Introduction

This story, like many others, starts with a man sitting on a stationary bike. Let me explain. The audio for the TVs at my gym is broadcast over FM radio frequencies. I don’t own a portable FM tuner, and for some reason the only channel with closed captioning is HGTV. As a result I have been watching a lot of Holmes on Homes recently while riding the bike. This got me thinking that maybe we can apply a few of the lessons from Holmes on Homes to the web industry.

Really? I can hear you saying. What could Mike Holmes, a Canadian contractor who fixes houses that have been ruined by unscrupulous contractors, possibly have to do with my next website? Good question, fellow crime-stopper. Mike always says that the best way to avoid crooked contractors (or in our case crooked or incompetent web designers and developers) is to educate ourselves and to ask the right questions.

Personally, I think that this is great advice, but one problem with this idea was recently posed to me by a friend. He asked, “How exactly do I do this? How am I supposed to know what the right questions to ask are, let alone be able to evaluate the answers I get?” We kicked this question around for a few minutes, and then I had one of those well duh moments. I realized this question would be a good topic to write about.

So, how can I ask the right questions and evaluate the answers?

I’m getting there…over the four entries that make up this series I will go over some of the crucial questions you should ask before starting any web project, give you some concrete examples of the kinds of answers you should expect to hear, and expose some red flags you should be on the lookout for. But that’s not all…each entry will also have a handy checklist that you can download and use when starting a new project or evaluating a potential web firm. Here’s a preview of what lies ahead.

• Part 1 – What should I ask myself before starting a new web project?
• Part 2 – What should I ask about content management systems?
• Part 3 – What should I ask about shopping carts and eCommerce sites?
• Part 4 – What should I ask about social media and search engine marketing?

To wrap up, for now…

I believe that the more we can learn from and empower each other the better off we’ll all be. I hope this series will help you make better decisions about who you choose to work with and how you plan your future projects. A little knowledge can go a long way towards helping you avoid some of the common traps that are all too easy to fall into.

All the Best,
John

So why is it that so few people get things in writing when they have web work done? What about the web seems to make otherwise cautious people become inherently trusting? I don’t know, but whatever it is I’ve made the mistake of doing work both without a contract and with a vague SOW. What happened? One business that shall remain nameless got a nice full featured websites for free, another got way more than was originally discussed, and in both cases I got screwed.

What should you get in writing?

• The total cost of the project
• Terms of payment
• Complete project specifications (list every detail no matter how trivial)
• Deadlines for both parties
• Names of  all decision makers (chain of command is your friend)
• Signatures of all relevant parties.

What should you do before signing an agreement?

• Don’t assume anything.
• Make sure you clearly understand what’s written. If something is missing, doesn’t seem right, or seems confusing insist upon a clarification. (This might have helped Billy Joel)
• Don’t ever let anybody pressure you into signing something before you have had a chance to review to your satisfaction. (This might have helped Tom Petty)
• Trust your gut and pay attention to red flags.

Remember, it’s your money, trust, reputation, and time. You deserve to know what you are committing to, and you deserve to be protected.

In summary:

1. Get it in writing
2. Always
3. Every time

All the best,
John

I placed my order and started down the assembly line…tortilla, rice, pinto beans, then…disaster. I was told that they were temporarily out of carnitas, and that it would be a 5-7 minute wait. Ok, no problem, I can hang tight. I’m not like Cartman craving KFC. But, then, (hint, this is the small gesture part) without even hesitating the girl behind the counter handed me a free soda and apologized for the wait. Huh?!?  Quality service from a quick dining establishment?  Most places would just say tough luck and make you wait in the corner.  So what did Chipotle get for maybe .8 cents worth of water and Coke syrup? Increased brand loyalty,  free word of mouth, and this blog post. Pretty cheap way for them to advertise, burnish their reputation, earn repeat business and stick it to Taco Del Mar. As they always say, the little things can make a big difference.

A side note, the Holmes on Homes post is still coming. In the process of writing and re-writing it has morphed into a multi-part series about how to evaluate potential business relationships. The first part of which will be up soon.

All the best,
John

What can’t you see? Underneath the hood everything has been completely rebuilt. I have finally taken the advice I give to clients and ported my site to WordPress. Why? It is the CMS I most recommend to clients. It’s easy to teach others how to use it, even novice computer users (yes they still exist). Its modular code structure makes it efficient and flexible to develop on, and if setup correctly, WordPress is standards compliant, secure, and SEO friendly. Finally, it has a large and very engaged development community…which leads to….

The main reason for making the change is that WordPress is a powerful publishing platform. I know what you are saying. “Oh nooo, run…another design blog.” I used to feel the same way. But, after years of reading and benefiting from countless design blogs, I felt like a PBS viewer who didn’t pledge during fund drive. So, now, without the promise of British sitcoms or a tote-bag, I have decided to bite the bullet and get started. What can you expect to find? Topics will vary but focus primarily on user-centered design, social marketing, writing, and the business side of freelancing. So, please, subscribe to my new Twitter or RSS feeds and get ready for next week’s entry…what Holmes on Homes can teach us about the business of web design. (Really!)

All the best,
John