Dirty Tricks of the Web Trade

I despise Website providers; I really do. I believe the many of their business tactics border on the unethical, but people fall prey to these deplorable tactics because they don't know any better. Here are a few to avoid:

• I'll do your Website, but you don't own the files  - If you pay for a Website, the files that were used to create the site are yours.

• You don't own the Web files until you pay for a year of hosting (or some other premium) - Hosting and Web development should be separate. See answer above.

• I'll host your site for you - No they won't; Web designers just resell hosting. If you actually have a problem, they'll just relay it to the people who really do the hosting, but they'll gladly take the markup anyway. This isn't necessarily a terrible offense since oftentimes the price they can provide you is equal to the price you'd get directly; it's just good to know how the system works because most Web designers won't explain this to you.

• You'll have to agree to monthly maintenance on your site - Buy it only if you need it otherwise as for a la cart maintenance. If they don't provide it, walk away.

• I'll buy your domain name for you - NEVER. It's like letting someone else own the address to your house. It generally costs about $9/month for own a domain. Email is additional.

• You can't have FTP access to your Website - FTP access gives you permission to access your web files on the web server. This is a function of the hosting provider, not the Web developer. Remember, hosting and development are two different things. You should have the FTP address, user ID and password.

• We can also do Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - SEO is generally a service area unto its own. SEO is done by an SEO professional, not a Web Designer. And beware of SEO companies that promise to get you #1 on the natural listings. This is not possible unless by surreptitious means.

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