Reading an Agency Portfolio Critically
By CodexierPublished 4 min read
When you choose a web agency, the portfolio is usually the first thing you look at, and it is designed to impress. Polished mockups, big-brand logos and before-and-after screenshots say little about what your project will be like. A few minutes of checking tells you much more: whether the work is live, whether it resembles what you need, who did it and whether it achieved anything. This guide gives you a practical routine, and it applies to our own portfolio as much as anyone else's.
Is the work real and live?
- Visit each site you are interested in. A portfolio item with no live link, or a link to a site that looks different, is a question to ask, not necessarily a red flag, but you need the answer.
- Check the footer or source for credits, and look at the site on your phone. Mobile quality is where many projects cut corners.
- Run a quick speed check with PageSpeed Insights. A slow site in the portfolio suggests how yours might turn out.
- Note whether concept work is labelled as such. Unbuilt designs are fine to show, but they are not delivered projects.
Relevance to your project
| Look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Similar size and budget | A large-brand campaign site says little about a ten-page service site |
| Similar features | Booking, webshop, multilingual or integrations with Fortnox or a CRM |
| Similar audience | B2B, local consumers or a regulated industry such as healthcare |
| Swedish context | Swish, Klarna, BankID, Swedish copy and legal pages |
| Recent work | Projects from the last couple of years reflect current skills and tools |
A portfolio without anything close to your project is not a dealbreaker, especially for smaller studios, but it means you should ask how they would approach your specific requirements and look harder at process and references.
Who did the work
Agencies change staff, and some subcontract design or development. A beautiful portfolio built by people who have since left says little about your project. Ask directly: who designed and built this, are they still here, and who would work on my project? It is also fair to ask whether any part of the work is done by subcontractors, and where. None of these answers is wrong in itself, but you should know them before signing.
For more on this choice, see web agency or freelancer and our list of questions to ask a web agency.
Results vs pretty pictures
A website exists to produce enquiries, bookings or sales. Case studies that describe the client's problem, what was done and what changed are more useful than galleries. Be sceptical of precise percentage claims without context: ask what was measured, over what period and compared with what. An honest agency will also tell you when results were hard to measure or when the client's own changes mattered as much.
- Did the project have a stated goal, and was it met?
- Is the client still using the site, and has it been maintained?
- Did the agency stay involved after launch, or hand over and leave?
Questions about a project you like
- What was the brief and budget range, roughly?
- How long did it take from start to launch, and what caused delays?
- What would you do differently today?
- Who owns the code, domain and hosting accounts?
- May we speak to the client?
Apply the same test to us: ask these questions about any project in our portfolio, and our website launch package is priced openly on the pricing page. When not to buy from us: if you need a large, campaign-heavy brand site with a big creative team, a larger agency may suit you better. To ask us these questions directly, book a free call.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a red flag if an agency cannot share client names?
Not always. Some clients require confidentiality. But the agency should still be able to show the work in some form, explain the project in detail and offer at least one reference you can contact.
How many portfolio projects should I look at?
Two or three that resemble your project are enough, examined properly. Scrolling through thirty quickly tells you about style, not about what working with them is like.
Should I trust ratings on review sites?
They are one signal among several. Read the written reviews for specifics about communication, deadlines and after-launch support, and check that the reviews look like real clients.
What if a new agency has no portfolio?
Look at the individuals' previous work, ask for a small paid first project, and weigh process, communication and contract terms more heavily.
Comparing agencies for your next website?
Bring the portfolios you are considering. In fifteen minutes we can help you judge which projects are relevant to yours and what to ask, including about our own work.
Book a free 15-minute call