We talked to three agencies but the quotes are completely different — which one should I choose?

- price: which is realistic? (too cheap = incomplete work, too expensive = they're exploiting that u have money)

- duration: which isn't ambitious? (2 months = impossible, 6 months = slow)

- scope: is it written? (if not written, like B's 'mobile responsive', it could be a hidden upsell)

- references: let's call someone too, see if they actually did it

i was in the same boat, ended up picking one, wasn't perfect. tbh but here's what i learned: don't go for the cheapest or the most expensive. pick the middle-ground one but make sure they're responsive and easy to deal with. human communication matters.

edit: I wrote something wrong above, sorry about that.

as a consultant: even if price and timeline are the same, ask yourself 'who will i actually want to call later?' and pick the one you'd feel comfortable texting. a technically good but unreachable agency is bad.

everyone saying something different is scary.. then but is that the issue? im not a consultant or anything. can i just call a reference and ask 'who gave better service'?

a: '2 months'. b: '3 months'. c: '6 weeks'. honestly guess they all learned different math lol. anyway, it always ends up takig 4-5 months in the end, so just pick one.

I agree, and I'd like to emphasize that. The system lives on after delivery; maintenance is a separate line item.

I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

I was thinking the same thing. Access credentials should be opened in the company's name, not personal accounts.

I'm a small business, let me explain from my side. When making a decision, first look at what data you have on hand.

Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval. Good luck with that.

We got stuck at the same point for a while. When making decisions, write down the worst-case scenario too, not just the best.

Proven by experience.

My perspective changed after experiencing that. When we decide without measuring, we always end up in the same place.

Weekly written progress reports are much more useful than asking for dates. Hope this helps.

I'm curious too.

id appreciate it if you shared the outcome.

Looking at it as a process, the picture changes. Trying to do this alone is the most expensive way.

Hasty decisions become decisions you have to fix six months later. If you have questions, write them; I'll answer as best I can.

The answer above hits the nail on the head. The cheapest quote is usually the least thought-out one.

Good luck with that.

I don't think this advice fits everyone. Start with a small trial; don't commit to everything at once.

Same here. The real issue isn't the number, but what it's based on.

Solutions that work at a small scale collapse when you grow; I learned this late. Good luck with that.

The opposite happened to me, that's why I'm writing. Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

If you have questions, write them; I'll answer as best I can.

I'm a small business, let me explain from my side. When making decisions, write down the worst-case scenario too, not just the best.

That's all, sorry if I went on too long.