A website is the one thing here you pay for once and live with for years. That is why mistakes here are the most expensive to fix.
What you are actually buying
When you buy a website you are buying three separate things that are usually sold as one: design, technical build, and copy. The quoted price almost always covers only the first two.
The copy is the part that decides whether anyone contacts you. It is also the part most often left out of the offer or handed back to you with the sentence "you will provide the content". If that sentence appears nowhere, ask directly before you sign.
What each budget realistically buys
50 – 300 €
A ready template filled with text. Possible, and sometimes entirely enough for a business card site. Do not expect copy, structure, measurement or support. The price is not the problem; selling it as an "optimised site" is.
800 – 2 500 €
A real build on your own structure, with copy, a contact form, measurement and basic technical hygiene. This is the range where most small businesses get something that works.
3 000 € +
Custom design, research before the build, more than 15 pages, integrations with external systems. Justified when the site is your main sales channel.
The first questions
W1
Who writes the copy, and how do you decide what to write about?
Why you ask
This is the most commonly skipped part of an offer and the most common reason a finished site sits empty for months.
A good answer
Names a specific person, states how many pages the price covers, and explains where the topics come from: your customers, search demand, the questions you get on the phone.
A bad answer
"You will send us the texts", mentioned at the last minute. Or "we will generate the content", with nothing about how topics are chosen.
How to check
Ask to see one finished page with real copy from another of their projects. If they all read like the same text with words swapped, you know what you are getting.
W2
What platform will the site run on, and can I move it to another provider?
Why you ask
Some providers build on their own in-house system, which does not exist outside their company. That is not theft, but it means you can never change provider without paying for a new site.
A good answer
Names a platform that exists publicly, and confirms that on termination you receive the files and the database.
A bad answer
"Our own system, faster than anything on the market." It may even be true. The problem is that you are locked in.
How to check
Ask directly: if we stop working tomorrow, what exactly do you hand me and in what format. The answer should be specific, not "we will sort it out".
W3
Whose name will the domain and hosting be registered under?
Why you ask
The domain is the one thing you cannot recover if the relationship breaks down. Everything else can be rebuilt.
A good answer
The domain is in your name and your account, with technical access for the provider. Hosting may sit with them, as long as you get access on request.
A bad answer
"We will take care of everything", with no mention of whose name. Check this before payment, not after.
How to check
Domain registration is public. Search for "whois" and your domain: the registrant field should point to you or your company.