Here's how to recognize a bad web developer (7 signs)

Now, there are plenty of good web development parties (and bad online marketing agencies, for that matter), but these are signs that you need to start thinking about whether your web developer is still the right one.

Disclaimer: these are not substantive things like the use of 100 plugins, but higher-level signals that I have encountered.

For small adjustments, they charge a lot of hours

"Could you make these three small changes?" "Yes, that will take us 8 hours."

I have this kind of conversation for every quarter. We want a few minor changes, which we think is 2 hours of work. But then we or the client get an invoice for 8 hours....

To me, that's a big red flag. Because that mainly means that the developer in question is done with you or just wants to write nice hours to make easy money.

The average response time is 2+ weeks

Speed is everything. Especially when it comes to online marketing. An update from Google, an adjustment from a competitor or something new in the market may require you to move quickly.

And once you've come up with that new idea and emailed your developer, a 2-week response time is not helpful. If you only get a response after 2 weeks and then have to wait another 2 weeks for the desired changes, you're already 4 weeks away.

Chances are that new idea has already lost its value by then.

They always have a rebuttal to other people's ideas

"Yes, but we always do it this way". Or "No, because that didn't work at website X either".

If a web developer indicates at 9/10 things that it can't be done, doesn't work or that there is always a counterargument, it's going to cause irritation in the short and long term.

Because often that means they don't want to deviate from their system or concepts.

And since development and your marketing go hand-in-hand, it's oh so important that they don't get in each other's way, but rather reinforce each other.

They always do to the comma what you ask for

Suppose you have a design of a landing page. You think it up and ask the developer to build it. Then it sometimes happens that they rebuild it exactly as you did.

Usually not a big deal, but suppose you accidentally drew a round button when all the buttons within your website are actually square. Then they're going to use that round button, too.

Or that you try to recreate a block that already exists and your developers, then think this is a new block and so they start building it all over again.

Of course, you and I have to deliver it as clearly as possible. That's right. But we are neither a designer nor a developer. And so the web developer has to think for himself.

Does this fit within the design? Is this technically possible? Doesn't this page already exist? And is what I need to do logical?

The developer is the expert and so he or she should also say when we do something that cannot be done or is illogical.

They never do exactly what you ask and always do it "their own way

Yes. Those developers can never actually get it right....

I'm just telling you that they shouldn't do exactly what we say. And then I say they never do exactly what we ask.

What do you want, Daniel?

Well, that this so: so if I do have a design made that I want exactly as I want it or consciously indicate that I want something different, then it should be executed as such.

And then the developer should not create a completely different design, put the logo on the right after all, or remove the reviews after all.

Then the developer should indicate in advance that something doesn't work or can't be done. But not make the adjustments, but then (without consultation) just a little differently.

You can almost never reach them directly: everything has to go through tickets

This annoys me to no end. Suppose the website doesn't work, I want to be able to call the developer.

Or if something is really urgent or needs explanation, I just want to be able to call. If the standard response is "just create a ticket" or "email me with ticket number X in the subject line," that doesn't make me happy.

They are not proactive at all

Does the developer also contact you about points of improvement within the website? And do you sometimes get an email with "We have developed something new for a client and in 2 hours we will build it for you as well"?

Then you're in the right place. But if your development party never approaches you, that's also a red flag. True love comes both ways, and so you also want your developer to be proactive with you about your website.