How to compare website design packages without guessing

Package names such as Starter and Professional tell you little about the work being delivered. Make a comparison sheet based on your brief, then ask each supplier to fill the gaps.

Compare the same project

Send each supplier the same page list, content responsibilities and functional requirements. Mention the current website if migration is needed. A new static information site and a redesign involving customer accounts should not be treated as the same job.

Use an included, excluded or unclear table

Make a row for every requirement: pages, mobile layout, editing, contact delivery, redirects, source handover and deployment. Record the response using those three labels. Include a notes column for limits. “Contact form included” may still leave the delivery provider, retention and monthly costs unspecified.

Ask about the finish line

Find out how many feedback rounds are included and what counts as a round. Ask when content must be supplied, who approves the preview and what happens if the brief changes. A package with a clear boundary is easier to manage than one promising unlimited work without a delivery process.

Check account and asset ownership

Clarify who owns the domain, hosting, source files and any paid licences. Ask whether you can move the site and what would be needed. Some platforms provide hosted editing rather than portable source code; neither description should be assumed from the word “website.”

Evaluate with a concrete example

For an illustrative five-page consultancy site, a hosted shop may add no value, while an editable service page may matter. Score requirements as essential or optional before reviewing the package features. Reject comparisons that reward a supplier merely for listing more tools.

Ask for a final written scope covering the selected option, recurring charges and acceptance checks. If a supplier cannot explain a necessary feature, leave it marked unclear rather than treating a sales phrase as confirmation. Keep the comparison sheet; it will also help you check the handover against what you bought.

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