Start with your project, not with the agency
Before you contact a web agency, write down what you need. Without a brief, every provider will propose something different, and you will end up comparing prices for projects that have nothing in common.
- Your goal: get calls, sell online, take bookings, replace a spreadsheet, launch a subscription product.
- Your audience: who they are, where they are, which languages they speak.
- The pages and features: list them, even roughly.
- The content: what you already have (texts, photos, logo) and what needs to be created.
- Your constraints: deadline, budget range, rules that apply (French in Québec, privacy, accessibility).
A one-page brief is enough. It saves time for everyone and makes quotes comparable.
Agency, freelancer or DIY?
| Option | Strengths | Limits | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder | Low cost, quick start, full control | Your time, template limits, SEO and performance depend on you | Very small budgets, testing an idea |
| Freelancer | Direct contact, often more affordable | One person: availability, range of skills, continuity | Simple sites with a clear scope |
| Small studio | Design and development together, direct contact with the people doing the work | Capacity limited for very large projects | Custom websites, stores, SaaS for small and medium businesses |
| Large agency | Large teams, many specialties | Higher rates, layers of account management | Large organizations, complex programs |
There is no universally right answer. What matters is that the provider's size and skills match your project, and that you know who will actually do the work.
The questions to ask every provider
- Can I open live websites or platforms you have built, on my phone?
- Who will design and develop my project, and who is my contact?
- What is the timeline, and what do you need from me to keep it?
- What exactly is included in the price, and what is billed separately?
- Do you design custom, or adapt a template?
- How do you handle the French version for Québec customers?
- What do you put in place for privacy (Law 25) and, if needed, accessibility (AODA)?
- What SEO is included at launch?
- Who hosts the site, and what does it cost per year?
- In whose name are the domain, hosting and accounts, and what does the contract say about rights?
- How much does a change cost after launch, and how fast do you respond?
- What is the payment schedule?
Ask for the answers in writing, in the quote or the contract. Vague answers at this stage rarely become clearer later.
Red flags
- A guaranteed first position on Google. Nobody controls Google's rankings. Serious SEO providers explain their work, they do not promise positions.
- No live examples, only mock-ups or screenshots.
- A vague quote with a single line and no description of what is delivered.
- No contract, or a contract that says nothing about rights, timeline and payments.
- Everything registered in the provider's name without explanation, so you cannot leave.
- Fake or bought reviews, or testimonials that cannot be traced to a real business.
- A template sold as custom design.
- Silence on recurring costs until after you sign.
A grid to compare quotes
Put the quotes side by side and score each line. The cheapest quote is not always the least expensive over three years.
| Criterion | What to compare |
|---|---|
| Scope | Same pages, same features, same languages? |
| Design | Custom or template? How many rounds of revisions? |
| Content | Who writes, translates and provides photos? |
| SEO at launch | Titles, descriptions, sitemap, structured data, speed on mobile |
| Compliance | French version, privacy policy, consent, accessibility if required |
| Timeline | Realistic date, with milestones |
| After launch | Hosting, maintenance, support, cost of changes |
| Contract | Payment schedule, rights, accounts, termination |
| Proof | Live projects similar to yours |
Our guide to website costs in Canada helps you check whether a price is in line with the market, and our guide to SaaS development costs does the same for platforms.
What a good first conversation looks like
The first call with a provider tells you a lot about how the whole project will go. A serious agency or freelancer asks more questions than they answer at this stage.
- 01They ask about your business
Your customers, your offer, how you work today and what you expect from the website or platform.
- 02They challenge the scope
They suggest removing what is not useful at launch, and point out what you may have forgotten, such as the French version or the legal pages.
- 03They explain their process
Who does what, how the design is validated, when you see a first version and how feedback is handled.
- 04They show comparable work
Live projects close to yours, with an honest explanation of what they built and what they did not.
- 05They put it in writing
A quote with the scope, the price, the timeline, the payment schedule and what happens after launch.
If you come out of the call without knowing who will do the work, when and for how much, ask again before going further.
Working with a remote agency
Many projects are now run entirely remotely, by video call, email and phone. It works well if the process is clear: a brief, a design to validate before development, a first version to test and a launch date. Check the provider's working hours and time zone, the language of the contract, the currency of the invoices and how payments are made.
Ecosystem Annexe works with clients in Canada, the French Caribbean and mainland France, both in person and remotely. Our Canadian entity, SOLUTION ECOBILL CANADA INC., is located on Drummond Street in Montréal, and you can reach us at +1 (438) 238-3795. Our framework contract is available in English, French or Spanish, Canadian clients can be billed in Canadian dollars, and quotes, contracts, invoices and payments are grouped in a single client space.
How we answer these questions
We publish our starting prices: a landing page from CA$1,400, a multi-page website from CA$4,300, and platforms on quote. Our case studies show live projects you can open. Every site is designed from scratch, built for the phone first, and includes baseline SEO. We never promise a Google position and never buy reviews.
See our services, our prices on the offers page (in French), or contact us with your brief (page in French; we reply in English).
Updated November 13, 2026