What all businesses should look for, when negotiating a contract with a web developer, is what happens when things go wrong. You need to make sure that you are protected. Many contracts that we’ve seen over our years of experience seem to only detail what happens when things go right.
If you take only a single piece of information from this blog post, it’s that you should never enter a relationship with a web developer without a contract.
The ideal outcome is that everything with your project does go right (touch wood), but you need to make sure that you and your business are protected, should things take a turn for the worst.
Whether you are dealing with a freelance web developer, a small agency like us or a larger agency, it’s important that your contract covers all possible outcomes.
Here’s a few points to think about when reading through a contract with a web developer:
• What happens to your project if unforeseen circumstances halt development (affecting either your business or your developer)? This might cover things such as long-term illness.
• Is there a set period of inactivity that, after which, will result in your project being placed on hold?
• Has a quality standard been established for the completion of your project?
• Does the contract clearly state that you will retain full ownership of your domain name?
• Can you guarantee that the developer or team that starts your project will be the same people that finish it?
When we send project agreements to our clients, we’re always happy for them to come back with any changes they would like to make, or anything they want clarifying. A contract should be for the benefit of both parties, you should never feel pressured to agree to something that you don’t fully understand or agree with.
If you are currently experiencing project-related troubles,
or have fears about a web development project going wrong, talk to us.