The whole category in one page.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
Register your domain yourself, in your own name, in an account you control.
Buy your own hosting.
Whoever controls those controls your business identity.
THE QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL MOST
Will the domain be in my name? Will hosting be in my account? Will I have full administrator access?
Evasion on ownership is the warning that matters.
THE MOST VALUABLE PART OF ANY AGREEMENT
The exclusions list. Stating what is not included prevents most disputes.
WHAT STALLS PROJECTS MOST
Content. Decide who writes it before starting, and start early.
WHAT CAUSES MOST OVERRUNS
Scope changes, late content and delayed decisions.
Most are the client's doing and get blamed on the developer.
BEFORE THE FINAL PAYMENT
Test everything yourself, confirm handover, and confirm you hold all access.
That payment is your remaining leverage.
WHAT TO CHECK AT LAUNCH YOURSELF
The search engine visibility setting. Forms actually delivering. The site on your own phone.
ESTABLISH WHO MAINTAINS IT
The most common failure is nobody, because nobody agreed it was theirs.
WHEN A DEVELOPER DISAPPEARS
If you control the domain, everything else is recoverable. That is why it matters most.
