- Webflow agency — what it means
- A Webflow agency is a production company that specializes in planning, designing, building, and supporting websites made with the no-code tool Webflow.
Hi, I’m Masato, a Webflow specialist. Since 2020 I have run Webharu, a production company working exclusively in Webflow. Which makes this a slightly strange article: the side being chosen is writing the guide on how to choose. That is exactly why I will skip the sales talk and write honestly, starting from the structure of a quote.
✓ In this article
- Five things to look for in a Webflow agency’s quote
- What the running cost after launch really looks like (based on my own bills)
- A question list you can use as-is before you commission anyone
The conclusion first. What matters in a quote is not the size of the number but these five: (1) who actually builds it, (2) the running cost and support after launch, (3) the quality of the CMS design, (4) whether handover and code export are possible, and (5) the substance behind the portfolio. If a firm’s quote or proposal doesn’t let you read those five, a low price is likely to cost you later. Let me take them in order.
(1) Who builds it: an outside contractor, or the founder and in-house team
The first thing to confirm is who actually does the work. In this industry it is not unusual for the firm that wins the contract to pass implementation to an external partner or freelancer. That is not wrong in itself, but every extra person in the chain makes intent easier to lose in translation and revisions slower.
At Webharu, I build it myself. The person you talk to in meetings is the person who builds, so “that never reached the developer” cannot happen structurally. There are upsides and downsides depending on company size, so the fastest move is simply to ask: “is the person I speak with the same person who builds?”
(2) Running cost and support after launch: does the quote cover life after launch?
A Webflow site keeps costing a site-plan subscription after launch. If that is missing from the quote, or waved through verbally, be careful.
To give you a real number: I run my own site on Webflow, and including the Localization feature I was paying just under ¥100,000 a year. It can be cheaper depending on plan configuration, but it is money that recurs every year — building is not the end. A build that is ¥100,000 cheaper loses that advantage within a few years if it is stacked with options you don’t need. Plan details are in the pricing article, and the itemized real costs are in our article on Webflow’s total cost.
→Webflow pricing plans explained
While you are at it, confirm at quote stage who manages the plan after launch (do you pay Webflow directly, or through the agency?) and what update work and maintenance cost per month.
(3) Quality of the CMS design: can you update the site yourselves?
The big value of Webflow is that your team can update the blog and news without writing code. But if the CMS is designed sloppily, you end up with a site that needs an agency request for every update — which cancels out half the reason you chose Webflow.
At quote or proposal stage, ask which content will live in the CMS, and who is expected to update it and how. A firm that can answer specifically — “the blog, news, and work sections will be in the CMS, and your staff can update them from the editor” — has designed for life after launch.
I run my own blog on the CMS, and over the last 12 months it has grown to 190,000 search impressions (measured in Search Console). A site is not finished the moment it is built; my honest experience is that a design you can keep updating is what produces results.
(4) Handover and code export: can you part ways with this firm?
It is not a cheerful thing to raise, but you should settle “what happens to the site when this contract ends” before you commission anyone. Concretely, two points.
- Ownership of the Webflow project: can they place the project in your own Webflow account (workspace)? If it stays in the agency’s account, you cannot take the site with you when the relationship ends.
- How code export is handled: Webflow can export code, but as a general rule parts such as the CMS and forms stop working in exported code. Eligible plans and specs change, so ask before signing — “what happens if we need a handover?” — and check it against the latest official information.
The more honest the firm, the more specifically it answers this without flinching. A vague answer, conversely, may mean a setup built around locking you in.
(5) The substance behind the portfolio: don’t judge by the look alone
Of course the screenshots on a portfolio page are beautiful. What you should look at is what happened to those sites after launch. Are they still being updated? Is the CMS actually used? Did the relaunch produce results? If you can, open the portfolio sites yourself and check the last-updated date on their news and blog.
For Webharu’s work, I have been involved in building the site for JTB Americas, the site for an event organized by Nippon TV, and translation work for Nas Daily. But more than those names, what I would rather you look at is our own site and this blog. An agency’s own website is where its design thinking and operational strength show up most honestly — so if a candidate firm’s own blog has been frozen for years, it is hard to expect the “design you can keep updating” from point (3).
Bonus: ask how they run the design phase, too
If the design phase of a quote says “build a complete design comp in Figma, then reproduce it in Webflow,” those hours add up. Personally, I almost never use plugins like Figma to Webflow on real projects; my standard flow is “Figma is where we agree on the look with AI mockups → implementation is built directly in Webflow.” Firms think about the process differently, so asking why they run it that way reveals a lot about their skill.
→Why I don’t use Figma to Webflow on real projects
Summary: five questions to use before you commission a Webflow build
Finally, here are the five points of this article turned into questions. Once you have a quote in hand, ask them as they are.
- Who actually does the building? (Is it the same person I am speaking with?)
- What is the total annual cost after launch?
- After launch, which content is designed for us to update ourselves?
- If we end our contract with you, what happens to ownership of the site and the data?
- Among your portfolio sites, can you show us ones that are still being updated and operated?
A firm that answers these five specifically is one that can use Webflow not as a tool you build with and walk away from, but as a tool you operate to get results. If Webflow itself is new to you and you want the basics first, start here.
→What is Webflow? Features and how to get started
If you would let us be one of the firms you gather quotes from, start from a free consultation. You are welcome to throw the five questions in this article straight at me.
FAQ
What matters most when choosing a Webflow agency?
Checking five things rather than the price: who builds it, the running cost after launch, the quality of the CMS design, whether handover is possible, and the substance behind the portfolio. A firm that can answer all five specifically has designed for life after launch.
What does a Webflow site cost after launch?
The Webflow site plan is charged every year. It depends on your plan configuration, but in my case it came to just under ¥100,000 a year including the Localization feature. At quote stage, ask for the total annual cost after launch.
What is the problem if an agency outsources the implementation?
Outsourcing is not wrong in itself, but every extra person in the chain makes intent harder to convey and revisions slower. Before commissioning, confirm who actually does the work and whether that is the same person you speak with.
Can a site built in Webflow be handed over to another firm?
Yes, as long as project ownership sits in your own Webflow account. There is a code export feature too, but as a general rule the CMS and forms stop working in exported code, so check how handover is handled before you sign.
