How to choose a web agency

Not a disqualification, but a signal for deeper scrutiny. Good agencies can transfer patterns from one industry to another - more importantly, they often bring a fresh perspective that agencies working exclusively with one industry don't have. But ask specifically: what UX or technical problems have they solved in projects similar in scale, not industry? If they can't answer that question - that's a warning sign.

Start with Google Maps - reviews there are harder to moderate than on an agency's site. Clutch.co is a database with verified reviews from clients, where each review goes through a vetting process. LinkedIn allows you to see if the people listed as "team" actually work at that company and for how long. Most valuable, however, are phone calls with references - ask the agency to contact 2-3 clients from the last 12 months and actually call them. An agency that can't provide such contacts answers this question itself.

Five elements absolutely necessary: first, the precise scope of work (number of pages, features, integrations - not "company website with CMS"). Second, a clause on the transfer of economic copyrights to the code and graphic design to you - without it, the agency remains the owner of the work results. Third, a schedule with milestones and consequences for delays. Fourth, a scope change request procedure with a specific hourly rate. Fifth, a post-launch warranty SLA - a minimum of 3 months with a defined response time for a critical error. Anything that is not in a written contract - does not exist.