The site my agency built looks nothing like what I signed off on
If you have a signed-off design - an email where you approved a mockup, a PDF with your name on it, a message saying go ahead - and the site that was delivered looks nothing like it, you are in a stronger position than you probably realise. The sign-off is evidence. It is the difference between feeling let down and being able to prove the agency did not deliver what was agreed. Here is how to use that document to force a fix, dispute an invoice, or walk away cleanly.
Why the final site doesn't match the design
The agency that sold you the project is usually not the one that built it. A salesperson and a designer create the pitch. A junior developer, often subcontracted, builds the actual site weeks later.
By the time the build starts, the designer has moved on to the next client. Nobody on the build side has the same understanding of what was approved. Corners get cut. Details get lost.
The mockup you signed off on was a flat image - a picture of a website, not the website itself. Turning that picture into a working site takes real effort. If the developer cannot be bothered, or the budget has been spent, you get something that vaguely resembles the design and nothing more.
What you actually approved (and what you didn't)
Dig out the email or document where you signed off. Look at exactly what you approved. Was it a full mockup of every page, or just the homepage? Were the fonts, colours, and spacing labelled, or just visually shown?
Most sign-offs are vague. You approved "the design" without specifying every detail. The agency will lean on this. They will argue that what they delivered is close enough, or that changes were made for "technical reasons" they never explained.
This is the part agencies rely on. The vaguer your sign-off, the more wriggle room they have. If you have screenshots, PDFs, or design files showing specific pages, you have leverage. Gather everything before the conversation starts.
The template shortcut agencies take
Here is the trick a lot of agencies use. They show you a fully custom design at the pitch stage. Then they build the site on a pre-made template - usually a WordPress theme they have used a dozen times before - and bend the template to look roughly like the design.
Templates have fixed layouts. The headers go in certain places. The sections behave in certain ways. The designer's clean two-column layout becomes a cramped stack on a template that does not support it. Custom typography gets replaced with whatever the template ships with.
The agency saves days of work. You get a site that looks like every other site built on the same theme.
A custom design quote followed by a template build is the single most common bait-and-switch in this industry, and the markup on the work that was never done is rarely refunded.
What to do right now
Email the agency. Be specific. Do not say "the site looks wrong" - that is easy to dismiss. List the differences page by page.
- Take screenshots of the approved design next to screenshots of the live site
- List each difference: spacing, colours, fonts, missing sections, layout changes
- Reference the date and document where you approved the design
- Ask them to fix the listed items and give you a date
Keep it in writing. If they reply by phone, follow up with an email summarising what was said. You need a paper trail if this escalates.
If they refuse to fix it, or claim the changes were "necessary," ask them to put that in writing along with a technical explanation. Most will not. They know the changes were laziness, not necessity.
Getting the site you paid for
If the agency will not fix what they delivered, you have two options. You can dispute the invoice through your bank or card provider on the basis that the service was not as described. Or you can pay someone else to rebuild it properly.
The rebuild route is often faster than fighting. A hand-coded site - built from your approved design, not bent out of a template - takes a couple of weeks and is yours to keep. Whether you are a letting agent in Manchester or a beautician in Cardiff, the principle is the same: pay for what you actually want, not for a template with a custom price tag.
SkipTheAgency builds sites from £600, hand-coded to match the design - no template shortcuts, no missing sections. Most clients move onto the Maintained retainer at £65/month afterwards, which covers hosting, updates, and small content changes with direct contact and same-day responses.
Frequently asked questions
Can I refuse to pay the final invoice if the site doesn't match the design?
You can dispute the invoice if the service was not delivered as described. Put the specific differences in writing first and give the agency a chance to fix them. If they refuse, you have a stronger case with your bank or in small claims court.
Is it normal for the final site to look different from the mockup?
Small differences are normal - fonts may render slightly differently across browsers, for example. Major layout changes, missing sections, or a completely different look are not normal and indicate the developer either ignored the design or built on a template that could not support it.
What should I do if the agency says the design changes were necessary for technical reasons?
Ask them to explain the technical reason in writing and tell you which specific element could not be built. Most of the time the reason is that they used a template that does not support the design. A genuine custom build can match any reasonable mockup.
How do I prove what I signed off on?
Find the original email, contract, or design document where you approved the work. Save copies of any mockups, PDFs, or screenshots. If the agency only showed you designs in a meeting or on screen, you have weaker evidence - but emails referencing the design still count.
Can I get my money back if the agency refuses to fix it?
You can attempt a chargeback through your card provider if you paid by card, or pursue the matter through small claims court for amounts under £10,000. Both routes need clear evidence of what was promised versus what was delivered, which is why the written paper trail matters.
How much does it cost to have a site rebuilt properly?
A hand-coded build from an independent developer typically starts at around £600, depending on the number of pages and complexity. That is often less than the original agency charged, and you end up with a faster site you actually own.
Get the site you actually approved
If your agency delivered something that does not match the design you signed off on, I will rebuild it properly from £600 - hand-coded to match the mockup, no templates, no excuses.
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