Your website is often the first place a customer meets your business. In Montreal, where people switch between French and English and compare you with competitors in seconds, that first impression counts. Choosing the right web design agency in Montreal is therefore not just a design decision. It affects how many people find you, whether they trust you, and whether they call, book or buy.
The problem is that almost every agency claims to build “beautiful, fast, SEO-friendly websites.” Promises are easy to make. The real differences show up in the answers to specific questions. This guide gives you 12 questions to ask before you sign, what a good answer sounds like, and the red flags to watch for.
Before you contact agencies: get clear on your own needs
You will get better proposals, and compare them more fairly, if you know what you want the site to do. Take 30 minutes to write down:
- Your main goal: more phone calls, online bookings, quote requests, online sales, or simply a credible presence.
- Your audience: local customers in Montreal or Laval, clients across Quebec, or buyers across Canada.
- Languages: French only, bilingual, or more languages for specific communities.
- Must-have features: contact forms, a booking tool, an online store, a blog, a client area.
- Who will update the site: you, an employee, or the agency.
- A realistic budget range and deadline. If you are unsure, our guide on how much a small business website costs can help you set expectations.
With this short brief in hand, every conversation with an agency becomes more concrete.
12 questions to ask a web design agency in Montreal
1. Can you show me websites you have built, and what results they were meant to deliver?
A portfolio shows style, but the more useful question is what each project was designed to achieve. A good agency can explain the goal behind a site, the choices made to reach it, and what the client can now do that they could not before. Look for sites in different industries and check them yourself on your phone. Are they quick to load? Is it easy to find the phone number?
2. Which platform do you recommend for my project, and why?
WordPress, Shopify and other platforms each have strengths. The right answer depends on your goals, not on what the agency happens to prefer. For a service business, WordPress is often a flexible fit. For a product-focused store, Shopify or WooCommerce may make more sense. If you are weighing the two, read our comparison of WordPress vs Shopify. Be cautious if an agency pushes a proprietary system you cannot easily leave.
3. Who will own the website, the domain and the content?
This is one of the most important questions. You should own your domain name, your content, your images and, ideally, have administrator access to your website. Ask in writing what happens if you decide to change providers later. Can you take the site with you? A clear answer protects your business for years.
4. How do you handle French and bilingual websites?
In Quebec, businesses must respect French-language requirements, and many Montreal companies also want to serve English-speaking customers. Ask how the agency structures bilingual content, how translations are handled, and whether each language version is properly set up for search engines. For an overview of the rules, see our article on Quebec French-language rules for business websites. An experienced team in multilingual websites should be comfortable discussing this.
5. What is included in the SEO work, and what is not?
“SEO included” can mean anything from installing a plugin to a complete keyword and content strategy. Ask specifically about:
- Page titles, meta descriptions and heading structure
- Site speed and mobile performance
- Clean URLs and redirects from your old site
- Basic local SEO, such as your address and service areas
- Connection to tools like Google Search Console
No honest agency can guarantee a first-place ranking on Google. If you hear that promise, treat it as a warning sign. Ask what ongoing SEO work, if any, is offered after launch.
6. How will the site perform on mobile and on slow connections?
Many of your visitors will arrive on a phone, sometimes on a weak connection on the metro or in a parking lot. Ask how the agency optimizes images, limits heavy scripts and tests on real devices. A site that looks great on a large desktop monitor but is slow on a phone will cost you customers.
7. How does your process work, from first meeting to launch?
A professional agency should describe clear stages, for example: discovery, structure and content planning, design, development, testing, and launch. Ask how many rounds of revisions are included, when you will see a first draft, and what the agency needs from you at each stage. Delays often come from missing content, so knowing your role upfront avoids surprises.
8. Who writes the content and supplies the images?
Text and images are often the biggest bottleneck. Some agencies expect you to provide everything; others can help write or adapt content. Clarify who is responsible for page text, translation, photos and licensing. Stock images must be properly licensed, and your own photos usually make a stronger impression.
9. How do you handle privacy, forms and cookies?
Quebec’s Law 25 sets obligations for businesses that collect personal information, including through website forms and tracking tools. Your agency is not your lawyer, but it should know how to set up a privacy policy page, configure forms responsibly and handle cookie consent where required. Our Law 25 website privacy checklist covers the basics.
10. What happens after launch?
A website needs updates, backups and security monitoring. Ask whether the agency offers ongoing website maintenance and security, what it includes, and how quickly they respond if something breaks. If they do not offer maintenance, ask who will handle plugin and theme updates.
11. Will you train me to update the site myself?
You should be able to change opening hours, add a blog post or update a price without calling a developer. Ask whether training is included, whether there is written or video guidance, and how easy the editing interface is. A short demonstration during the sales process tells you a lot.
12. What exactly is in the quote, and what could cost extra?
Compare proposals line by line. A low price can hide extra fees for hosting, plugins, extra pages, translations or revisions. Ask for a written scope that lists the pages, features, languages and services included, plus the payment schedule. A clear quote is a good sign of a clear working relationship.
Red flags to watch out for
- Guaranteed rankings or “#1 on Google” promises.
- No written contract or vague scope.
- The agency registers your domain in its own name.
- No access to your own website admin.
- Pressure to sign quickly with “today only” pricing.
- Little interest in your business goals, and lots of talk about design trends.
- No plan for French-language content in a Quebec business.
Local agency or remote provider?
You can work with a provider anywhere, but a Montreal-based agency brings practical advantages: familiarity with Quebec’s language and privacy context, an understanding of local search behaviour across neighbourhoods and the surrounding regions, and the ability to meet if needed. That said, many projects run smoothly entirely by phone, video call and email. What matters most is communication, responsiveness and clear deliverables. If your business serves customers in specific areas, also ask how the agency approaches local SEO in Montreal.
How to compare proposals side by side
Once you receive two or three proposals, put them in a simple table with the same criteria for each:
- Pages and features included
- Languages and translation responsibility
- SEO tasks included
- Ownership of domain, site and content
- Timeline and revision rounds
- Training and support after launch
- Total cost, including recurring fees
The cheapest proposal is rarely the best value, and the most expensive is not automatically the best quality. Choose the agency whose answers were the clearest and whose plan fits your goals.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a small business website?
It depends on the number of pages, features, languages and how quickly content is ready. A simple brochure site generally takes less time than a bilingual e-commerce store. Ask each agency for a timeline based on your specific scope.
Do I need a bilingual website in Montreal?
French is required for businesses in Quebec, and many Montreal companies add English to reach more customers. The right setup depends on your audience. A bilingual site must still respect Quebec’s French-language rules.
Should my web design agency also handle SEO?
It helps when the same team considers SEO from the start, since structure, speed and content all influence search visibility. At minimum, your agency should build a technically sound foundation that an SEO specialist can work with.
What should I prepare before the first meeting?
Your goals, target audience, a list of competitor or inspiration sites, your must-have features, your languages, and a budget range. Having your logo and some content ready also speeds things up.
Ready to talk about your website?
Loubane is a Montreal web agency that builds and improves websites for businesses across Quebec and Canada, from website design and development to SEO and ongoing maintenance. Bring your 12 questions; we are happy to answer them. Contact us or call or WhatsApp us at 438-933-7601, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
