Why Doesn’t My Web Developer Call Me Back?

I have this discussion almost on a daily basis. People really liked their Web developer when he/she first built their Website a few years back. Since then though it’s been a constant up hill battle to get updates done to their site. Why is that, they ask?

It’s really a pretty simple business reason. Web development companies of one (meaning the Web Developer is the entire company), Web development companies of one, only really make money on ”New”  Web sites. And, they can really only work on three Web sites at a time.  (There’s only so many hours in a day, and it takes time to make a good Website.)

So they go out get a few clients, then a few more, then a few more.  Suddenly, they have about 30 clients and are working on the next  ”New” three. You, the older existing client, now want some stuff done to your site. About the same time, another couple more existing clients want something done to their sites as well. The Web developer of one is now stuck.

They have to be working on the next “New” three because the mortgage and car payment is due. But, they have this friendship with you when they were working on your site. So, who gets bumped to the bottom of the priority list. Unfortunately for you, that’s you. The Web developer counts on that initial friendship with you to give them some slack in the timeliness of your updates.

Unfortunately, that slack time keeps getting longer and longer.

The moral of the story is, really really evaluate not only the person you are hiring to do your Website, but their business structure and ability to support you in the long term. Trust is fine, but the reality is they can only work on three sites at time.