How to choose a development studio: 10 questions for the contractor

We regularly receive projects “after another contractor”: a website on the contractor's domain, code with no access, an app that will not pass review, advertising in someone else's account. Almost all of these problems can be avoided with ten questions before the start.

1. What will the estimate contain, and when is it fixed

A good estimate is a table with stages, volumes and amounts, not “website — ₸800,000”. It is given after the brief and fixed in the contract. If the estimate is “approximate” and “we'll refine it as we go”, it will grow as you go.

2. What will the site or app be built on

Ask about the technology and why that one. A site builder (Tilda, Wix) is fast and cheap, but it means a subscription, slow pages and limits. WordPress is flexible but needs updates. Next.js and the like are fast for the user and for SEO, but need a developer. For apps: native or Flutter, and why. The contractor should explain the choice in the language of your task, not “we always do it this way”.

3. Who will own the code, domain, servers and accounts

The right answer: you, from day one. The domain in your company's name. The repository on your account or with your access. Hosting in your name or with the option to move. Ad accounts, analytics and store accounts in your name. If the contractor will “register everything in our name, it's simpler”, you will not own what you are paying for.

4. How the work runs and how often you see results

Weekly demos on a test version are the norm. “We'll show you in two months” is a risk of getting the wrong thing. Ask which channel you will communicate in and how quickly they reply.

5. Who exactly will do the work

In agencies there is a manager between you and the developer who will “pass it on”. That slows things down and distorts them. Ask whether you will be able to talk to the person doing the work.

6. What happens after launch

A warranty period for bugs is a must. Then support: what it includes, what it costs, how fast they respond. A website without support is out of date within a year; an app without updates stops working on new OS versions. Ask about documentation too: could another contractor pick up the project?

7. Show us similar projects

Not “the portfolio in general”, but projects similar to yours in task: a store with Kaspi, an app in the stores, a website in your niche. Ask whether you can talk to the client. Check the live sites: PageSpeed score, mobile version, whether the forms work.

8. How do you measure results

For a site with advertising and SEO — enquiries, calls, sales, not “site delivered”. Ask whether they set up analytics, which goals they track and how they report. If the answer is “we build websites, marketing is not our thing”, you will need another contractor.

9. What happens if deadlines slip

The contract should include stage deadlines and liability. An honest contractor will tell you what the deadlines depend on from your side (copy, materials, approvals) and how that is accounted for.

10. Do you have products of your own

Optional, but revealing. A studio that runs its own product with users knows what happens after launch: support, updates, payments, reviews, advertising. That knowledge carries over into client projects.

Red flags

• A price without a brief: “landing page — ₸150,000, any kind”.
• Domain, hosting and accounts “registered in our name”.
• No contract, or a contract “on trust”.
• A portfolio without live links.
• A promise of top search rankings within a month.
• “Everything at once”: website, app, CRM and branding in two weeks.
• 100% prepayment.

Freelancer, studio or agency

A freelancer: cheap, fast, with the risk of disappearing and no support. A studio: a contract, a process, support, a higher price. An agency: a large team, managers, presentations, a higher price still. For small and medium-sized businesses a studio is usually the best fit. More on prices in how much a website costs in Kazakhstan.

How it works with us

An estimate after the brief, fixed in a contract with IE "1APP". Everything in your name from day one. Weekly demos, direct contact with the engineer. Warranty and support. Our own products — 1Study, 1Work, 1Ticket — with live figures. Ask us these ten questions — we will answer.