The web market is one of the most opaque there is. Prices run from €200 to €20,000 for what looks like "the same site", and when you're not in the trade it's very hard to tell who's serious and who's selling you hot air. Good news: a few simple rules let you filter fast. Here's how to choose without getting burned.
The red flags that should make you run
Before you even compare skills, spot the warning signs. If a provider ticks even one of these boxes, be wary:
- A vague price, no written quote. "We'll see based on time spent": no. A pro prices what they offer clearly, in black and white.
- They ask you to pay everything upfront. 100% before a single deliverable is the surest way never to see your money again.
- No portfolio. No examples of work to show? That's a deal-breaker.
- They don't leave you the owner. If the site and the domain name stay in their name, you're trapped: you can never leave.
- A mandatory subscription that starts BEFORE delivery. You pay every month for a site that doesn't exist yet. Run.
- Jargon to muddy the waters. When you understand nothing, it's often because they don't want you to.
- Unreachable after the sale. The ultimate test: try to get them on the phone before signing. If it's already hard, imagine afterwards.
The right questions to ask
An honest provider answers these without hesitation — and without jargon. Ask them every time:
- Who owns the site and the domain name in the end? The only right answer: you.
- What exactly does maintenance cover? Hosting, security, updates, backups: what's included, what's extra?
- What are the delivery timelines? A clear date, not a vague "soon".
- Will I have a single point of contact? Or will I be bounced from one department to another?
- Can I see examples of your work? And ideally, speak to a past client.
The healthy payment model
This is often where it all comes down. A serious provider never asks for 100% upfront. The healthy, standard model is a deposit on order (often 50%) and the balance on delivery, once the site is approved. That balance protects you: the provider is committed, and you keep leverage to the end.
The golden rule: never pay for a site in full before seeing it work. A deposit, yes. Everything upfront, never.
And concretely, at Norvio?
We built Norvio precisely against all these abuses. Clear, fixed prices, announced upfront and detailed on our pricing page. A single point of contact from quote to delivery — the one who designs, codes and answers. You stay the owner of everything: your site, your domain name, your content. And a healthy payment: a 50% deposit on order, the balance on delivery, or payment in 4 instalments if you'd rather spread it.
No jargon, no trap subscription, no hidden costs. You know what you pay, and you know what you get.