I was working with a client recently that wanted to move his website from his big name company.  They simply weren’t responding to changes fast, and they were charging obscene prices for minor fixes and tweaks.  The client wasn’t in control of his blog, it was on their server, and every time something was needed they had to a.) use the overpriced dev team that the company had and b.) wait 2 weeks.  The reason we get blogs is to have the agility of DIY,  Client found me, asked some questions and we agreed on a price.

Problem was, the client’s website, which he paid 5 figures for…wasn’t really his.  See, the copyright was retained by the past design team.  So you’d have to scrap and recycle that if you wanted to do anything.  A year’s worth of design…didn’t belong to him.  Insane?  You betcha.  Making a business that compels people to deal with you might be shrewd, but it’s also cowardly.  Making barriers to exit is for the weak companies, and letting someone pay you to design something without copyright release is a sign that you’re working with the wrong guy.

So, the questions that you GOTTA ask before you get a web consultant are as follows:

1. Do you offer copyright release when the work is done? If not, how much is it?
2. Can I control the hosting? (We let you host on our server or yours, does not matter–bottom line is that prepaid work should always have that sort of thing done.)
3. Can I get someone else to work on it? A lot of big website providers rake you when it’s time to make changes.  Being  locked in to one monopoly development team may cause them to be lazy, expensive and slow (in lieu of cheap, fast and good).
4. Do I get the source files? The PSDs and .css files are important for you to have control or at least access to.  Without that, you can’t make basic changes (say, if your email address changes).
5. Do you use standard software? You want something in wide use, or am I stuck on an obscure platform?
6. Exactly what does support cover and how fast do you fix stuff?
7. What are your monthly fees, and what am I getting for that?
8. How much will it cost if I want to redesign my site? Look, people’s tastes change.  The websites that worked in 2005 work differently today.  Plan on changing, and know how much it costs to change the website.
9. What Are Your Policies When I want to leave? (Huge.  We want you to eventually come back, so we make leaving a breeze.  Plus fighting wastes energy.  Provided that you tell us why, we give you your files any time you like.)
10. Am I guaranteed to not get a price increase for hosting/support? Again, this is common sense, but it’s an important question.

Look, there are times when you might want to go with a proprietary and unmovable system.  Makes sense if it’s hassle free, easy and they have a good rep.  You just need to be aware of what you’re getting and what you’re giving up.  And what their attitude is is ALSO important.

Let me know if there’s anything I can help with.  Call us at 614-312-1941 or 512-751-3978.