This must be the fifth time this year alone that I have spent an hour on the phone consoling someone who has had terrible experience with their previous web developer. In each case, a LOT of money was spent and lost, with nothing to show for it because the end product could not be used. My heart goes out to people who find themselves in this situation, and I wish I could save them…but of course, I can not.
What I can do, is share with you how you can protect yourself when you hire a company to do creative and/or technical work for you. Be sure to follow these guidelines and request quotes from more than one company so you can be sure and choose the right fit for you. Once you have narrowed down your companies to three or four, there are three simple things you will want to do in order to protect yourself before you hire:
1. Make Sure You Do Your Research on the Company
- Check to be sure the company is licensed to do business.
- Look at the company’s work and be sure you like it.
- Visit some of the sites listed on the portfolio to see how they function fist-hand.
- Find out what type of programming the company does and whether it will suit your short and long term business goals (and budget).
- If you are U.S. based, make sure the company you hire and the people who will be performing the work on your project are located in the U.S. Otherwise, communication during the life of the project, and having legal recourse if you do not receive what you have paid for, will be very challenging if not impossible.
2. Make a Personal Connection with the Company Before You Hire
- Speak with the person who will be in charge of your project. If they will not take time to speak with you: it’s a red flag. Go elsehwere.
- By the same token, do you like them? It is vital that you do because web design and development is intensely collaborative, and you want to be sure you like the person you will be working with.
- Make sure that you are clear on the following:
- What is the cost?
- How is payment structured?
- Is there a non-refundable deposit (most firms require this, but you should know what to expect up front)?
- How long will it take?
- What will you need from me?
- How many revisions will I get for this price?
- How will you communicate with me?
- What kind of support can I get after the website is live?
- What happens if I am not happy with the end result?
- Find out if the developers have experience with the type of functionality you want to have on your website. If they do not, the firm is not the best fit for your needs.
- Be sure you are very clear on what you want so that you can communicate this and get an accurate quote for the actual work you wish to have done.
- Does the company have references or testimonials? Get in touch with former clients and ask them what it was like to work with the company you are considering.
3. Get it in Writing
Make sure there is a very clear contract in place that outlines what you will get and for what price. This will be vital to you for reference, as well as for any recourse you may need should you decide you are not happy with the project. Do not make a payment until you have this document signed and in your hands.
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Most professional firms want their clients to be happy and will work very hard to that end. We all want to work with those we like, and we want to trust them. Having creative and/or technical work done can take time and just like with any business agreement, if it is not in writing, terms can be remembered differently.
If you do these three things before you hire a company to do creative or technical work for you, you will save yourself a lot of grief, and in most cases, you will be thrilled with the end result!