Treating your proposed web firm with decency

This is a bit of a rant, apologies in advance!

Basically I can tell you a little pet hate of all web development companies (and I’m sure many other professional services organizations!).

It revolves around getting asked for very detailed proposals and response to tenders, outlining intricate detail about how the website and online marketing campaign will work with heavy input from the prospective client only to see them vanish and never to make contact again afterwards.

Now I don’t think our well designed proposals are offensive, nor our prices overly high, instead I see this is largely the result of a lack of manners and people playing companies against one another on a price basis, regardless of the fact they admit they are not price driven but quality driven.

Yes a web development company is there to win your business and will be grateful in doing so, but that does not mean to say that numerous hours or days have not gone into giving you free and bespoke strategy advice to help light your online path.

Behind that custom proposal you received is not a hyped up salesman/woman drooling at your business and trying to rip you off, it is someone who has thought about your needs, prepared a custom solution, pulled developers and producers off existing paying projects for input and tried their hardest to outline how they can actually help you and your business.

Now wouldn’t you say this is worth a quick email or call to let them know your plans?

If the project isn’t moving ahead, just let the company know. If the project is going ahead but with another developer, thank them for their time but say the business is going in another direction with a different provider. I assure you that you won’t get an angry person on the other side of the email or phone line, instead a person that is grateful for your ability to be upfront and not leave them hanging.

For all people guilty of this, please consider the above and apologies for the long rant. 

For other web firms reading this, I hope you agree and </rant over>.