There are a lot of honest hard-working designers and developers out there.
However, from a client’s perspective, there are some things that they should be careful of and that they should possibly question
- The cost of the project seems to low
- The cost of the project seems to high
- The only contact details you can get are a mobile number
- The only contact details you can get are an email address, and it’s a free one
- They won’t let you choose where you host the site
- They won’t let you access the site via FTP even when you ask
- They don’t give you access to any form of control panel for email addresses etc.,
Don’t get me wrong, not all of these factors mean that you are going to run into trouble. Even if you avoid them you could still “get done” by a “reputable” company.
There maybe valid reasons why the developer does things the way that they do, but it can’t hurt to ask.
There are probably a lot of other things you could add to that list and I expect some developers would defend their stance on some of the items I’ve included 🙂
I generally agree with the first five, the last two are a host’s problem, not mine.
I haven’t worked with a host in six years that would do something as risky as giving ftp access, sftp definitely, just not ftp. Perhaps that should read direct access to the files.
I will recommend a host with a control panel, but if the client wants to overrule me suggestion, they are going to need to request that I set up a web interface for email management. I’m not about to include work that we haven’t discussed (especially in fixed-rate projects).
If a client wants to manage problems like which host to use (about 50% in my experience), I tell them what the project is going to require from the host. I will recommend a host that fits their needs (cost, features, uptime, etc.), but ultimately they are paying for it.
The only time I’ve ever needed to force a host change was when the client needed to do credit card processing from a specific company that only offered a PHP5 class. The host only offered PHP4. I explained this to the client, and we migrated.
What I would add is two things:
1. They won’t give you a list of former clients.
2. They don’t understand what you do.
On the flip side, there should be some guidelines for clients that designers/developers should steer clear from.
1. The price is too low (obviously)
2. “We want the entire site in Flash”
3. “Can you make a site that looks just like this one?”
4. “Just copy and paste”
Figured we should be fair to both sides…
I generally agree with the first five, the last two are a host’s problem, not mine.
I haven’t worked with a host in six years that would do something as risky as giving ftp access, sftp definitely, just not ftp. Perhaps that should read direct access to the files.
I will recommend a host with a control panel, but if the client wants to overrule me suggestion, they are going to need to request that I set up a web interface for email management. I’m not about to include work that we haven’t discussed (especially in fixed-rate projects).
If a client wants to manage problems like which host to use (about 50% in my experience), I tell them what the project is going to require from the host. I will recommend a host that fits their needs (cost, features, uptime, etc.), but ultimately they are paying for it.
The only time I’ve ever needed to force a host change was when the client needed to do credit card processing from a specific company that only offered a PHP5 class. The host only offered PHP4. I explained this to the client, and we migrated.
What I would add is two things:
1. They won’t give you a list of former clients.
2. They don’t understand what you do.
On the flip side, there should be some guidelines for clients that designers/developers should steer clear from.
1. The price is too low (obviously)
2. “We want the entire site in Flash”
3. “Can you make a site that looks just like this one?”
4. “Just copy and paste”
Figured we should be fair to both sides…
I think it’s important to get code, images or rich media delivered at set intervals from your developers. Sometimes that means being able to access and export those items from remote servers, so the point raised about FTP access is an important one in my book.
Bill
Thanks for your comments. The last two points were raised as we found that some “charmers” were using “normal” hosting accounts to resell. This basically meant that userX had access to the files belonging to more than one company.
Michele
Bernie
Timelines / timetables are very important.
A client is currently being pursued by one character who hadn’t delivered anything on schedule but still expects to get paid!
Michele
Michele,
You raise a valid point. I think what companies should realize is that there is a need to be cautious with anyone who would have the ability to speak for the company. Companies don’t hire auditors the way they hire web developers, but the risk is similar. I think the most important thing a client can do is talk to other clients and research the developer/designer.
What we do is not a commodity, it is a public face for an organization. It would do the client well to figure out who is doing the talking…
Michele,
You raise a valid point. I think what companies should realize is that there is a need to be cautious with anyone who would have the ability to speak for the company. Companies don’t hire auditors the way they hire web developers, but the risk is similar. I think the most important thing a client can do is talk to other clients and research the developer/designer.
What we do is not a commodity, it is a public face for an organization. It would do the client well to figure out who is doing the talking…
Bill
Exactly 🙂
It’s the same with a lot of services. Unfortunately with web-related services there are a lot of people out there who have been pulling the wool over people’s eyes.. Eventually people may become more educated as the market matures, but we still get plenty of phonecalls every time there is a domain scam!
Michele
I started to write a garishly long comment, but decided instead to write a post on my own site. Thanks for the inspiration!
And, in lieu of a useful comment… *lurk*
Dennis
I’ve done the same myself more than once 🙂
Thanks for your comment
Michele
From the developer’s point of view, I would add that you should be very, very cautious if the client is cagey about the exact scope of a given application, especially if you’re getting a fixed fee.
From a developer’s pov, you want to protect your work and your intellectual rights. From a customers pov you want to make sure you have full access and won’t lose control.