Ask for a video call with the person doing the work
A sales call with someone who can't answer technical questions about the build itself is a signal the actual development is happening somewhere else, through someone you'll never speak to directly. A short video call with the person or team who will build the site is a reasonable, normal request — not an imposition.
Request live examples, not screenshots
Design mockups and portfolio screenshots are easy to produce regardless of whether any of it was actually built and shipped. Live, working website links — that load, that you can click through on your own phone — are what actually confirm a company has delivered real projects before.
Never pay 100% upfront
A staged structure — a scoping/deposit payment, a milestone payment at design approval, a further one at development handoff, and a final payment at launch — is standard for legitimate web development work. A company insisting on full payment before any work is visible is asking you to absorb all of the risk yourself.
Get the registered business details in writing
A real company can give a registered business name and address, even if that address is in a different city than the client (as WebLabsIndia's is — Sector 126, Greater Mohali, stated plainly rather than hidden). Reluctance to confirm even that much is a legitimate reason to keep looking elsewhere.
Verification checklist before you pay anything
- A video call with the person actually building the site
- Live, working links to previous projects — not just mockups
- A staged payment structure tied to milestones, not 100% upfront
- Registered business name and address, confirmed in writing
- A written scope of exactly what's included in the quote
Where this fits into the bigger picture
This is the same verification standard a Mumbai business should hold WebLabsIndia to as well — the process described on the Mumbai web development page is built to survive exactly this kind of scrutiny.
FAQs
How do I verify a remote web development company is real before paying an advance?
Ask for a video call with the actual person who will build the site, request links to live websites you can test yourself, and get the registered business address and scope of work in writing before sending any payment.
Is it normal to pay 100% upfront for a website?
No — a staged payment structure tied to milestones (scoping, design approval, development, launch) is standard practice and gives both sides a reasonable exit point if something isn't working out.
What if the company can't show any live examples of their work?
That is a legitimate reason to pause. A company that has actually built real sites should be able to link several live, working examples without hesitation — not just design mockups or screenshots.