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How to choose a web studio in Tashkent: 12 questions before signing
What to check in a portfolio besides design, the 12 questions to ask a studio before signing a contract, and the warning signs that tell you to walk away.
Every web studio has nice pictures in its portfolio. The difference shows up later: when the site needs an update, a move to another hosting provider, a new contractor, or when you need to find out who owns the domain. Below: what to look for in a portfolio, 12 questions to ask before signing a contract, and the warning signs that tell you to walk away.
Portfolio: what to check besides design
Screenshots only show how a site looks. Open the portfolio sites yourself and check five things.
- The sites are live. They open, forms submit, news and prices have recent dates. If half the projects are broken, that tells you how the studio supports sites after launch.
- Mobile. Most visitors come from smartphones. Menus, tables and forms should be easy to use on a small screen.
- Speed. Test a couple of sites in PageSpeed Insights, a free Google tool.
- Language versions. If you need a site in Russian, Uzbek and English, see how the studio handles language switching and whether the Uzbek version is machine-translated.
- Similar projects. A business card site, an online store with payments and a government website need different experience. Look for projects close to yours.
12 questions to ask before signing
Get the answers in writing, in the proposal or in the contract.
- Is there a contract, and what does it cover? Scope, stage deadlines, price, acceptance and what happens if deadlines slip.
- Whose name is the domain registered in? It should be your company's. Otherwise you can lose the site when you change contractors.
- Who owns the source code and design files? Check whether the studio hands over code, design files and the rights to them after payment.
- What access will you get? Site admin panel, hosting, email, analytics. Admin access should be yours, not only the studio's.
- Which platform will the site run on? A popular CMS, the studio's own system or a framework. Ask whether other developers could work on it if needed.
- Can you update the site yourself? You should be able to change news, prices, products and photos without a developer. Ask to see the admin panel.
- How do stages and approvals work? Brief, prototype, design, development, content, launch. What you approve at each stage and how many rounds of changes are included.
- How is the price calculated? A serious studio quotes after it understands the task, based on a brief or a specification. A price with no questions asked is a warning sign.
- What are the payment terms? Usually a prepayment and a payment on delivery. Paying 100% up front leaves you with no leverage.
- Is there a warranty? How many months after launch the studio fixes bugs for free, and what counts as a bug.
- What does the basic SEO setup include? Meta tags, sitemap, speed, page URLs, language versions, Google Search Console and Yandex Webmaster. This should be part of development, not a separate service "for later".
- What happens after launch? Who is responsible for hosting, backups and updates, how much support costs and how fast the studio responds to problems.
Red flags
| What they say | Why it is a problem |
|---|---|
| "We guarantee #1 in Google" | Rankings depend on the search engine and competitors. Google itself warns that no one can guarantee the top spot |
| "No contract needed, we work on trust" | Nothing confirms the deadlines, scope or your rights to the site |
| "Here is the price, no questions" | The studio has not understood the task. Extra charges usually follow |
| "We will register the domain in our name, it is easier" | The site effectively belongs to the contractor |
| "We do not hand over the code" | You are locked in to one studio |
| No live sites in the portfolio | There is no way to check the quality of work |
How we answer
LIFESTYLE has worked in Tashkent since 2013 and is an IT Park resident. Our answers to the questions above:
- We work under a contract. We price the project from the specification, and the estimate is free.
- Payment: 50% up front, 50% on delivery.
- We register the domain in your name. After payment we hand over the source code, design files and access to hosting and the admin panel.
- The site runs on our LS CMS: you update pages, news and products yourself.
- 3-month warranty after launch. Hosting and technical support for the first year are included.
- Basic SEO setup is part of development: meta tags, sitemap, loading speed, language versions.
See our portfolio: from the BYD car brand site to the Uzbek Republican Currency Exchange website.
FAQ
Web studio or freelancer?
A freelancer can handle a small site if you are ready to manage deadlines and quality yourself. A studio has a designer, developers and a project manager, so it is better suited to complex sites and keeps supporting the site even if one person leaves.
How many studios should I compare?
Two or three are usually enough. Send them the same brief so you can compare not just prices but the questions they asked and the scope of work.
Do I need a specification before contacting a studio?
No. Describe the task, the audience and a few sites you like. The studio will help you write a detailed specification at the first stage.
Choosing a contractor? See how we handle website development in Tashkent and support sites after launch — we will send a free estimate of cost and timeline.
Further reading: How much does a website cost in Tashkent in 2026; Website specification: template and checklist.
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