Good answer: a described care plan with a monthly price, what it covers, and a response time, which you may take or leave. Walk away: nothing, or a plan you cannot cancel without losing something.
10. What happens if I want to leave you?
Good answer: nothing needs handing over, because you already hold everything; the work stops and the site stays. Walk away: a handover fee, an export process, or hesitation.
11. Can I speak to two clients like me?
Good answer: yes, here are their names and sites. Walk away: anonymous testimonials only, or references from a different kind of business entirely.
12. What would you do differently for my business than for the last one?
Good answer: something specific about your sector, your booking model, or your clients. Walk away: a generic answer. It means you are buying the same site as everyone else.
How to use the answers
You are not looking for perfection. You are looking for a studio that has thought about these questions before you asked them, answers directly, and does not flinch at ownership and exit. A studio that gets ten of twelve right and is honest about the other two is a good sign. One that gets the ownership questions wrong is not, however good the portfolio.
Ask us the same twelve. Most of the answers are already on the pricing page and the care plan page, which is deliberate: if a studio's answers are not written down somewhere public, ask why.