Page/Post Content:
The client will provide the names or titles of pages.
The client will provide text & images.
The client will write their own posts.
eCommerce/Product Content:
The client will write and enter product descriptions, create product categories and all other details of each product
all images used in the site should be owned or approved by the client or deemed fair license. Digital Photos will be uploaded by the client & made web-ready (if the camera has 14 mega-pixels the resulting images photos will be too big to upload “as is” and will need to be re-sized.).
Branding/Identity
A client’s branding will look more polished when executed by a professional graphic designer. As a Web designer I have developed a focus and skill set greatly differing from a graphic designer’s. Clients should not assume that logo and branding will be included in the quote unless specifically agreed upon.
Photoshop Mockup Preferred
I can open .ai files but I cannot access their layers. I prefer mockups in 1024 x 768 pixels (or whatever other resolution the client prefers but nothing over 1800 pixels,please) in .psd file format. If the client has to send .ai files that is fine but they will need to tell me exactly what font sizes are being used, what colors are being used and what type of font is being used.
Typography/Fonts Used In Mockup
The client will provide me with the font(s) files so their Menu items or Page titles can use a specialty font family. Lately and whenever possible I’ve been using beautiful fonts provided by Google Web fonts.
Mockup to Site
I will deliver a site as close to pixel perfect of the mockup as is within my abilities. But in order to do so I have to interpret the mockup literally. Nothing can be just assumed! This is why it is very important that the mockup I will be using has been executed with intent. This applies to every aspect of the mockup, even elements like text style and size and fonts. If their graphic designer has given me a mockup with page after page of bold, black italic text in 7pt Garamond, then that is what I will deliver. If the client or their graphic designer did not mean for the footer section to overlap the content section, please point this out ahead of time.
Creating mockups in Photoshop, Illustrator or similar that look cool and developing Web sites that look cool and do cool stuff aren’t the same thing. I might not instantly understand just by viewing the mockup how a certain feature is expected to function in order to code it to spec. If it is a very complex bit of coding I might have to experiment with different techniques or request links to sites that contain a similar feature.
No Mockup
I request that the client to send me links to 3 different sites because it helps me to be able to see sites that look similar to what they want. These sites don’t have to be selling the same kinds of products or dealing with the same subject matter but they should have the kind of looks and features the client would like – to help me define aesthetic.
Corrections/Mistakes
I have delivered a functioning site, now its time for the client to review it and send me corrections, if any. During the review stage, which should not take longer than 1 week barring extraordinary circumstances, I will make corrections and fix hopefully small mistakes. A correction refers to something from the mockup that was rendered incorrectly on the web site or does not display/work as expected or etc in Internet Explorer or Safari or < name your browser >.
Revisions/Changes
A revision means the client has changed their mind about what we originally agreed I would deliver. If the revision is a request for a relatively simple change I will complete 5 revisions, free of charge. Here’s an example of a small request: the client would like the site’s page titles to be navy instead of dark purple. If the client decides they want me to redo the entire landing page with a completely different lathe clientt/content scope that can be done at an additional cost to the original quote with an extension of the deadline.
Timeline
My clients appreciate having a site made just for them and understand that this level of customization takes 6 to 8 weeks. Less complicated,smaller sites can be delivered sooner, 4 to 6 weeks but still depending on the questions and answers period. I won’t really know how long the project will take until I see a mockup and discuss the site’s needs and goals with the client. If there is no mockup just exactly what I am being expected to produce becomes a little more vague and the questions and answers part of the development stage might result in an extended timeline.
Training
I will walk the client through how to use the custom-made site. the client can also email me for support or call me, Monday to Friday, 11am to 6pm, Eastern Standard Time.
In the past few years, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr have become part of our (almost) daily routine. The fact that most people already own accounts with these kinds of social sites has made training them to use their WordPress powered site lightyears easier; people now are just very used to logging in to an interface and performing tasks in order to distribute their information.
Pricing
So many factors go into pricing the project that I can’t offer a set list of quotes without talking to the client first – basically I charge according to design complexity and difficulty of execution. Sites with an online store – because there are so many different features in an online store that require attention and customization – have higher quotes.
Conditions
Payment
Half of the agreed upon quote is expected 1 week after I have begun working on the project. Final payment is expected after I have sent the client the final payment invoice.
Payment Terms
In the past I have allowed the client to set the terms for when to send the final payment. This didn’t really work out so now the client are expected to submit payment immediately upon receipt of the invoice, no exceptions. Non Payment: A 15 dollar late fee per day will be added to all outstanding invoices.
Email@yourdomain.com
If the clients are transferring to a new host, the domain based email needs to be set up to move with the domain. The new/old host is the one to contact about this since I do not transfer emails.
Adding the Products to the Site
The client has hired me to develop,customize and design an online store not to perform data entry.
In the development stage of the project I may upload or create dummy products so that the client will be able to see examples of how to add the rest of the products (Note: does not apply to LightSpeed Web Store).
Since clients are going to be managing the store, they need to become familiar with all the steps and processes of adding new products, editing existing products, adding stock and uploading images for the products. But if I do it for the client, they won’t know how to do it after the launch. And I will be off working on new projects and might not have the time to drop everything and help out exactly when they need it.
Cross Browser Support
I will cover Internet Explorer 7 (released in 2006) because some client’s customers still use it. But, unless the client can provide proof for why support for IE 6 (released in 2001) is still required, I will not continue to code for it. If the client themselves use IE 6 or 7 I will ask them to upgrade to IE 8 or 9 so as to reduce by at least 1 more the amount of people still using an old (and honestly reviled) browser. I develop in Firefox/Safari on a Mac and test how the site works and looks in other browsers and on a PC.
Handheld support (mobile devices,iPads,etc) is not provided by default unless specifically requested.
Credits
I often add my site link to the bottom of the site but if the client asks me not to, I will refrain. If working with a design firm their link will be displayed and hopefully they will credit me on their site. I will add sites I am proud of creating to my portfolio. If the client requests that I don’t do this I will not.
Communication
A recent misunderstanding with a client left me thinking of how I can improve how I communicate with future clients. I never want a client to think I am too busy to explain something or help out if I can. Although, it can take me a minute or two to understand what the they’re talking about because clients don’t often use the same descriptions/language/terms for things that I do. But if I do not answer a question right away it is not because I don’t think it was an important question or that I’m just ignoring it – the more likely reason is that I am researching a solution to the question (most questions are about if a certain feature can be added) and then finding a way to explain how it can or can’t be implemented.
I expect to communicate with the client about the project mainly by email. I try to return email within 24 hours. If I do not respond within 24 hours chances are the client has written to me over the weekend, on a holiday or there has been a non work related event that has prevented me from responding.
Should We Meet in Person?
For many different reasons often a face to face meeting is not practical. I also find it is very hard to keep a client’s attention if I meet with them in their store – these meetings (unless before or after opening hours) are rarely very productive. If a client prefers we can meet in Brooklyn at some point of equal distance, schedules allowing. Of course if a client is out of state/country the project can be discussed exclusively by phone,email or IM. Even if a client is nearby we will mainly email and/or talk on the phone.
LightSpeed Clients Please Read
Licenses
When the client purchases LightSpeed they are issued a license and they can install the Point of Sale software on their computer. If down the road they decide they want to purchase LS’s eCommerce Connector so that they can have an online store with inventory that is synced to their brick & mortar’s they are issued an updated license. Until the client or a licensed LightSpeed reseller performs the necessary steps to install the new license (instructions on how to do so are provided by LightSpeed), the eCommerce Connector won’t work.
An unfortunate, recent misunderstanding prompted me to add the following items.
1. Who Does the Data Entry for the Web Store Products? I don’t enter Product information. I don’t have anything to do with the generation of products at all. I don’t crop the product images. I don’t upload the product images. All of that is done via the Admin Panel which is installed in the main store computer.. I also don’t dial in remotely. If I did I might be expected to perform configuration tasks as well as product data entry. The client might think they are too busy to do any of this all by themselves. Which is why many of my clients make a staff member do it or hire an intern. Once more: product data entry covers images, prices, descriptions, related products, creating categories and assigning products to categories.
2a. Bugs. Web Store (developed by LightSpeed) is software and sometimes software has bugs. If a client ever finds that something is not working they should submit a report of the issue to support@lightspeedretail.com. If they report it to me I won’t be able to fix it because I am not a LightSpeed Point of Sale/Web Store developer. Many times because the error is something regarding a Web Store function and I am designing the way the Web Store looks a client will assume that I should be able to fix the error – this is not the case. Additionally, if a bug prevents a client from being able to update the Web Store even if I am finished with the design the online store can’t and shouldn’t be launched until the issue is resolved. If a bug prevents the store from going live within the original deadline’s timeline – it does not mean that I have not done my job.
2b. Debugging. The easiest and most efficient way to debug Web Store errors is to switch to a template that came with it. Web Store ships with 3 templates: Basic, Deluxe and Framework. Instead of editing one of these templates I’ll upload a new template called Mod. To debug, I will switch the Mod template to the Deluxe template and go over the site trying to reproduce the errors. If I can’t reproduce the errors using the Deluxe template this means some custom code caused them and then I can go find out what I did wrong. If I can reproduce the error using the Deluxe template then it is possibly a bug and it will be reported to support@lightspeedretail.com.
2c. Bugs in Core Files/Server Issues. Core files are all the rest of the files except the templates. Sometimes the bug won’t let you upload a product image. Sometimes a bug makes trouble with Shipping or Taxes. Sometimes the Captcha verification word won’t work. Each time you report a bug the developers will address it here:https://github.com/lightspeedretail/webstore. Server issues can stop Web Store from working properly. Web Store needs the exact right environment in order to be able to run smoothly. Please ask support@lightspeedretail.com for a list of accepted hosting providers. I recommend HostMonster.
3. Setting up Shipping, Taxes and Payments/Accepting Credit Card Payments Online. Not only does the client have to set up Shipping, Taxes and Payments up themselves ( or ask the person who installed the system to do it) they must also secure a payment processor to handle the credit card payments online. If they are already accepting credit cards in their store chances are their processor is the one to talk to about accepting payments on their web site.
4. How Do My Products Get Added To My Online Store? Why not read about it from the developer’s web site?
Further reading – if that’s your thing: I Charge For My Time, Work and Support (not For WordPress).