Choosing a web development agency in Nigeria is a decision that affects your business for years. The wrong choice means a slow site, missed deadlines, and starting over with a new team. The right choice gives you a website that brings in customers and works without constant maintenance. Before you sign anything, ask these 10 questions.
1. Can I see live websites you have built?
Portfolios with screenshots are not enough. Ask for links to live sites you can visit right now. Load them on your phone. Check how fast they load, whether the design works on mobile, and whether the content looks real (not placeholder text). If an agency cannot show you 3 to 5 live sites that are actively used by real businesses, that is a red flag. Designs in Figma or Photoshop prove they can design. Live sites prove they can ship.
2. What technology will you use and why?
There is no single correct answer, but the agency should be able to explain their choice clearly. Ask why they chose that framework, how it handles SEO, and what happens when you need to add features later. Be cautious of agencies that use the same technology for every project regardless of requirements. A blog does not need the same stack as a payment platform.
| Tech choice | Good sign | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | Explains trade-offs for your specific project | Uses the same stack for everything |
| Hosting | Recommends based on your traffic expectations | Locks you into their own hosting |
| CMS | Lets you edit content without calling them | Every text change requires a developer |
| Database | Uses managed services with backups | Runs database on the same server as the site |
3. Who owns the code after the project?
You should own everything: the source code, the design files, the domain name and the hosting account. Some agencies in Nigeria retain ownership of the code and charge you monthly to "license" your own website. Get code ownership in writing before you start. If the relationship ends, you should be able to hand the codebase to any other developer and keep running.
4. What is included in the quoted price?
Ask for a line-by-line breakdown. Common items that get left out of initial quotes (and then charged extra later): content writing, stock photography, SEO setup, analytics configuration, email setup, SSL certificate, mobile testing across multiple devices, browser compatibility testing, and post-launch training. A transparent agency lists everything upfront.
5. What is the payment structure?
Never pay 100% upfront. A fair structure ties payments to milestones:
| Milestone | Typical payment | What you should receive |
|---|---|---|
| Project kickoff | 30% to 40% | Project plan, timeline, wireframes |
| Design approval | 20% to 30% | Complete visual design, all pages |
| Development complete | 20% to 30% | Working site on staging URL for review |
| Launch | 10% to 20% | Live site, training, handover docs |
6. What is the realistic timeline?
Any agency that promises a custom website in under 2 weeks is either using a template (fine, but be honest about it) or cutting corners. A real 5 to 10 page business site takes 3 to 5 weeks of focused work. E-commerce takes 6 to 12 weeks. Ask what happens if the timeline slips. Ask how many other projects their team is working on simultaneously. A team juggling 10 projects at once will miss your deadlines.
7. How do you handle SEO?
SEO should be built into the development process, not added as an afterthought. Ask specifically about: page speed optimisation, mobile responsiveness, meta tags, structured data (schema markup), XML sitemap, clean URLs, image optimisation and internal linking. If the agency treats SEO as a separate service you need to pay extra for, they are not building websites properly.
8. What happens after launch?
The first month after launch is when issues surface. Ask what post-launch support is included. Most agencies offer 30 to 90 days of bug fixes at no extra cost. After that, ask about maintenance retainer options. A good retainer covers security updates, performance monitoring, content updates and minor feature additions. Expect to pay ₦50,000 to ₦200,000 per month for ongoing maintenance.
9. Can I talk to a previous client?
References tell you what the working relationship is actually like. Ask the reference: Did the agency deliver on time? Were there surprise costs? How do they handle change requests? What happened when something went wrong? An agency that cannot provide a single reference from a past client is a significant risk.
10. What are the red flags I should watch for?
Walk away if you see any of these:
- No contract. Verbal agreements protect nobody. Get a written contract with scope, timeline, payment terms and ownership clauses.
- No staging site. You should see and test the site on a private URL before it goes live. If they go straight to your live domain, they are skipping QA.
- Unrealistic pricing. If a quote is dramatically lower than every other quote, they are either using a free template and calling it custom, or they will charge extras later.
- They control your domain. Your domain should be registered in your name, on your account. Not theirs.
- Guaranteed page 1 ranking. Nobody can guarantee Google rankings. SEO is a practice, not a promise.
- No version control. Ask if they use Git. If they email code files back and forth, your project is one accident away from disaster.
Making your decision
The best agency for your project is the one that asks you the most questions before giving you a price. They want to understand your business, your customers and your goals before proposing a solution. The worst agencies give you a price in the first email without asking anything.
At Maleek Studios, we build custom websites with Next.js, React and TypeScript. Every project starts with a scoping conversation where we understand exactly what you need before we quote. Start that conversation here, or see our web development services.