Most business owners in Missoula and the surrounding areas focus on price and deliverables. The bigger risk is discovering six months later that nobody clarified ownership, responsibilities, reporting, or what happens when things go wrong.

Here’s a practical list organized by category.

Ownership & Access

• Do I own my website, domain name, content, and creative assets?
• Do I receive administrative access to all accounts?
• What happens to my website, ads, and marketing assets if we stop working together?
• Who owns the website code, graphics, photos, videos, and written content?
• Will all logins and passwords be provided to me upon request?
• Are any tools or platforms tied to your agency account rather than mine?

Scope & Deliverables

• What exactly is included in this agreement?
• What is specifically not included?
• How many revisions are included before additional fees apply?
• What happens if I need work outside the agreed scope?
• Are there any deliverables guaranteed each month?
• How do you define a completed project?

Pricing & Contracts

• Are there any setup fees or upfront costs?
• Are there additional software, licensing, hosting, or advertising costs?
• Is there a minimum contract term?
• How much notice is required to cancel?
• Are there any cancellation fees?
• How often can pricing change?
• What services could generate additional charges?

Website Management

• Who manages the website after launch?
• Is ongoing maintenance included?
• How quickly are updates typically completed?
• Who is responsible for hosting?
• What is your process for backups?
• What happens if the website goes down?

Security & Risk

• Who is responsible for security monitoring?
• What security measures are included?
• What happens if my website is hacked or breached?
• Is malware cleanup included?
• Do you carry professional liability or cyber insurance?
• How often are backups tested?

Performance & Reporting

• How will success be measured?
• What metrics do you report on each month?
• How often will we meet to review performance?
• Will I have access to analytics and reporting dashboards?
• How do you attribute leads and sales to marketing efforts?
• What would you consider a successful first six months?

Advertising & Lead Generation

• Who manages advertising budgets?
• Are ad spend and management fees separate?
• What platforms do you recommend and why?
• How do you track leads from ads?
• What happens if campaigns underperform?
• Who approves ad creative and messaging before launch?

Communication & Support

• Who will be my primary point of contact?
• How quickly can I expect responses?
• Do you offer phone support, email support, or both?
• Is helpdesk support included?
• If support is not included, what is the hourly rate?
• How are urgent issues handled?

Strategy & Expertise

• Have you worked with businesses like mine before?
• Can you show examples of similar projects?
• What do you think are the biggest marketing opportunities for my business?
• What would you recommend we not spend money on right now?
• What does your onboarding process look like?
• What information will you need from me to succeed?

Exit Questions

• If we part ways, what does the transition process look like?
• How long will you retain our data and assets?
• Will you help transfer accounts to another provider?
• Are there any fees associated with the transition?
• What will I need to take over myself?

One Question That Reveals a Lot

Ask:

“If I were your family member and had a limited budget, what would you spend money on first, what would you postpone, and why?”

A good agency will answer clearly. A weak agency will try to sell everything at once. That answer often tells you more than the proposal itself.