It is understandable that sometimes business relationships do not work out the way that you wish. For instance, there may be a lack of proper communication or perhaps the product is not the way you envisioned. Whatever the reason, you have decided that this is a business relationship that you do not want to continue. It’s a hard conversation to have and you may not be entirely sure what the process could look like, especially when firing a web designer, but Websults has some tips and tricks you can use for if you need to do it.
Reasons Why You May Fire Your Web Designer
First, you may want to think about why you are ready to make this big decision. If you are hesitant, this list could help you recognize signs you may have missed that could hint at the future potential failure of your business relationship.
- Lacks responsiveness and poor communication
- Evasive in their answers
- Is not transparent with things you should know
- Does not do their job properly in maintaining your site
- Does not provide detailed project scopes or a solid deadline
- Works too slowly
- Deliberately overcomplicates things to give themselves more time
- Is not receptive to feedback or criticism
- Won’t let you make changes to your site
Some of these red flags may lead to you being sure in your determination to end your business relationship for good reason. When you pay for a service you should expect to feel satisfied, respected, and involved in the process.
Before you hire your new web designer
Before hiring your web designer, you should make sure you’re on the same page. Chances are, you already have a web designer that you are ready to part ways with however if you are planning on hiring a new web designer to replace them, and we recommend you do, it’s important to learn from the negative experience moving forward. Sometimes, we may not realize that a business relationship is not working because of a lack of communication or understanding. Having clear boundaries and expectations to start with will help you in knowing where the issues lie with your web designer.
Make sure you understand exactly what your contract terms are. Have a frank discussion with your new designer about what your wants and needs are. Discuss changes you want made to your website, timelines you would like the work completed in, and what you are expecting of website maintenance. If there was something you weren’t satisfied with from your previous web designer, make sure you address that with any new designers you are considering hiring to avoid running into the same issues in the future.
Protect Yourself Before You Move Forward With Firing Your Web Designer
Your web designer has a direct hand on your relationships with customers and you want to make sure you have yourself protected in case of retaliation or to ensure no downtime for your site.
- Review your contract for any information you need to know
- Prepare with another firm to process the change smoothly as possible with no downtime to your site
- Make sure licenses and plugins are in your name and that you have admin access for things such as:
- Hosting Provider
- Domain Name
- WordPress Website
- Look into backdoors for anything involving your site that could be exploited. This includes recording passwords to your site.
- Make sure you have “manage users” on Google analytics
Firing Your Web Designer
There may be a million things on your mind and a lot of negative emotions when you go to fire your web designer but it’s important to remember that they are human. Keep it as professional as possible and approach the task with compassion as well. Make sure they’ve been compensated with all unpaid bills paid. While firing your designer on the phone or in person, have your team changing passwords and access to lock the web designer out from making changes. If they are not responding to calls, change the permissions and send them an email detailing your decision.
If Your Web Designer is Overseas or on Upwork
If your web designer is abroad, the process is not that different from someone working locally. You have to take time zones into consideration when calling or sending an email to make sure that you have your team on the clock to be changing their password to keep the web designer out. If you hire a web designer on a site such as Upwork, you can end their contract at any time as noted on the website. You will pay for hours logged unless you dispute them. Upwork implores you to speak with the freelancer before you make this decision so that everyone is on the same page.
Websults | SEO Agency Located in Clearwater, FL
The team at Websults can help in deciding which method would work best for your needs and would be happy to set up the integration for you! As an experienced web development, social marketing, and eCommerce agency, Websults will listen diligently to your needs, ask questions to help identify any other needs or future needs, and will work hard to give you a competitive advantage in your industry. Contact Websults for a free consultation.
