What Nonprofits & Businesses Should Ask Before Hiring a Web Agency

For nonprofits and advocacy organizations, your website isn’t just a digital brochure—it’s your most powerful storytelling tool. It helps secure funding, galvanize supporters, and extend your mission beyond physical boundaries. For businesses, it drives visibility, builds trust, and creates a direct line to customers.

But whether you're advocating for change or scaling your service, the stakes are the same: choosing the right web agency can determine how effectively your message reaches the world.

At Loopdash, we’ve partnered with organizations across the spectrum—from grassroots campaigns and community nonprofits to growing companies and national networks. We’ve seen what leads to a smooth, mission-aligned build—and what issues tend to derail progress.

If you're preparing an RFP or simply exploring options, here's how to evaluate a web design agency and make sure they’re the right fit for your nonprofit, advocacy group, or business.

1. Platform Choice: Does Their Approach Fit Your Needs?

From WordPress to custom stacks to no-code platforms, every agency has its preferences. Make sure their recommendation aligns with your capacity and goals—not just their in-house tooling.

Things to explore:

• Is the CMS open-source or proprietary?
• Will your team be able to edit pages easily?
• Are there limits on scalability or integrations?

For most nonprofits and advocacy sites, we recommend WordPress. It’s flexible, easy to manage, and well-supported—ideal for growing organizations that need editorial control without technical overhead.

2. Timeline & Process: What Should You Expect?

Transparency around project timelines is crucial, especially if your launch is tied to a campaign, funding cycle, or legislative calendar.

Ask agencies to walk you through:

• Their standard process from kickoff to launch
• Expected phases and milestones
• How they handle delays, approvals, or scope changes

This insight helps you align internal workflows—like stakeholder reviews or content development—with their production calendar.

3. Collaboration: How Much Will Your Team Be Responsible For?

Website redesigns often require input from leadership, communications, development, and tech. Clarify how involved your team will be—and whether the agency offers strategic support.

Look for clarity around:

• Who’s responsible for writing or editing content
• Support for accessibility, branding, or UX strategy
• How many revision rounds are included in the process

Knowing what’s expected upfront prevents scope creep and keeps things moving.

4. Training & Handoff: Will You Be Set Up for Success?

Post-launch independence is one of the most overlooked parts of hiring a web agency. Your team shouldn’t feel lost the day the site goes live.

Make sure to discuss:

• What kind of training, videos, or documentation are included
• Whether the CMS will be customized or user-friendly out of the box
• If follow-up support is available in the first 30–60 days

Empowering your team reduces long-term dependency and ensures smooth onboarding for new staff or volunteers.

5. Ownership: Do You Control Your Site and Assets?

Ownership questions are especially important for nonprofits who may rely on changing grant partners, hosting providers, or consultants over time.

Clarify:

• Who owns the design, content, and code
• What happens if you want to change hosts or agencies
• Whether all third-party accounts (e.g. DNS, analytics) will be in your name

At Loopdash, our clients retain full ownership of their websites. Your mission deserves control, not lock-in.

6. Long-Term Support: What Happens After Launch?

Your website should evolve alongside your programs. Whether it's adding a new donation tool, launching a campaign, or publishing a policy brief, you’ll want support beyond day one.

Discuss:

• Monthly maintenance or retainer options
• Hourly or on-demand availability
• Typical turnaround times for content updates or feature requests

Look for partners who treat post-launch support as part of a long-term relationship—not an afterthought.

Final Thoughts: Choosing a Mission-Aligned Web Partner

For nonprofits and advocacy organizations, hiring a web design agency is about more than just aesthetics—it’s about clarity, credibility, and impact.

The right partner will:

• Understand your mission and messaging
• Build with accessibility and sustainability in mind
• Equip your team with the tools and confidence to thrive online

If you're preparing for a redesign or simply exploring possibilities, we’d be glad to share ideas or offer advice. No pitch, no pressure—just insight from a team that’s walked this path with others like you.

Your mission deserves a website that works as hard as you do.