Let me first say that I wish I knew about this forum and the web designers who participate before I embarked on the project described below...your comments and input are much appreciated...

Last spring, I hired a webdesigner to do a custom site. I spoke with several designers and provided a 10-15 page outline of the site pages, features, navigation, etc... for bidding. I put a lot of effort into the outline in order to reduce any misunderstandings and so that designers bidding on it could provide a well-informed, solid bid.

The designer I chose had already done some nice sites and I spoke to a couple past clients who were happy. The designer also happened to be at the lower end of the bid range, but I figured that was because they had a back-end content management system in-place that could be customized to fit my needs whereas the other designers would probably start from scratch. After receiving their bid, I asked them to spend some time over the next week reviewing the outline to determine if they had any questions on the details or felt a need to revise their bid. They came back to me with some questions and then requested a 10% fee increase which I accepted.

Well, 9 months later (and after some further fee re-negotiations) the site is very close to complete, but I feel like the project is at the "bottom of the pile" all the time until I e-mail/call. I'm a very patient person, but the IDX solution portion has been "in-progress" for 2 months...I don't think the designer originally intended the whole project to take 2 months.

I'm quite sure my designer sees this as a "loser" project. So how do I motivate the designer to get this project across the finish line already while maintaining a working relationship?

If you have only paid 10% - threaten to fire him. There are plenty of good designers out there that could get the job done in a reasonable time frame.

While I'm in for a decent amount of bucks, there's still a good balance owing. The project is probably 95% done so I'd prefer to keep the relationship going.

Any other ideas?

Why not read up on some amateur web design, then offer to show up and help him finish the project if it's so close. If there is one thing I know that motivates me while I'm on projects like fixing computers, or building things, it's when the client is not just asking how it's going, it's them showing up expecting to get their hands dirty and actually help. If he is like the rest of us, he'll want to get you out of his hair asap, meaning putting your project back on top. As long as you don't come off as aggressive or angry he should get the message and your working relationship ought to be just fine.

Just my two cents.

Go to http://www.codingforums.com and post a message on the "Work Offers And Requests" boards. Tons of great freelance web designers in all price ranges that are motivated, have portfolios (or are looking to build a portfolio). Make your decision on the looks of the webs they have already done. Most of the guys there rock, but sometime you will get someone without a clue.

Thanks again for the input. I have begun teaching myself Dreamweaver because there are some design things I'd like to enhance later. However, the back-end, database stuff is a little more hard-core programming oriented and that's what's left to do.

Codeforums reminds me of Elance where I've had good experience in the past. Unfortunately, it can't help me now.

It seems like I'll just have to keep calling and pushing for completion...the old "squeaky wheel."

Have you told him that you are unhappy with his progress?

I just got an e-mail (in response to a phone message I left) that he "underestimated the completion for this month, but it should be done very, very soon." I've been hearing this for weeks.

In the interest of everyone, myself and the designer, having a pleasant New Year's celebration, I'm saving the "brutual honesty" for next week.

May I make a business suggestion to all webdesigners/tech people...e-mail is easy and cheap, but it leaves a lot to be desired in creating and maintaining personal relations with customers. A short phone call can go a long way...especially with an upset customer.

Sorry to hear of your frustrations.

I'd suggest looking into Doug's services if your market is available:
www.rncinternet.com/real_estate.html

I use him and here is my big site to go along with the 4 smaller sites:
www.dallas-real-estate-info.com

Of course I also recommend micro-niche theming like we discussed. Once you learn some basic HTML editing it's a simple thing to go throw up a number of sites at $15 a year each.

"The project is probably 95% done so I'd prefer to keep the relationship going."

Sorry, but when the "project is done" and goes online, you're really only 75% of the way "there". I'm sure there will be numerous bug and design fixes not to mention enhancments that really need to be made to keep your site "fresh"... and if your webmaster can't even get you online, how do you think they will be when it's time to fix a glitch that they WON'T get paid for???

I say take what's been done, and hire a "real" webmaster; one that takes their job and their customers seriously!

What does your contact with him look like? Any professional of caliber will provide intermediary review points to coincide with a staged delivery on a set schedule.

Basically, on this date, I will deliver this portion of the site for review. If it meets specifications in the contract and passes review, I will be due XX number of dollars for services delivered so far.

When we were doing custom development in San Jose, it was a standard fee for services contract tied into a project plan with deliverable dates.

Plus it clearly defined ownership of deliverables, complete or incomplete.

Being on the web developer end, I would expect payment to be withheld until I performed to expectations. If I couldn't perform to expectations, it was my responsibility to pay, out of my pocket, for the extra resources to meet expectations or expect the contract to be terminated and all intellectual property delivered.

That is why developers need to be experienced at project planning, coordination, plan documentation and resource allocation.

Personally, I would halt development and meet with management from the development company. The point of the meeting is to determine whether or not the business relationship will continue. if it is to continue, what contract changes will be necessary to hold parties responsible for performance. if it isn't to continue, an opportunity to lay on the table the intended actions of any. Gives both parties a chance to talk before things get messy.

A good reason why I don't condone hiring a developer just because he/she says they can do custom development. It goes past web coding, it's business planning on their part and few have the experience to freelance without project management. Most freelancers are developers who contracted themselves out to larger companies for development projects. But few managed those projects. Most worked under the managment of the hiring firm.

Give an ultimatum (couch it nicely if you want) that the project needs to be finished by a reasonable deadline or you're moving on. There are too many developers out there who can finish when you need them to.

9 months is just too long, unless you're talking about a $50,000 development or something. This business rarely has those kind of web applications unless you're innovating something special.

9 months is way too long. It's costing you more money by not having it up and running. It's really rather unfair to you to have waited this long. I say call him, set a dateline, and if he doesn't have it done by that time, tell him your lawyer will be contacting him. If he doesn't have it done, do it. The only thing is, you don't really have to have a lawyer contact him, a brother or sister or even a friend would work just as well to scare him into getting it done. Maybe he won't do anything for you every again, but I'm not too sure you'd want to hire him again anyway. If he doesn't make time for you and your work that your paying for, look elsewhere. He's saying in so many words that he doesn't need you, and you don't need him. Get your site and move on.

Time to fire him and move on. Period.

Eagle,

I'm more in the fire him and go on camp. But, if you really want to get something from him, I'd put something in writing. It can be just a letter of agreement, nothing a lawyer has to write.

I'd refer to the original agreement, and say that due to the unacceptable delays in completing the project, the fee structure will be changed to something like:

Full balance if published and fully functional by some deadline (like 1 week), 80% balance if the site is completed by a 2nd deadline (like 2 weeks away), and no payment after the 2nd deadline.

Get him to sign it. If he won't, that should convince you to walk away now, because he evidently isn't planning on finishing the site any time soon!

Good Luck!

Kathleen

I am a webdesigner going Real estate the 9 months of not having your website up getting recognized on the search engines and getting your backlinks is worth alot, I would go with another designer it should no way take 9 months. Was there a deadline date decided on or a contract of any kind?

I would ask him to send you all of the work his done so far ( since you are paying for it its your property ) and ask for a bid and time fram to finish the project from other designers. If you will get a better bid make sure you have a rock solid proposal or a contract which describes the timeframe and penalties if the project is late. If you wont be satisfid with the bids just stick with the current guy

*** SPAM ***

One thing that no one has pointed out is this...

There is the saying that you can get only two of the following three things in anything:

Quality, Speed, & Affordable.

You said yourself that he does really great work and that it was affordable (bottom end of bid range) so that should have told you that this guy most likely isn't going to give you the speed you like. As corny as it sounds, it's almost ALWAYS true.

Give him some kind of ultimatum to get the project complated within the next 4 weeks or you are going to have to move on to another developer.

-J

Can you smell another rate 'renegotiation'?. Sounds like the old 'I've got what you need' routine. Be firm, call him up and tell him that the delay is becoming injurious to your efforts. Ask him to send you a copy of the project overview, indicating what is done and what remains. Go to the highest company level.

When one hires a company to code, do they write in that the company provides thorough documentation of the logic. What happens when your code fails to perform, or you find that it is not 'transportable'.

Investigate these avenues to see how much value you really have. A lot of coding is based on well known (and free) scripts, much of which is altered to either promote the provider, or contain the purchaser.

Did you sign a contract or anything else that specified a completion date or at least some way to measure progress over the life cycle of the project?

In my company it has been a mojor issue once getting designers to finish projects for our clients.
Now we have a great team of people who are dedicated to getting things done fast in order to have more projects and generate obviously a lot more revenue than they would otherwise had they taken their sweet time instead of meeting or beating a certain timeline.

I believe the problem was initially that we were relying on local web designers and programmers some of which were personal friends which made the whole management issue even harder.

I can only second the encouragement to look on some of the freelance forums since there are great ambitious people out there, some of them overseas.

http://www.talkfreelance.com/ here is another good one.

Noone should have to put up with designers stalling their projects. Once you start really looking, you will find that there is no shortage on talented and motivated people when you open your eyes to the global arena


Mike

Hi Sitetutor,

I agree that noone should have their project held hostage but I'd rather employ programmers from th good ole USA than send a dime of my money anywhere else. Sure I have to charge more since I have to pay a bit more than $7 an hour for programming but I have I in college and 3 more to follow starting next year and they're gonna need jobs when they get out of school [ ]

Just my personal feelings though. I'm sure there are good programmers elsewhere [ ]

hehe, yes I prefer fueling our own economy as well - absolutely