Good client relationships brim with lively banter, crazy stories, and friendship. Sometimes though it is hard to define and meet expectations. Lot’s of frustration and cost creep can then follow. A stressful situation for everyone involved. We really hate disappointing clients and really endeavor to have a trusting and ongoing relationship.
Thankfully, a good contract can help. For the most part, it’s all about setting the right expectations, and both parties sticking to them. It is hard to do this when launching or relaunching your newest baby! We understand. Websites are like store fronts. They evolve and change. So often it is best to stick to the original goals set out in the contract and then update “new boards” at a later stage.
Put it in writing
First and foremost, you have to put it in writing. Yes, it’s nowhere near as fun as getting to work on your ideas, but it is a lot more fun than wasting your time and going over budget. A well-written contract protects both parties. It also lays everything out on paper so both sides can weigh in and make sure what’s most important to them is understood and addressed.
Timeline & milestones
Define how long the project should take and when specific elements are due. If there’s wiggle room, make sure to spell that out too. We try to define milestones along the way - it adds transparency, giving you something to look forward to, and helps keep us on track. We will set out how long we expect the project to take - then add some wriggle room for Murphy and his laws. Scope creep upsets us and you plus it can cost a fortune. It is so much cheaper in the early stages.
Not clear? Here’s an example
After all the work is scoped and the website is being developed. Suddenly, someone has a better idea of what you can do to make the project a success, which, yes, will involve some additional work you didn’t talk about earlier. You’ve worked hard, but you want to change direction, making everything you’ve done a waste. What you thought was a straight shot to launch has turned into a meandering journey through the backroads of indecision.
Welcome to the wonderful world of scope creep
When a project grows beyond what was agreed upon in the beginning, you’ve got scope creep on your hands. It’s okay for a project to evolve, but if it puts all involved in the position where they are doing more work for the same money, then it’s a problem.
