How to Choose a Web Design Company in Nairobi: 12 Questions to Ask

Short answer: the right web design company in Nairobi is one that can show you similar work, gives you a fixed written scope and price, registers your domain and hosting in your name, builds for phones and M-Pesa from day one, sets up the SEO basics, and tells you exactly what happens after launch. The 12 questions below will help you test all of that in one conversation, so you can compare quotes fairly instead of just picking the cheapest.

Nairobi has hundreds of web designers, from solo freelancers to full agencies. Prices and quality vary widely, and most of the difference only shows up months after launch. Here’s what to ask. (For how we answer these ourselves, see our page on web design in Nairobi.)

Before you start: know what you need

Write down three things before you contact anyone:

• Your goal. Phone calls, WhatsApp enquiries, online sales, bookings, or credibility for tenders and partners.
• Must-have features. M-Pesa checkout, bookings, a blog, customer logins, SMS or WhatsApp notifications.
• Your budget band and deadline. A rough range is enough. It lets a good company suggest the right scope.

With that on paper, each conversation becomes a comparison rather than a sales pitch.

The 12 questions to ask a web design company

1. Can you show me websites you’ve built for businesses like mine?

Ask for live examples, not just screenshots. Open them on your phone. Are they fast? Is the phone number tappable? Can you find prices, services and contact details in a few seconds? A company that can’t show relevant, live work is asking you to take a risk.

2. Who will own the domain, hosting and website files?

This is the most important question on the list. Your domain (.co.ke or .com) should be registered in your name, and you should get admin access to the website and hosting. If the developer owns everything, moving away later can be slow, expensive or impossible.

3. What exactly is included in the price?

Get a written scope: number of pages, design rounds, features, content upload, SEO set-up, training and launch support. Two quotes for “a five-page website” can describe very different jobs. Our website cost guide for Kenya explains what normally changes the price, and our pricing page shows our starting points.

4. What will it cost every year after launch?

The build is a one-off; the running costs are not. Ask for the yearly cost of the domain, hosting, SSL, backups and maintenance in writing. For example, our hosting includes SSL, backups are a paid add-on, and care plans start from USD 600 a year. Whatever the numbers, you should know them before you sign.

5. How long will it take, and what do you need from me?

A typical business website can be built in about a week once the content is ready. Ask what the company needs from you (logo, text, photos, access to your domain) and by when. Most delays come from missing content, not from the build itself. A good company will tell you this upfront.

6. How will the website work on phones and slow connections?

Most of your visitors will arrive on a phone, often on mobile data. Ask how the site will be built “mobile first”, how images are compressed, and whether they test speed (for example with Google PageSpeed Insights) before launch.

7. Can customers pay with M-Pesa, and is it automatic?

If you sell online or take deposits, ask whether M-Pesa payments confirm orders automatically (STK Push, Paybill or Till via Safaricom’s API) or whether you’ll be checking statements by hand. Also ask about card and PayPal payments for customers abroad. See our M-Pesa integration page for what’s possible.

8. What SEO is included, and how will people find the site?

At minimum, every page should have a proper title and description, one clear heading, a logical structure, a sitemap and fast loading. For local businesses, ask about help with your Google Business Profile. Be wary of anyone who guarantees “page one in a month”. Ask what they will actually do instead. For ongoing work, see local SEO in Kenya.

9. Will I be able to update the website myself?

Ask which platform they use (WordPress is common because it’s flexible and widely supported), whether you’ll get training, and what you can change without calling them: text, images, products, blog posts.

10. What happens if the site breaks or gets hacked?

Websites need regular updates, backups and security monitoring. Ask whether there’s a care plan, what it covers, how fast they respond, and what’s charged separately. For example, we treat malware removal and speed optimisation as separate services from the yearly care plan, and say so in writing. See WordPress maintenance and care plans.

11. How do you communicate during the project?

Find out who your contact person is, which channels they use (phone, WhatsApp, email, video call), their working hours and how quickly they reply. A clear process with stages and sign-offs is a good sign. Here’s our process as an example.

12. How long have you been in business, and can I meet you?

Longevity matters, because you want the company to still be around when your site needs updates in three years. Ask when they started, where their office is, and whether you can meet, virtually or in person. We have been in business since 2012, and we’re based at Watermark Business Park in Karen, but most of our first meetings happen online.

Red flags to watch for

• A very low price with no written scope. The missing parts usually come back as extra charges or a broken site.
• The domain or hosting registered in the developer’s name.
• No live portfolio, or only work on unrelated platforms.
• “Guaranteed first position on Google.” Nobody can promise that.
• No plan for updates and backups after launch.
• Slow or vague replies before you’ve paid. It rarely gets better after.

Freelancer or agency?

Both can work. A freelancer may cost less and be very good at one thing, such as design. An agency usually brings design, development, payments, hosting, SEO and support under one roof, with someone to cover when a person is away. Ask the 12 questions either way. The answers matter more than the label.

A simple way to compare quotes

Put each company’s answers side by side:

The best choice is rarely the cheapest or the most expensive. It’s the one with clear answers to all twelve.

Already have a website?

If you’re not sure whether to fix or replace your current site, a website audit is a good first step. We quote audits after a quick look at your site.

Ask us the 12 questions

We’re happy to answer every one of them on a call. During working hours (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm EAT) we reply within minutes on phone or WhatsApp at +254 705 828 000. Schedule a discovery call to discuss your project.

Written by Vincent Ochieng, founder of Butterfly Prime Solutions (since 2012). Last updated: 16 October 2026.