Sialkot is best known for sportswear, sports goods and surgical instruments, but it also has a growing number of software houses, design studios and freelancers. That gives business owners plenty of choice — and makes it harder to tell who will actually deliver. This guide gives you ten questions to ask any software house in Sialkot, or anywhere in Pakistan, before you hire them for a website, online store or mobile app.
Key takeaways
- Judge the portfolio on work similar to your project, not on how many logos it shows.
- Get scope, price, timeline and third-party costs in writing before you pay.
- Make sure you own your domain, code and design files.
- Prefer milestone payments and a clear support plan after launch.
Why choosing the right software house matters
Your website or app will be in front of customers for years. A cheap build that is slow, hard to update or owned by someone else often costs more in the end — in lost enquiries, rework and the time it takes to start again. The right partner saves you that, and becomes someone you can call whenever your business needs something new.
10 questions to ask before you hire
- Have you built something similar to what I need? A strong portfolio in the wrong category doesn’t help you. Ask for live examples close to your project — an online store, a B2B catalogue, a booking app — and open them on your phone to see how they perform.
- Who will actually work on my project? Find out whether the work is done by an in-house team or passed on to freelancers, and who your day-to-day contact will be. If you are in Sialkot, visiting the office tells you a lot.
- What exactly is included in the price? Get the scope in writing: number of pages or screens, features, design rounds, content entry, SEO, testing and the support period. Ask which third-party costs — domain, hosting, Shopify plan, paid plugins — are extra.
- How will the project be managed? Ask about milestones, how often you will see progress, which channel you will use (WhatsApp, email, calls) and how quickly they reply. You should never have to chase for updates.
- Who will own the code, design files and domain? You should. Your domain and hosting accounts should be registered in your name, and the source code and editable design files should be handed over when the project is paid for.
- Which technology will you use, and why? WordPress, Shopify, Next.js, Laravel or Flutter can all be the right answer — for different reasons. A good team explains its choice in terms of your budget, editing needs and growth, and avoids locking you into a custom system only it can maintain.
- How do payments work? Milestone payments — an advance to start, a payment on design approval and the balance at launch — protect both sides. Be careful with requests for the full amount up front.
- Will it be fast, secure and ready for Google? Ask how they handle mobile speed, SSL, backups and basic SEO such as page titles, descriptions, sitemaps and structured data. These are much cheaper to build in from the start than to fix later.
- What happens after launch? Check how long free support lasts, what a maintenance plan covers and how small changes are priced. Websites and apps need updates, so you want a partner who will still answer in a year.
- Can I speak to a previous client? Reviews on Google and a short call with a past client are the most honest signals you can get. A team that is proud of its work will be happy to connect you.
Not sure what “SEO-ready” should mean in practice? Our SEO guide for businesses in Pakistan explains what to look for.
Red flags to watch out for
- A price given before anyone has asked about your business or requirements.
- No written proposal, or a scope that only says “complete website”.
- Portfolio links that don’t work, or work that looks nothing like what you need.
- Your domain or hosting registered in the agency’s name with no plan to transfer it.
- Full payment up front, or pressure to decide immediately.
- Slow or vague replies before you have even signed — it rarely improves afterwards.
Should you hire a freelancer or a software house?
Freelancers can be excellent for small, clearly defined jobs such as a landing page or a logo. For projects your business depends on — an online store, a B2B portal, an app with a backend — a software house usually offers more safety: design, development and testing are handled by different people, work continues if someone is away, and support is available after launch.
How Pixvion answers these questions
We are a software house in Sialkot, on Defence Road, and we would rather you ask these questions than not. Every project starts with a free consultation and a fixed, written proposal; payments are split into milestones; you own your code, designs and accounts; and every package includes support after launch. You can see our portfolio, compare our prices in PKR and international currencies, or book a free consultation — in person in Sialkot or over a video call.
