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Quick question for a web developer

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Oct 20.2012

I have recently hired someone to create a website for me. It is a wordpress ecommerce site with many custom features, many products and many pages. We have been trying to get it right for a few months now and there are some issues that he is not capable of fixing. I would like to get someone else to finish the site for me because i can not keep paying more and more to this company while i get no results. I am now going to ask that they send me all of the files for the website.

My question is… Is there anything in particular that i should make sure i receive from him to ensure someone else can continue to finish the site? are there any special files that the new designer will need to make his life easier? And are there any tricks that i should look out for that they might want to do to ensure that only they can work on the website?

Thank you in advance for your help.

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@theyokerOct 20.2012 — You'll need:

  • - All HTML files.

  • - CSS Files

  • - Javascript Files

  • - Basically every file the old developer had the new one will need.


    • And depending on what sort of contract you went in with it all depends. I assume you own the domain name and the web server it's stored on?

    If so change the password on the web server so that the old developer is unable to change your site.
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    @jedaisoulOct 21.2012 — A legitimate company should send you all the code of the site on demand. Thus leaving you free to engage another developer. However, if you do not pay for the hosting of the web site and know the password for developer access to it, you have a problem. Even if you own the copyright of your site, and even that is not certain from what you say, you may be powerless.

    The answer may be to set conditions in writing for their continued involvement e.g. What functionality is required, when it is to be supplied, and the penalty for non-compliance. But even that may not achieve anything apart from giving you the legal right to stop paying them!

    Also, I would question the benefit of pursuing them beyond that. I.e. If they are cowboys, how good will the code they have written be anyway? You may be better off terminating the arrangement and putting it down to experience. Next time, (if you haven't already) get the agreement in writing before you hand over any cash!
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    @canuck1authorOct 21.2012 — Thanks for the replys, I will ask for all of those files. The site is currently on his server. I do own the domain but I have not put anything up on it yet. Is there anything else I should look out for? Thanks
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    @canuck1authorOct 21.2012 — My other question is... Is there a way to save the site by just visiting it on his server? Thanks
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    @jedaisoulOct 22.2012 — Depending on the browser you use, you can view/save the html of any site you visit. Just look under "Developer Tools" or some-such.
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    @rtretheweyOct 22.2012 — You can save any web page loaded in your browser by using "Save As.." from the File menu. Be sure to use the "Web Page HTML only" option in Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome so that the browser doesn't change any of the internal file references. It's a slow, cumbersome way to download an entire website, but it would work. So do your best to get the developer to send you the files. Good luck!
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    @JavaboeyOct 30.2012 — There's no way to save your site by visiting it if it's a WordPress site. You'll need all the backend files, which you won't have access to just by visiting.
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    @jedaisoulOct 30.2012 — True. He will also need a developer who is fluent in Wordpress. I once took over a Wordpress site, and, not being fluent in Wordpress, it was easier for me to re-write it from scratch, using screen dumps of the old site as a style guide. But that was a simple no-commerce site.

    Still, the idea of a second developer taking over a failed development of an eCommerce site is fraught with issues, and is likely to be expensive (I think). It might be cheaper and cleaner to get a re-write. But it may be worthwhile getting a reputable developer to look at the development and say what can be done. That is assuming that the present developer plays ball...
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