Most bad projects don't fail because of the code. They fail because what exactly was being built wasn't agreed at the start, so halfway through it turns out the two sides had pictured different things.
This post is about preparation and the conversation before signing. Prices and the local market are covered separately in web developer in Split.
What to prepare before you ask anything
Half the work is done before the first contact, and it's the part clients most often skip.
What the site is for. Not "so we have a website", but: so people send enquiries, book an appointment, buy, find us in search. The answer changes the whole build.
Who your customers are and how they find you now. Referrals, social media, search: each channel needs a different site.
Which pages have to exist. A rough list is enough.
What content you already have. Texts, photos, a logo. This is the most common cause of delay: development is done and everyone is waiting for content.
The deadline and why it's the deadline. A trade fair, the season, a product launch, or there's no real deadline, which is also a valid answer.
A rough budget. Hiding your budget doesn't get you a better price, it gets you quotes that don't match what you're asking for.
Sending that in about ten sentences is the quickest way to get quotes you can compare.
Questions worth asking
"Who owns the code and the design after delivery?" The answer should be: the client. Hesitation is information.
"Whose name are the domain and hosting in?" Yours. The usual practice is the opposite, and it means your site isn't entirely yours.
"What happens if we need a change later?" Ask for specifics: what support covers, how long it lasts, how it's charged afterwards.
"Can I see three projects that are still live?" Open them. Do they work? How do they behave on a phone?
"How do you measure whether the site succeeded?" Someone who only talks about looks only looks at looks.
"Who will actually work on the project?" At agencies, sales and delivery can be different people.
"What do you need from us, and when?" A good developer knows content will be the bottleneck and says so up front.
How to read a quote
A quote should contain:
- A fixed price, not an hourly estimate. An hourly estimate shifts the risk onto you.
- A list of what's included: number of pages, languages, forms, content editing, SEO.
- What isn't included. Just as important.
- A timeline by phase, not one date at the end.
- What you deliver, and by when.
- Payment terms: how much at the start, how much on delivery. I work with 25% at the start and 75% when the work is done.
- Ownership of the code, design and content.
- The support period and what it covers.
A quote that fits in one sentence and one figure isn't a quote, it's an estimate.
Red flags
- A price before any talk about scope. Someone who gives a number before asking what the site has to do is guessing.
- A portfolio with no live sites.
- "Unlimited pages" in a package. It sells a number nobody needs.
- A monthly subscription for the site itself with no clear service behind it.
- No written scope.
- A promise of first place on Google. Nobody can guarantee that.
- Too much agreeableness. A developer who says "no problem" to every request either doesn't understand the scope or will charge for it later.
What a collaboration that doesn't stall looks like
One person decides on your side. Projects with five opinions and no decision stand still.
Regular short updates. Once a week is enough.
Feedback in one place, not scattered across email, messages and phone calls.
Concrete comments. "I don't like this" doesn't help. "The heading is too small on mobile" can be fixed.
Content on time. It's repeated because it's the most common cause of delay.
After delivery
Before the project is closed, check that you have:
- Access to the domain and hosting, in your own name.
- The code, if it's a custom build.
- Access to analytics and the Google tools.
- A basic guide to editing the content.
- A clear written statement of how long support lasts.
If any of that is missing, ask for it before the final payment.
Frequently asked questions
Freelancer or agency?
It depends on the size, and on how much a replacement matters to you if someone leaves. The comparison is in web developer in Split.
How long does a build take?
One to two weeks for a simple site, three to four for a site with subpages, five to eight with bookings or payments.
Do I need a contract for a small project?
Yes, even if it's just a quote both sides confirm by email. Disputes arise over scope, not over price.
What if we're not happy?
That's why the work goes in phases, with a review after each one. Unhappiness at the end means the reviews weren't done along the way.
Where to start
Write those ten sentences about what the site is for and what you already have. Send them to me or to anyone else, and you'll get quotes you can compare.
Tell me what you're building or see my work.