You have narrowed your search down to two or three developers. They have sent you their proposals via WhatsApp or email. The prices look reasonable, and they have assured you they can deliver what you want.
You are about to pay the deposit. Stop.
In Nigeria, the difference between a successful web project and a complete disaster is usually determined before a single line of code is written. To avoid being burned, you need to interview your developer.
Here are twelve specific questions you must ask. We have included what a good answer sounds like, and what a bad answer sounds like, so you can filter out the amateurs.
1. Who will the domain name be registered to?
Bad Answer: "Don't worry, I will buy it for you with my account." Good Answer: "I will purchase it, but I will register it using your company's email address as the legal owner. Or, I can guide you to buy it yourself."
Why it matters: Your domain name (yourbusiness.com) is your digital property. If the developer registers it in their own name, they legally own it. If you ever have a dispute, they can take your website offline or demand an extortionate fee to transfer it back. You must always be the registered owner. We have written a full guide on who actually owns your website to explain this further.
2. Do I get full admin access?
Bad Answer: "No, you just get an editor account so you don't break anything. We keep the main admin access." Good Answer: "Yes. Once the final payment is made, we hand over full administrative credentials. We recommend you let us handle the technical updates, but you own the keys."
Why it matters: If you do not have full admin access, you are renting your own website. You are completely dependent on that developer for everything.
3. What happens if your agency shuts down or you disappear?
Bad Answer: "That won't happen, we have been in business for years." Good Answer: "You own the domain, you have full admin access to the hosting, and we provide you with a complete backup of the source code upon launch. If we disappear tomorrow, any competent developer can take over immediately."
Why it matters: Agencies close. Freelancers get full-time jobs or move abroad. You need to know that your business continuity is not tied to one person's availability.
4. Is this a fixed price or an estimate?
Bad Answer: "It should be around ₦500,000, but it might change depending on what features you decide to add later." Good Answer: "This is a fixed price of ₦500,000 for the exact scope of work listed in this contract. If you request new features outside this scope, we will quote them separately before starting."
Why it matters: You need budget certainty. Vague estimates often turn into expensive hostage situations right before launch.
5. What exactly is NOT included in this quote?
Bad Answer: "Everything is included. We will handle it all." Good Answer: "This quote does not include annual domain renewals, monthly hosting fees, creating your logo, or writing the text for your 'About' page. We need you to provide the copy and images."
Why it matters: Amateurs over-promise to win the job. Professionals define strict boundaries so expectations are aligned.
6. Where is the website going to be hosted?
Bad Answer: "We have our own server we put all our clients on." Good Answer: "We host it on an isolated environment using AWS, DigitalOcean, or a reputable managed provider. We can set up the billing directly to your card so you maintain control."
Why it matters: Developers hosting 50 client websites on one cheap, shared server is common in Nigeria. If one of those other sites gets hacked or gets a spike in traffic, your website goes down with it.
7. Can I edit the text and images myself?
Bad Answer: "You just email us what you want changed, and we do it for you (for a fee)." Good Answer: "Yes, we will build it on a Content Management System (like WordPress or Sanity) and provide a training session so you can update products, text, and photos yourself without writing code."
Why it matters: You should not have to pay a developer every time you want to change a comma or update a phone number.
8. Will the site be fast on a Nigerian mobile network?
Bad Answer: "Yes, we use the latest premium themes so it is very fast." Good Answer: "Yes. We optimise all images, avoid heavy page builders, and use a CDN. We test the site specifically on 3G and 4G networks because we know that is how 80% of your customers will visit."
Why it matters: A site that loads fast on a developer's fast office Wi-Fi might take 15 seconds to load on a customer's phone in traffic. If it is slow, you lose sales.
9. What happens if there is a bug after launch?
Bad Answer: "We build it perfectly, so there shouldn't be any bugs." Good Answer: "We provide a 30-day post-launch warranty. If anything we built breaks during that time, we fix it for free. After that, we offer monthly maintenance plans."
Why it matters: Software is complex. Minor bugs will surface when real users start clicking around. You need a guaranteed window where the developer is obligated to fix their own mistakes.
10. Can you show me a live site you built?
Bad Answer: Sends you screenshots or links to sites that say "Built by [Another Agency]" in the footer. Good Answer: Sends you live links where their name is clearly visible in the footer, or they can explain the deep technical decisions they made on that specific project.
Why it matters: It is incredibly easy to fake a portfolio. You need proof they actually engineered what they are showing you.
11. Do you use templates or build custom?
Bad Answer: "We build custom," but they deliver the site in three days and it looks identical to a competitor's. Good Answer: "For your budget, we will start with a solid premium theme and heavily customise it to match your brand. If you need a fully custom build from scratch, that falls into our higher pricing tier."
Why it matters: Using a template is not inherently wrong for a small budget, but lying about it is. Honesty here reveals their integrity.
12. What are the recurring annual costs?
Bad Answer: "It's just a one-off payment for the design." Good Answer: "The design is a one-off fee. However, you will need to pay for domain renewal (approx. $15/year) and hosting (approx. $150/year). Because these are billed in Dollars, the Naira equivalent will fluctuate."
Why it matters: A website is digital real estate. You need to know the true cost of keeping the lights on.
Finding an honest technical partner
At TideRelay, we answer these twelve questions the exact same way every time. We build digital products where you own your domain, you hold the admin keys, and you understand the true costs from day one.
Unlike many agencies, we publish our pricing publicly. You can see exactly what our tiers cost, what is included, and what you will pay for ongoing maintenance.
We do not just build websites; we build technical infrastructure that you actually own and control. If you want to work with a team that values transparency and technical excellence, check out our past work or contact us today for a straight answer on your project.
Have a project in mind?
Get a fixed quote from a Port Harcourt team.