The Ethics of Planned Obsolescence

The Ethics of Planned Obsolescence

I'm working on a business plan at the moment that is somewhat different in type than my normal work.  It has a physical as well as software/digital element to it, I'm normally just seen as a software guy.

The physical element of the product interacts with the software side of it, this connection is what actually makes the product unique in its own marketplace.

When I start working on designs for software systems there are a number of criteria that I put down on a list to help me establish the key metrics for the design and the development. In this particular instance I went for:

• Portability
• Robustness
• Cost
• Performance
• Maintainable

What does this list mean in practice?

Portability: The software design and development should be as generic as possible to allow it to work on as many devices as possible with as little device-specific coding as possible.

Robustness: The code should be factored to be as simple as possible - the consequence would be that the code would be robust. If you try and be clever and complex with code it will inherently somewhat unstable.

Cost: The code should not require any specialist developers to create. Everything should be standard in every respect to allow the work to be achievable with the most common human resource.

Performance: The code should have a benchmarked set of performance criteria to ensure a certain level of efficiency across the code base on a per-platform basis.

Maintainable: This relates to the code being documented correctly, both the remarks within the code base itself and external documentation that covers the full code base and its construction.

Whenever I am making decisions for either the business plan or the technical specification for the software I will normally run down the list above and see how my thoughts hold up against the criteria I've laid down.

As you can see from the list above, my approach to creating software is to make the most reliable and manageable piece of software I can, using the lowest reasonable cost and creating a minimum standard in performance.  The question is if this approach is going to work well when there is a physical, non-digital component to the product?

What is "Planned Obsolescence"?

Planned obsolescence or built-in obsolescence in industrial design is a policy of planning or designing a product with a limited useful life, so it will become obsolete, that is, unfashionable or no longer functional after a certain period of time. Planned obsolescence has potential benefits for a producer because to obtain continuing use of the product the consumer is under pressure to purchase again, whether from the same manufacturer (a replacement part or a newer model), or from a competitor who might also rely on planned obsolescence.

This isn't a new idea. The Phoebus Cartel was a collection of the worlds largest producers of light bulbs in 1924. They agreed to change the duration the bulbs would last from 2500 hours to 1000 hours artificially - making users buy new bulbs more frequently. Move forward 60 years and we now find printer ink cartridges being produced under the same basic premise. 

What's the ethical dilemma?

The physical part of the product I am currently working with is small and plastic - therefore its a losable and breakable. In either circumstance the product is useless without the physical part. It would be possible to include a design change (at some cost) that would limit the chances of losing the plastic part. There are also choices to make about the material type and standards that the physical piece is made from to reduce the potential for it to physically break. The customer is essentially buying something that would appear to have a certain element of performance and durability and I know its going to stop working, fail or wear out quicker than the user would expect.

Both changes would increase the cost of the product - in terms of design and manufacture - which has the correlating effect in the business plan of making the start-up costs higher and that has the effect of it being harder for the company to make a profit and survive.

I can remove the obsoleting factors and create a harder business plan to deliver or leave the product as is - create obsolescence and give the business a better chance at the consumers expense.

The question at this point is am I being unethical by creating obsolescence?

Personal opinion

My personal feeling here is that I need to the right thing for the people paying me to write the business plan and the specification. The obsolescence needs to be identified in the document with options to remove that obsolescence documented as potential alternatives to the original plan. If the founders of the new company see the ethical side of this as being important they can delete the original option out and leave one of the better options in - its their choice. Equally, they could just delete my options and leave the original design and manufacture option in the plan - in the end its the option that has the biggest chance of success for the company. The hybrid solution is to start with the original design for a period of time and then transition onto one of the more ethical options as part of the companies ongoing development of the product.

Where does this leave me?

My approach to the software development can't really help me with the physical aspect to this product. The plastic aspect of the product will always be more susceptible to failure than the software as I can't apply the same principles to it. This could mean that the whole product (and therefore company) fails on the non-digital side of things. In the end there is a compromise between what's right and what's feasible, their not always hand in hand as concepts.

Are you listening?

Are you listening?

I was at a meeting yesterday with a client meeting a potential customer. My client is a tech start-up run by graduate entrepreneurs. I took notes during meeting as I normally do and my client didn't. After the meeting when we sat to talk about it, it felt like the client and I had been in completely different meetings! It became apparent really quickly that had not really been listening to the potential customer at all but had been mentally somewhere else through the entire meeting. The end result was that I felt the meeting was positive with some prospective business and the start-up guy felt the opposite.

The question then becomes how do two people sit in the same meeting, hear the same things and end up with polar-opposites on the outcome of that meeting?

Learning to listen is a very powerful business skill. Understanding what your potential customers are asking for and what feedback your existing customers are giving you is pivotal. Here are some ideas and tips for changes you can make in the meeting environment that may help you get more from those meetings and avoid misunderstandings:

[1] Control the environment. Try and manage where the meeting takes place to reduce extraneous distraction or input. If your the kind of person that struggles to concentrate then don't accept meetings in crowded cafe's or restaurants - move the meeting to somewhere that's more conducive to a proper conversation.

[2] Pay attention! Sounds obvious but in the cold light of day its common to come out of a meeting not having heard most of what was said. It has to be a deliberate mental decision to listen in the first place.

[3] Show your listening.  Body language is 80% of how we communicate so use your body to show the other person you're listening and engaged with what they are saying. Nod occasionally, smile and use other facial expressions. Encourage the other person with small comments like "Interesting" or "Yes, of course" etc.

[4] Feedback. Periodically provide feedback to the other person so they can reflect. Its often useful for you to summarise what they have said so far - it clarifies everything for both parties. You can say "So what your saying so far is" or "Sounds like your saying" to create that reflection point.

[5] Don't prep. When someone is saying something and early on they say something you don't like or agree with its easy to start rehearsing your rebuttal to the point whilst the other person is still talking. Try not to do this, it really does limit your ability to hear the rest of what's being said and therefore your overall understanding of the conversation.

[6] Stay relevant. If the conversation wanders around a number of subject, some of which are not the reason your there then be polite and bring the conversation back to the topic. If your not interested in the small talk then you will disconnect, so try and keep on topic and relevant - it will make it easier to focus.

[7] Appropriate.  Its right to be candid and open in meetings. If you have a different opinion to the other person then asset it but respectfully. Business is about relationships and the best business thrive on relationships. Its a long term strategy that will pay you back in spades.

Summary

It takes a concious decision and determination to be an active listener. Old habits die hard, and if your listening habits are as bad as many people's are, then there's a lot of habit-breaking to do in the offing.

Be deliberate with your listening and remind yourself frequently that your goal is to truly hear what the other person is saying. Set aside all other thoughts and behaviours and concentrate on the message. Ask questions, reflect, and paraphrase to ensure you understand the message. If you don't, then you'll find that what someone says to you and what you hear can be amazingly different!

Testing your website

Testing your website

Image Copyright of thebuzz.co.uk

When you create a new website for your business it has typically been a creative process and very aesthetically driven. The creation part of the process actually only takes your new website to 85% complete, its the testing of the website properly that takes it from 85% to 95% complete (its never 100% complete, there is always more to do).

Not going through a proper test cycle on your new website is a real false economy. Getting the site live and taking revenue is the best thing possible right? No. A website with problems is not going to help your business and is going to have a negative impact in terms of customer service and customer satisfaction.

Here are my top tips for getting through the test cycle on your new website:

[1] Know the audience.  Make sure you know who the audience is, the demographic they are part of and what level of expertise they in terms of using websites and other digital tools. You need to look at the website from their point of view, not yours.

[2] First impression is vital. The first time you look at something it has the most impact on you. Make sure you note everything you see that's wrong the first time. As you keep looking at it you tend to get more accepting.  Be uber critical and note down everything first time around.

[3] Review the complete site. Don't skimp on checking every page - even if you think that nothing has changed since the last time you looked. Changes on one part of the site can effect others so you need to check and recheck every page.

[4] Use complex inputs. Wherever you have an input box you can never assume that the target user will try and put the right data into it. So if you have a box where you expect the user to put their name, try putting numbers in, or a URL for a youtube video. Your developer can make it so that these inputs are not valid but you need to test all inputs in this way.

[5] Exceed all limits. If your website allows 100 characters in an input box, make sure you always try and enter more than the maximum allowed.

[6] Internationalise. With the possibility of international visitors to your site, you need to check that they can also use the site as intended. This means checking that your site can handle different time zones. Can a user add a phone number with the country code prefix? Can the user enter their name using accented characters or special characters without breaking the site?

[7] Avoid short-cuts. There are plenty of automated tools and services now for checking websites but I think they are a false economy. They often don't pick up all the problems which means you have to go back and check certain things manually anyway. Trying to save time like this rarely saves you as much as you would like.

[8] Keep moving. Try going back and forth repeatedly between sections and pages. The constant move back and forth and the repeated clicking on the same thing - even when it isn't doing anything can often highlight both bugs and performance issues with your site.  

Here are some links to articles that are useful if your testing your website:

http://usabilitygeek.com/an-introduction-to-website-usability-testing/

http://www.usefulusability.com/24-usability-testing-tools/

http://whatusersdo.com/

Selling Connectivity - You Are The Product!

Selling Connectivity - You Are The Product!

Image Copyright 2freehosting.com

Earlier this week Matthew Rippon - IP Lawyer at Particular - posted a blog article about the dangers of being sold connectivity.  This is where a consultant sells themselves as someone who can open doors and make significant introductions, for a fee of course.

The original article can be found here: http://matthewsviews.com/2014/06/18/beware-of-the-connected/

It started me off thinking about how we treat people, as colleagues or as connections, or as data, or as a sellable asset in our work.

I have a large network built up over a number of years.  LinkedIn has been an invaluable aid in growing that network and I use Plaxo to help keep the contacts in my Microsoft Outlook up to date.  I have around 5000 valid contacts right around the world and there isn't a day that goes by where I am not searching through those contacts for either a direct interaction over something I'm working on or a more secondary interaction (introduction to someone new etc.)

I do quite often get unsolicited requests to be introduced to someone in my network by people that I don't know or are on the very fringes of my established network. What I tend to do is to drill down with the person asking to see what the perceived need for the introduction is to determine if I want to pass that connection on.

My existing network feeds me tremendously with information and opportunities and I should recognise that value and protect it vigorously.

I usually look at relevancy as being the main deciding factor in if I should act on the connection request. If I can see a good degree of correlation between both individuals, what they do and what level they are at then I see this as being the right basis for an introduction.  If I'm not sure then I email the person directly to discuss the introduction request before making it, just so that I'm not spreading irrelevant and time consuming activity.

The other thing here is about being able to sell this kind of activity on the basis that something might be automatic or guaranteed. I don't see how anyone would be able to guarantee anything under these circumstances. I wouldn't be able to guarantee anything to anyone.

I agree wholeheartedly with Matthew's warning and sentiment on this. Anyone engaging with you and your business who is selling this service and making sweeping guarantee's over their capacity to open doors should be treated with suspicion.

Just remember, if they are doing this to you then they are doing it to other people and therefore making you the product for someone else!

A penny for your thoughts ...

A penny for your thoughts ...

Image Copyright Forbes.com

I've had the same email address now for around 15 years. In that time I've emailed tens of thousands of people, registered for hundreds of site and products and subscribed for more updates than I can contemplate. This leaves me with the rather predictable problem that my inbox is a haven of spam communications for everything from the latest Nigerian inheritance scam to cheap Viagra.

I have a ritual which I do once a week to de-spam my email which I thought I would commit to this blog, you might find it useful if your having the same issues.

What does the law say?
The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 cover the sending of email marketing. This legislation says that organisations must only send marketing emails to individuals if you have agreed to receive them, except where there is a clearly defined customer relationship. Many spam emails come from outside the UK. The Information Commissioners Office can only investigate concerns about marketing emails from identifiable UK senders.

As a lot of spam comes from overseas, the Information Commissioner has an agreement with a number of overseas bodies to cooperate and exchange information to try and stop spam emails that are sent from those places.

Email Client

I use Microsoft Outlook to read my email. Over the years it has become pretty good on the spam filtering front, but I still have a couple of tactics for limiting what's getting into the inbox:

- Invest some time to set up the spam filters in some detail. If the filters are well thought out then most of the spam will not get through to the inbox.

- Create a dummy email address just for the purposes of subscribing to things or getting free trials. If its something you want to continue with then you can change the email address to your main one later.

- Never unsubscribe from a spam email. All it does is validate your email address to the spammers.

- Never forward a spam email on to friends or colleagues, this also validates your email address and exposes your friends to the same spam.

Bill Gates - A penny for your thoughts?

As far back as 2004 Bill Gates - the founder of Microsoft - had foreseen spam email as a major issue. He once speculated the idea that it should cost one penny to send an email. He described this as "buying a stamp" for each email.  This would eradicate spam overnight, the spammers couldn't fund sending spam email, even at a penny. They typically generate half a billion emails a day. Its not a workable idea, business would object to the levy and collecting it is not realistic. I always thought that the money generated should go to charity or other good causes, get rid of spam and do some good all in the same go.

The other benefit of this idea would have been that people would think more carefully about the amount of email they send, the trivial emails with little or no value would also disappear, thereby lessening the amount of low value generic email hitting your inbox.

What can I do if I'm getting unwanted emails?
If you receive marketing by email that you don’t want from an identifiable and legitimate UK based company that you know and trust, you should first use the ‘unsubscribe’ link or email the organisation to ask them to stop (remembering to keep a copy of any correspondence). Tell the sender about the problem and allow them time to put things right. Legitimate, well-known companies will offer opt-outs, and in many cases things can be resolved quickly without us getting involved.

If you continue to receive unsolicited marketing emails despite following this course of action, then you may wish to report your concerns to the ICO.

Digital Tools

Digital Tools

Image Copyright Careercosmo.com

We work in a world of digital these days where there is a plethora of different connected tools to manage every aspect of our businesses on-line or to help us with productivity. As with the physical world there are more options than we can contemplate, deciding on the right tool for you, your business and your lifestyle.

I thought I would create a run-down of the digital tools I use, why and what made me choose them over other options.

LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com)
This is the most important tool in my work life.  I use it constantly most days. Its the most comprehensive connectivity tool for business on the planet and doesnt really have any hardcore competitors.  I have a premium account which is the equivalent of around £30 per month.  The amount of business that comes to me through LinkedIn totally outweighs the cost.

Twitter (www.twitter.com)
I use twitter as both a way to circulate business related information or insight, but also as a primary research tool. I can post questions or ask for comments on a range of subjects and get a wide range of replies (including some rubbish) but on the whole I find it useful in a business context in lots of different ways.  The best aspect of this I guess is its free.

Dropbox (www.dropbox.com)
I often need to transfer files between different locations to allow work colleagues access to files and images. Dropbox has always been my weapon of choice - although there are now other options in this space. Dropbox has been reliable throughout and I've never had issues. The space provided with the free account is more than enough for most people. I store documents I use most frequently in dropbox so I have access to them from anywhere on any computer.

Skype (www.skype.com)
What a great tool. I use this mainly with international contacts and clients. Its free and extremely good quality in most calls these days. It's been a great improvement in business relations to be able to see the other person rather than just hear their voice. It also now keeps conversation histories which helps with business continuity issues.

Microsoft Office (www.microsoftoffice.com)
The latest version (2013) of office is essentially an on-line tool. Microsoft moved everything across to be browser based for this version, allowing files to be saved in the cloud. I still prefer MS Office to the opensource/free competitors. Its not cheap but I would still rather invest into this as a tool. I have become a real fan of Microsoft One Note. Its a great tool for collating notes, web-links and other assets into a format that is organised and useful. If your an information junkie then check it out.

AVS Media Tools (www.avs4you.com)
There are plenty of moments where I need to do some jiggery-pokery with images or audio etc. AVS produce a complete suite of tools which allow me to convert any audio/video/image between formats or edit the content. I've been using this tool kit for years and I really like it.  Tools are easy to use and are very reliable.  At £20 a year for access to the tools its value for money if you do a lot of asset related work.

SumoPaint (www.sumopaint.com/www/)
When it comes to graphic design, Photoshop has been the 800lb gorilla in that market forever.  Its the premium tool used by the major agencies and is essentially treated like the default application (Illustrator on the Mac is the like for like comparison). The issue with Photoshop has always been the cost. Its seen as a pro-tool and comes at a pro cost.  SumoPaint is a browser based version of a lite version of Photoshop. Its free and if you just need to create something every now and then its fantastic.  I so actually use Photoshop but if you fall into the casual use category then check SumoPaint out.

Sublime Text 3 (http://www.sublimetext.com/)
If your a coder then your going to need some form of editor. I use Sublime Text. Its simple and straight forward and it reminds me of some of the old-school editors I used back in the 80's and 90's. The free version is fairly comprehensive and will cover most coders requirements.

DueDil (www.duedil.com)
When you deal with new people and companies there is always a small element of danger. Not everyone we encounter is as ethical as we would like. There is also the tendency for most people to present themselves as a rip-roaring success, they feel its necessary for them to do so for you to want to deal with them. DueDil is a simple way of checking the background of companies that you are dealing with.  The basic check is free and gives you a sense of the size and shape of the company your dealing with.

Are you Appy?

Are you Appy?

Opening Summary 

Its fairly common for someone to ask for a meeting and the purpose of that meeting is for them to get some advice and guidance on building an app.  In their minds it makes total sense.  Every business should have an app, right?  Having an app will bring in lots of new customers right?  What quickly becomes apparent in most cases is that the rationalisation they have gone through to get to this point doesn't hold water in a cold business sense.  Ego, pride and enthusiasm has fuelled the thinking so far, not logic and fact.

Not every business is bettered by an app.

Image Copyright of TechCrunch

The problem

There are clearly some huge benefits in terms of awareness and customer reach to having an app, but only if the business behind it has orientated itself to be able to act accordingly.  If the app is badly designed or executed then the outcome can be wholly negative as customers struggle to find and/or use the app.  If the app does not add or contribute to the users interaction with the company or product then the feeling will be "what's the point?".  There are a number of customer-orientated issues that should come and sit beside a number of business questions - the answers need to be positive in most cases to validate the idea of developing what can be an expensive appendage to the company.

Here are the most common failures as I see it:

1. Deciding you know what the users of your products want       without asking them.
   
2. Apps that don't benefit the users in anyway.  Apps that don't create new opportunities, extend existing ones or provide something unique for the user in terms of content or experience.
   
3. Not having an ongoing content and technology roadmap for the app to follow post launch. Far too often there is no     planning past the point of launch.
   
4. Fail to factor in how the app may impact on business -       especially customer service. If you attract a load of new   customers because of the app, what will happen to the current business systems and processes.
   
5. Fundamentally misunderstand how long and how much it costs to design, develop and launch an app of the highest standard.  

At the end of the process far too many companies end up with something that is just either a replica of their website or offers their customers nothing new.  It cost them far more in time and money than they expected and they end up seeing the app as a business negative rather than a business positive.  Apps do not defy the normal laws of business - there must be a clear business case behind the app otherwise the plain truth is you shouldn't be doing it.

Image Copyright of The Telegraph

Solutions

Here are my five best tips if you end up with the thought that your business should have an app:

a. Decide if the app is for existing customers (this is often referred to as an enterprise app) or if its designed to attract new customers and interest.  This decision alone will save you a lot of pain.  Its not advisable to make a single app for both target groups.

b. Regardless of your decision in (a) the first step is to interview and discuss your app with the prospective users. Existing customers will tell you what they like/don't like and what they would find convenient via an app (order tracking etc.) In effect, let them design the app for you and don't overrule them.

c. Connect the functions described to you in (b) to a business case.  If customers tell you that they want order tracking in the app - find out how many calls you take monthly about orders.  If the number is substantial and the app will reduce those calls - therefore freeing up staff time and resources then that's a viable case for the app.  I think you can extrapolate from there.

d. Once you have built your business case you should have a number from the increase in revenue/savings on costs.  Times this number by 2.5 and this should give you an idea of how much you can safely spend on the app and you're rate of recoup.

Example: If you end up with a £5000 figure from the business case then you can safely spend £12,500 on the app development and recoup that investment over an 18 month period.

e. If your not a tech professional then hire one to work for you (not the app developer) to deliver your app.  App developers come in all shapes and sizes and in every part of the quality spectrum.  If you commission an app and don't have the necessary skills personally to manage it its just like buying a lottery ticket.  Don't rely on the developer to make all the best decisions for your business, they just wont.  Hire someone to work for you and task them with the delivery.  It shouldn't cost you more than 10% of your budget to get someone in to do this for you.

Closing Summary

You will notice during this article I haven't mentioned platforms (iOS/Android/Windows Mobile.  These are not important if the business case does not support the concept of developing an app. Don't get wrapped up in the technology if the underlying business is not right. Far too much by way of app development is driven the other way around and it becomes financial risk.  

Chose the right developer ... or suffer ...

Image Copyright businessnewsdaily.com

One of the most frequent calls/emails I get is someone getting in touch because something has gone wrong with their web developer or their hosting provider.



Opening Summary

It can be a nightmare when this happens and creates stress and unnecessary pressure when all you want is to concentrate on the more important issues of running your company.

Typically the problems as I would describe them are:

- Everyone wants to know what it will cost
- Requirements are not clearly defined (making costing difficult)
- Requirements need to be not 100% defined for business reason
- It takes forever (or seems to) get a new site up and running
- A site is never really finished even when launched
- Content Management System(CMS)doesn't do what the client wants
- Client needs changes and doesn't have a support contract
- Client cannot afford all the costs up front

The information below is not a conclusive set of answers to all these problems but if you're new to this it should give you a starting point.

Where to start?

In theory getting a developer and the hosting is easy - but only really if you come from a certain background and speak the lingo. Not knowing your HTML from your JavaScript is not a good starting point.

What would you do if you wanted to buy a new car but didn't know anything about them?

Well the obvious answer is to read up on the latest models and ask someone you trust for help, right?  Well in the first instance I don't see choosing a web developer as being any different.  Undoubtedly there will be someone you know who will help you get a grip on the basics, and the same principles apply, do your homework and talk to people who are already at the point you want to get to.

There are some basic points I think create the right base to move forward:

- try and put a list of local developers together as a short-list.  Its still better to have a developer that's close by that you can visit and meet face to face than not.

- from the short-list look for a developer that has created previous sites within the same business sector as you.  Some familiarity with your sector is always going to help.

- email the developers you like the look of and ask for a couple of references, people you can speak to about their experiences of working with that developer.

- visit the developer in their office, not yours.  Look around.  Is their office the kind of place you would work in personally?
  
- ask for an overview of their development process.  Who does what stage? How long does each stage last? What provision do they make for your input and feedback etc?

- ask for a quote AND ask for a copy of their business terms and conditions.  Give these to a lawyer for a quick read over and any potential changes to avoid any sticky clauses.

- make sure that the payment schedule is back end loaded.  Do not pay any more than 30% of the total value of the contract as a deposit.  Make sure the final payment is based around you signing the work off as being complete and that the percentage is around 40% of the value.  The other 30% should be paid in small lumps as the developer completes each interim point.

- ask the developer to tell you specifically who is going to be working on your website and add them to the contract under a key-man clause.  If the developer takes them off to work on something else then you have some right of redress with them over it.

- make sure you have a contract to cover all this.  Its the single biggest mistake.  No contract means that it will become a he said / she said if there is a disagreement.  This really is the crux of the matter.

Specification

It really really helps if you have spent some time deciding what you want and don't want.  You don't need to be able to describe the sites functions in a technical way, but you do need to be able to describe the activities on the site in as much detail as possible. If you go to the web developer with only a vague idea of what you want then expect to get a bill for the design time it takes to come up with something for you to look at and critique. 

I would say that lists are enough.  Let's take customer service as an example.  Your list for the developer might be:

(a) You want a button on the top right and at the bottom of each page for any customer to click in the event they need help.  The button should have "get help" written on it.

(b) when the customer clicks the button they should be asked to choose between "Question" and "Complaint".

(c) If the customer clicks "Question" display list of FAQ's with the option to write a new question into a form at the bottom.

(d) If the customer clicks "Complaint" then ask them to fill in a complaint form and display that a member of staff will be in touch in the next 48 hours.

(e) If a question or complaint is submitted to the site then inform staff member x by email.

This is enough information for the developer to create a web based system to replicate these steps and indicate other requirements (like the storage and retrieval of FAQ's).  If this isn't something that you can manage then it really will be a case of having to pay the developer to work all this out for you.

How do I know if I'm paying too much?

I get asked this a lot as well.  There is no real answer to this as its really dependent on the content and design of the site.  I did a piece of client work during 2013 to establish the average web developer rates which concluded with .php development coming in at around £300 per developer per day (averagely) and with dot.net development around £330 per developer per day.  Any quote given to you by a web developer should clearly state the daily rate.

Hosting 

Quite often the developer will offer to organise the hosting for you as part of the development.  They will have a hosting company that they use and will deploy your site to that host.  Again, there is no hard and fast rule for the costs relating to the hosting as some kinds of sites require bespoke plug-ins to allow them to work and any kind of e-commerce capacity will definitely increase the price. A standard brochure site is going to cost £25 per month (approx) to host. If you site streams any form of media (videos etc.) then the bandwidth bill for streaming will come in on top of this. Relevant advertising streamed with the video can offset this cost.

Support

The support provision by the developer is vital to you in the event of problems.  Make sure that the developer has an out of hours/weekend number for you to call if you have issues.  Try it out, call it and make sure someone answers.  This could cost you money if the developer cannot follow through on its customer support issues.

Changes

Ninety-nine percent of the time this is when problems between you and the web developer occur.  You call up thinking that you can get a quick change done and the web developer asks for what appears to be a disproportionate amount of money for the change. I need to come down on the side of the developer here.  Small changes can still take time to do and then test and then do the site update and then test again etc.  Two or three hours can quickly rack up just checking everything is right after the updates.  There are two different ways to deal with this to reduce (not remove) the potential problem:

- pay your web developer a small amount monthly in exchange for a set number of hours worth of work on your site, either changes that you need or new features if the time is not taken up with changes.

- ask your web developer to commit to a fixed fee per change over a longer period (say 2 years).  Sometimes they will win because the change is quick and easy and other times you will win because the developer has a more time consuming change to deal with.

In either event make sure that the change process/costs are detailed in the contract.

Resolving conflicts

If this is where you end up then there are a couple of potential solutions.  Ultimately the contract that you have is the starting point, what is the nature of the disagreement and what does the contract say in relation to that point.  Here are some general ideas in the event that this is where you end up:

- Meet with the developer face to face, don't harangue each other via email.  Email is too open to interpretation by both parties. A lot of the time this is enough to get things moving again.

- Try arbitration.  Bring in a 3rd party that knows something about web development and ask them to adjudicate.  This is best off being a clause in the contract and it will need to be someone who is truly independent of you and the developer. Even if you have to pay a small fee for this it still will be better than weeks and months of disagreement.

- Organise the divorce before you get married.  Its quite feasible to have an organised separation as part of the initial contractual agreement. 

Closing Summary

My parting comments are fairly straight forward.  Either spend the time learning the things you need to learn to manage this or hire a professional to do it for you.  There is a lot to lose by getting this stuff wrong - thousands can be lost very quickly if basic assumptions are not tested and certain criteria is not met.

Do NOT skimp on the contract.  Lawyers are a necessary evil and I would not advise anyone to go into a relationship with a web developer or hosting company without some legal advice.

Expect to pay a reasonable sum of money.  Cheap things are cheap and as the old saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.