This resulted in one fired employee, one distraught client, loss of customers, loss of revenue, loss of brand recognition, the additional expense of setting up a new site on a different hosting company server and a forced domain name change. The domain name change was forced because the webmaster refused to change the name servers (the way the web finds your site) to point to the new address of the site.

Does this happen all the time? No. Does it happen enough to call a webmaster’s credibility into account? Yes. That is the rub. Those of us, who are working to maintain a client’s trust, find we have to account for the bad apples. We have to prove we aren’t one of them.

Following these simple rules will bring you piece of mind when hiring a webmaster:

• Ask for and CHECK references. (Don't just go to their site and see their clients, pick up the phone)
• Ensure that the contract includes specifics:
• Design and Optimization details

  • Completion date
  • Specific recourse if the site does not meet the completion date
  • 50% retainer (do not pay for all of the work up front)

• Put all requests in writing.
• Specify in the contract a date for turning over the website to the client
• Once the site is turned over, (even if the webmaster still supports the site):

  • Change all the passwords
  • Change the user permissions
  • Administrator should be the owner
  • Test all forms to ensure that you receive the contact information
  • Stay vigilant, listen to your customers
    

Rhonda Goetz - Certified Internet Webmaster
Esitecreations
866.241.9927

Rhonda Goetz is the owner and CEO of Esitecreations and Chrome Zebra, Inc. She also a Certified Internet Webmaster Professional and an authorized harassment and discrimination trainer and online instructional designer.

Esitecreations designs and develops ecommerce sites. To learn more about web design or to see sample sites, go to http://www.esitecreations.com