Can you please give me an advise on what should I do for my client to give me the web content so the project can be done already and for me to get paid. I've been messaging the client for 3 weeks now since the web design and development has been finished and the only thing needed is the web content. I'm not getting respond from them. They respond promptly when I was still in the production phase but now that I'm asking for payment, they just don't message back.

 

What should I do for the client to give me the web content? Do you think they're not giving it because they're not yet ready to pay me? What should I do for them to just be honest about. Can I message them once a week to remind them about the content or is it annoying? The client is a friend and I don't want any conflict. I just needed to be paid.

 

Thanks!

Did u signed a contract ?

Did they pay u advance?

In business there is no friendship / family !

How long they have stopped responding ?

What kind of website u r making? CMS/ static website

To be honest, the client doesn't sound like much of a friend if they've not responded to you for 3 weeks. I'd put the project on hold and stop working on it - under no circumstances should you finish this project and/or hand it over without having been paid.

 

This is why A - you don't do business with friends and family and B - you should always have a contract and take a deposit before starting any project

I had a deposit which was also not paid completely. It is a static website. A question though, is it considered complete when I'm already done with the works? The website is literally done. It just needs the content that the client should supply. And is messaging them every week to remind them about the content annoying?

I agree you should stop work on it, send out an invoice for work so far, and don't make the site live or give out files until you have been paid in full. When your friend gets their content ready get paid up front before you add it

If you keep messaging them all you will do is make things hard for yourself with most clients. Remember the world today is connected and online, you apply to much pressure and they will tell the world online without being truthful! One bad comment online will cost you 100 customers! 1 good comment online can help persuade 1 customer. The odds are not stacked in your favour so giving 'reason' by applying pressure is never a good idea unless you have the ability to back it up in court. No contract - no court!

 

You described them as a friend, then I'd suggest going to see them. If they thought they was only bouncing ideas of you and have signed no contract you are already out of pocket but can walk away lesson learned. Or they might have a genuine reason, maybe their business idea is not viable and they don't wont to sound stupid. There are many 'legitimate' reasons in a clients eye's that we the 'servant' just can't see. (Or at least that's the way they will sometimes think). Talking face to face or even over the phone will often clear things up and get money moving.

 

I noticed you took a deposit but said it 'was not paid in full' - Alarm bells would be ringing in my ears if it was my own brother let alone a mere friend!

 

Business is business, you are not a person that has worked for your pay day from an employer. You are a business, they are not people out there, they are clients with fat check books. When you speak with your client be a business not a person, understand their difficulties and misgivings but business is business and you need to keep a roof over your head!

 

One bonus is that the design and build is already done, next customer that wants something like this project will take very little work, time, and effort to please them with a nicely polished and finished product. They will probably even go and tell somebody how quick and efficient you was. So not all doom and gloom.

Hi,

If he is your good friend then he will understand well what professionalism means. If it is hampering your work then you can hire a different content developer who can give you the content.

In these kind of situations, my first steps are:

 

1) Get a contract signed, whether it's a local client, remote client or even family/friends. If they refuse to sign one, move on.

2) For larger jobs, set out a 'road map' of multiple payments across the lifetime of the development.

 

If payment or communication stops, halt all work and be sure to tell them the reasons. If they vanish into the woodwork and you never hear from them again, on bigger jobs (£1500 and above) threaten legal action. Anything smaller than that, it's not worth your while.

 

What you've done isn't a write off - twice I've approached a new client with a pitch that contained much of the framework for a previous let-down, and they've gone for it. Make some additions, subtractions, content changes and bingo.

 

Nothing you write, develop or design for is ever wasteful.

This might be a simple case of you are needing complete content from them (text, pics, etc.) and they simply do not have time to put it together. You may need to (without spending a ton of time on it) drum up some decent copyright and stock photography just to fill the gaps and complete the design and get paid. Subject to change after the fact. This is of course you've confirmed they are still interested in working with you.

Edited April 12, 201412 yr by iems

Ah the old friends and family ... tbh my worst 'clients'. The no content game is one I see time and time again with clients but i'm 90% sure it's not to stall payment but because they haven't even thought about it. I got a meeting tomorrow which I will spend 90% of the time telling them that they must provide the content by mid project or work ceases until the content is ready, that's why I use the 50% in advance (plus anything I'm purchasing for the project) and 50% on completion. Sometimes a project can sit for months while I wait for content which is why 50% up front is always paid. All to often I get emails saying 'what's happening with the site' to which I always reply in polite terms 'nothing, as there is still no content'.

 

As for what to do now? I would cease work and send a reminder once a week for content. I would also chase the remainder of the deposit, as this should have already been paid in full before you started. Then just shelf the project and move on. Sooner or later they will realise they have spent money and so far had nothing online to show for it - then it's up to them, give content and finish or go to someone else and loose their deposit - either way the work so far (so long as it's not too custom) can be modified to suit another client. I have 4 of these in my folders because of this very reason, already resold a few others, mainly to clients with limited budgets who just need something (charities and the like).