Most people on the forum want to start an Internet-based business. After a little bit more research, they tend to realize that learning to code as a beginner just to get a website or software made is a bit of a waste of time, so they start looking into outsourcing their project.
A lot of people are stuck at that stage, and for many reasons still don’t have a site or software made. They will often ask questions like:
“How do I choose a developer?”
“How can I make sure the eLance developer will do his job?"
“My designer is not being responsive. Why is this?”
“They want me to pay 100% up front. Why should I pay that?”
I’ve been on both sides (doing the developing AND hiring the developer) and have run into similar problems as you have, so hopefully I can help answer these questions for you based on my own (albeit limited) experience.
Know your project to the letter. If you don’t know your project, it will be done poorly.
The main key to take away is constant, clear communication with your developer. If you do not know EXACTLY what you want your web site or software to do, then how are you going to communicate what you want?
Develop a flow chart to show exactly what you want your web site or software to look like, what you want it to do, and how you want it to work. I will talk more about the flow chart in a future post.
Design work is a little trickier, because a lot of people who commission design will believe they do not have an ‘eye’ for design. You might not THINK you have an eye for design, but have you ever seen a website that you just REALLY liked the design of? Take a website that you like and tell the designer which parts of it you want to replicate.
Figure out how much money you’re willing to spend. A good development company will ask you for your budget and will work around it with you.
Develop a full budget for your project. Include things that your developer will not be working on, such as marketing and design. There are much better resources on how to build a budget so I’m not going to go over it here, but you can simply Google it and find some good stuff.
If you are completely unsure of what you SHOULD be paying, take the description you made in step 1 and put it on eLance. Get quotes from several developers to figure out generally what you can expect, price-wise.
When picking a development company, choose based on samples from similar work.
If they have done a similar project in the past, the chances of them putting out the product you want in the timeframe you want it is higher than trusting someone who hasn’t done anything of the sort in the past.
The general consensus seems to be to get a referral from a friend, HOWEVER sometimes the projects you need do not coincide with what the recommended developer does. I will talk more about finding someone good in a future post… when I learn more about it.
Before initiating development, go over payment terms.
All of the payment terms have reasons for them, and most developers will not go 100% Net30.
100% up front: Smaller projects usually require this. If a big project requires this and does not accept credit card/paypal as a form of payment, stay away.
50% up front, 50% upon completion: Probably most common for big projects.
100% upon completion: Would be nice if more people offered this, right? Most people don’t: typically those who do are beginners looking to build trust.
There are other payment terms but you’ll see these a lot.
Most people will offer refunds if you’re not satisfied, but are reluctant to if they’ve gotten deep into a project.
Typically, your developer will want you to pay them through Paypal. Paypal sucks if you’re a seller but has pretty solid fraud protection if you’re a buyer and, from what I understand, will not hesistate to get you your money back. Paypal is generally considered safe, and paying through Paypal with your credit card can offer another level of protection against a developer trying to F*ck you over.
Get them on Skype or on the phone.
Talk to them in detail about your project and make sure they understand what you want. Give them the flow chart you made and go over each bit of the flow chart with them.
Before the project officially starts, most designers and developers will give you a mockup. Make sure the mockup fits your specifications, and before the project starts, recommend aesthetic changes. Having a design in mind makes your job quicker and cheaper. Going over the mockup over the phone really helps the developer’s job, and allows your project to go a lot smoother.
While overseeing the project, keep in constant communication.
If they’re not returning your calls or responding to your emails within the day, that’s a bad sign. When working with Asian companies, I tend to try and stay on at around midnight-2am my time and go over everything with them then, while they’re awake, instead of waiting for an email that I will have to reply to in my morning time. Other things:
Keep big things in e-mail form, and use phone to request a progress report and to give recommendations that are very specific.
Constant communication is key, especially for larger projects. Try not to do too many days without getting SOME input from the developer. While he is building your web site or software, you are partners and you should treat the relationship as such.
When the project is deemed finished, make sure you tell the developer ALL finishing touches that need to take place.
Don’t keep a project open for longer than it needs to be. Don’t be wishy-washy on the details, otherwise it might cost you extra money and extra time. Your goal is to get it out there.
Going forward
If you have a project that will be constantly updated, keeping your developer on retainer or on an hourly rate is absolutely necessary.
Don’t lose touch with your developer, and I would recommend against searching to find better hourly rates.
Also, don’t F*ck your partner over. Do good and do well, for people and by people. If you don’t like the work that’s done, ask for fixes, THEN ask for a refund.
If you have any questions, please post below! I’d prefer you leave general questions for the thread and not PM.
Little about me: I’ve been on the forum for almost 3 years now. Started as an absolute noob to business, had just entered college, struggled with business in general. Now after over a year of taking client web design and development work, I’ve partnered with a company in order to help solve a major problem for entrepreneurs looking to outsource web and software development.
A lot of people are stuck at that stage, and for many reasons still don’t have a site or software made. They will often ask questions like:
“How do I choose a developer?”
“How can I make sure the eLance developer will do his job?"
“My designer is not being responsive. Why is this?”
“They want me to pay 100% up front. Why should I pay that?”
I’ve been on both sides (doing the developing AND hiring the developer) and have run into similar problems as you have, so hopefully I can help answer these questions for you based on my own (albeit limited) experience.
Know your project to the letter. If you don’t know your project, it will be done poorly.
The main key to take away is constant, clear communication with your developer. If you do not know EXACTLY what you want your web site or software to do, then how are you going to communicate what you want?
Develop a flow chart to show exactly what you want your web site or software to look like, what you want it to do, and how you want it to work. I will talk more about the flow chart in a future post.
Design work is a little trickier, because a lot of people who commission design will believe they do not have an ‘eye’ for design. You might not THINK you have an eye for design, but have you ever seen a website that you just REALLY liked the design of? Take a website that you like and tell the designer which parts of it you want to replicate.
Figure out how much money you’re willing to spend. A good development company will ask you for your budget and will work around it with you.
Develop a full budget for your project. Include things that your developer will not be working on, such as marketing and design. There are much better resources on how to build a budget so I’m not going to go over it here, but you can simply Google it and find some good stuff.
If you are completely unsure of what you SHOULD be paying, take the description you made in step 1 and put it on eLance. Get quotes from several developers to figure out generally what you can expect, price-wise.
When picking a development company, choose based on samples from similar work.
If they have done a similar project in the past, the chances of them putting out the product you want in the timeframe you want it is higher than trusting someone who hasn’t done anything of the sort in the past.
The general consensus seems to be to get a referral from a friend, HOWEVER sometimes the projects you need do not coincide with what the recommended developer does. I will talk more about finding someone good in a future post… when I learn more about it.
Before initiating development, go over payment terms.
All of the payment terms have reasons for them, and most developers will not go 100% Net30.
100% up front: Smaller projects usually require this. If a big project requires this and does not accept credit card/paypal as a form of payment, stay away.
50% up front, 50% upon completion: Probably most common for big projects.
100% upon completion: Would be nice if more people offered this, right? Most people don’t: typically those who do are beginners looking to build trust.
There are other payment terms but you’ll see these a lot.
Most people will offer refunds if you’re not satisfied, but are reluctant to if they’ve gotten deep into a project.
Typically, your developer will want you to pay them through Paypal. Paypal sucks if you’re a seller but has pretty solid fraud protection if you’re a buyer and, from what I understand, will not hesistate to get you your money back. Paypal is generally considered safe, and paying through Paypal with your credit card can offer another level of protection against a developer trying to F*ck you over.
Get them on Skype or on the phone.
Talk to them in detail about your project and make sure they understand what you want. Give them the flow chart you made and go over each bit of the flow chart with them.
Before the project officially starts, most designers and developers will give you a mockup. Make sure the mockup fits your specifications, and before the project starts, recommend aesthetic changes. Having a design in mind makes your job quicker and cheaper. Going over the mockup over the phone really helps the developer’s job, and allows your project to go a lot smoother.
While overseeing the project, keep in constant communication.
If they’re not returning your calls or responding to your emails within the day, that’s a bad sign. When working with Asian companies, I tend to try and stay on at around midnight-2am my time and go over everything with them then, while they’re awake, instead of waiting for an email that I will have to reply to in my morning time. Other things:
Keep big things in e-mail form, and use phone to request a progress report and to give recommendations that are very specific.
Constant communication is key, especially for larger projects. Try not to do too many days without getting SOME input from the developer. While he is building your web site or software, you are partners and you should treat the relationship as such.
When the project is deemed finished, make sure you tell the developer ALL finishing touches that need to take place.
Don’t keep a project open for longer than it needs to be. Don’t be wishy-washy on the details, otherwise it might cost you extra money and extra time. Your goal is to get it out there.
Going forward
If you have a project that will be constantly updated, keeping your developer on retainer or on an hourly rate is absolutely necessary.
Don’t lose touch with your developer, and I would recommend against searching to find better hourly rates.
Also, don’t F*ck your partner over. Do good and do well, for people and by people. If you don’t like the work that’s done, ask for fixes, THEN ask for a refund.
If you have any questions, please post below! I’d prefer you leave general questions for the thread and not PM.
Little about me: I’ve been on the forum for almost 3 years now. Started as an absolute noob to business, had just entered college, struggled with business in general. Now after over a year of taking client web design and development work, I’ve partnered with a company in order to help solve a major problem for entrepreneurs looking to outsource web and software development.
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