Dutch businesses often sell across borders from day one, so a website has to work for Dutch buyers and for international customers at the same time. Choosing an agency is less about the portfolio's style and more about whether the team can handle languages, privacy, local payment habits and measurable growth. This guide sets out the questions that separate a reliable partner from a nice pitch.
Define the job before you compare agencies
Write down the commercial goal first: qualified B2B leads, online sales in the Benelux, or international expansion. Then list the pages, languages, integrations and content you need. Agencies can only give comparable quotes when they price the same job.
Ask who writes the content in each language. A site built in English with Dutch added later usually reads like a translation. Plan both languages together, including navigation, forms, emails and search terms.
Dutch and English content need their own search research
Dutch buyers search in Dutch for many local services and in English for many international or technical topics. Research keywords in both languages rather than translating one list, and give each language its own URLs, titles and descriptions connected with hreflang.
Check how the agency will structure content so your team can update both versions without breaking layouts or links.
GDPR, consent and accessibility in the scope
Under GDPR, tracking, forms and third-party tools must be handled carefully. The proposal should explain the consent banner, which scripts load before consent, where form data goes and which processors are involved. Your specific legal obligations should be confirmed with qualified advice.
The European Accessibility Act applies to many ecommerce and consumer services. Even where it does not apply, scoping the site to WCAG 2.2 AA with keyboard, contrast and screen-reader testing makes it usable for more customers.
Ecommerce: payments and cross-border delivery
Dutch shoppers expect familiar payment options such as iDEAL alongside cards, and cross-border stores need clear shipping costs, delivery times and returns. Confirm which payment provider the agency will set up and test every method before launch.
VAT across EU countries can be complex. Ask your accountant how prices and invoices should be shown, then have the agency configure and test those settings.
Working with a remote agency
A remote team can offer senior skills at a different cost base, but the working model must be clear. Indian working hours overlap with Dutch mornings and early afternoons, which leaves a daily window for calls and approvals. Agree how decisions, files and feedback are recorded.
Whoever you hire, confirm in the contract that you own the domain, analytics, ad accounts, design files, content and code, and tie payments to visible milestones.
- Price the same goal, pages, languages and integrations with every agency.
- Research and write Dutch and English content separately, with hreflang between them.
- Scope consent, data handling and WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility in writing.
- Set up and test iDEAL, cards, shipping and returns before an ecommerce launch.
- Agree overlap hours, ownership and milestone payments before work starts.