By Mehdi HassanReferences are the cheapest due diligence you'll do on an agency, and the most skipped. A 20-minute call with a past client can reveal more than a whole pitch. This checklist covers reviews, LinkedIn and a reference-call script you can copy.
How do you check web design agency references?
You check web design agency references in four passes: read public reviews, verify people and projects on LinkedIn, call references the agency gives you, and find one or two they didn't. Each pass catches problems the others miss.
Read the public reviews
Scan Clutch, Contra, G2 or wherever the agency is listed. Note the dates, the project types and any repeated complaints.
Verify the team on LinkedIn
Check that the people on the pitch work there now and that the portfolio projects match their history.
Ask for two or three references
Ask for clients with projects similar to yours, and for one project that hit problems.
Run the reference-call script
Use the same questions on every call and write the answers down straight away.
Find one reference yourself
Contact a past client from the portfolio who wasn't offered as a reference.
Compare across agencies
Put the answers side by side. Look for patterns, not single comments.
This is one step in a wider process. Our guide to hiring a web design agency shows where references fit, and our questions to ask a web design agency covers what to ask the agency directly.
How do you read Clutch, G2 and Contra reviews?
Read agency reviews for specifics, not stars. Most established agencies have high average ratings, so the useful signal is in what reviewers describe: deadlines, scope changes, who they worked with and what happened after launch.
Platform | What to trust | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
Clutch | Long, interview-based reviews with project details and budgets | Reviews clustered in a short burst, or only very old ones |
Contra | Reviews tied to real paid projects on the platform | Small numbers; read every review, not the average |
G2 | Useful for software tools and some service providers | Few agencies are listed; absence isn't a red flag |
Google reviews | Local businesses and recent clients | Short reviews with no project detail |
The agency's own site | Named clients and specific quotes | Anonymous or first-name-only testimonials |
For transparency: we're rated 4.92 on Contra from 11 reviews. A score like that is a starting point, not proof, and it's exactly why we'd tell you to read the review text and call a past client before hiring us or anyone else.
How do you use LinkedIn to verify an agency?
Use LinkedIn to confirm that the people and projects in the pitch are real and current. It takes ten minutes and catches the most common mismatch: senior people on the pitch, someone else on the work.
- Team check: do the designers, writers and developers named in the proposal list the agency as their current employer?
- Tenure check: has the core team been there long enough to have worked on the portfolio projects shown?
- Client check: do people at the portfolio clients exist, and would they plausibly have worked with the agency at that time?
- Subcontracting check: if key roles are freelancers, that's fine, but the agency should say so up front.
What should you ask on a reference call?
Ask about the hard moments, not just the result. Every reference will say the site looks great; you need to know how the agency behaved when scope changed, a deadline slipped or feedback got difficult.
- What did you hire them for, and what was the budget range?
- Who did the day-to-day work, and were they the people you met in the pitch?
- Did the project finish on the date you agreed at the start? If not, why?
- Did the price change? What caused it, and how was it handled?
- What was the hardest moment in the project, and what did the agency do?
- Who wrote the copy, and how much did your team have to do?
- What happened after launch? Did anything break, and how fast was it fixed?
- Would you hire them again for the same kind of project? What would you change?
A short email to request a reference call
Subject: Quick question about your website project with [agency]
Hi [name], we're considering [agency] for our website and saw your site in their portfolio. Would you have 15 minutes this week for a few questions about how the project went? Happy to work around your schedule, and I'll keep it short.
Thanks, [your name], [company]
Keep it brief and specific. Most people are happy to help another founder if you respect their time, and a short call is easier to say yes to than a long questionnaire.
Which reference answers reveal delivery problems?
Delivery problems show up in hesitation, vague praise and answers that describe the outcome but skip the process. Strong references give concrete details without being pushed.
What you hear | What it often means |
|---|---|
"It was fine" or "they were nice" | Low enthusiasm; ask what they'd change |
"We ended up writing most of the copy" | Copy wasn't really in scope, even if it was promised |
"The lead was great, then someone else took over" | Senior pitch, junior delivery |
"It took longer, but that was partly us" | Possibly fair; ask how the agency handled the delay |
"We still call them when something breaks" | Good relationship and real post-launch support |
"They pushed back on some of our ideas" | Usually a good sign of an opinionated partner |
What red flags should end the agency hiring process?
End the process if an agency won't provide any reference you can contact, if references contradict the pitch on who did the work, or if several clients describe the same problem. One unhappy client happens; a pattern is a warning.
- No references at all, or only references from many years ago.
- References who can't remember the agency's team or process.
- Repeated mentions of missed deadlines or surprise invoices.
- Portfolio projects the listed client doesn't recognize.
- Defensive reactions when you ask to speak to a past client.
If you're comparing affordable options, our list of affordable web design agencies that still do quality work shows how to weigh price against these checks, and our guide to what a full-service web design agency delivers helps you confirm what references should be able to describe.
