[wp-pro] From a Viewpoint of a prospective client on this list

[Anthony Cole]

I just wanted to chime in here...

I know this list can get pretty dry sometimes, but I've gotten so many  
repeat clients that I don't reply to a project anymore unless it  
really interests me. I'm having to turn down work from those clients  
as well, being a part-time student.

I also know that there's a few people on this list who underbid or are  
just plan unprofessional. I can admit to being one of them at one  
point, and I still can't quite gauge how long a certain project here  
or there will take me, but as the joker said, "It's all part of the  
plan". We've all got to start somewhere, and while this is wp-PRO, it  
is an open list. People are going to make mistakes and be stupid, it's  
human nature. It's what makes us learn.  I know people can vouch for  
me when I say that every one of us has been in that same predicament  
with the "never-gotten-such-a-big-project-what-do-I-do" feeling or the  
first day on the job syndrome.

Also, let me say this: from someone who's been working out of  
Australia since February, you really don't have to live here to work  
with a client or a contractor. It's convenient, but not necessary. I  
have a large amount of clients on the West Coast and a few months ago  
I was working on a project with the Project Manager in Los Angeles and  
the client in London, and communication really wasn't that difficult.

Just my two cents.

Cheers,
Anthony

On 31/07/2008, at 1:24 AM, Aaron D. Campbell wrote:

> I have to agree with Carla. I didn't reply because you specified  
> that you preferred and "Australian Wordpress developer" which I am  
> not. I'm not going to waste your time applying if I don't meet your  
> requirements. I honestly never got to the bottom your request (I  
> didn't meet the requirements expressed in the first 10 words), so I  
> didn't see that you asked for platform suggestions, but when you got  
> them you disqualified that person for suggesting them.
>
> I probably wouldn't have been a good match anyway, I'm usually  
> scheduled at least 10 weeks out, but then again it sounds like you  
> waited that long anyway.
>
> Here is the list of WordPress Consultants that Automattic  
> recommends: http://automattic.com/services/wordpress-consultants/
> It looks like there are two in Australia and one in New Zealand.
>
> Alan Johnston wrote:
>> This is directed to anyone looking for a WP developer from this list.
>> This isn't written to offend anyone it is just an observation of the
>> participants in my Service Provider request/search, who made  
>> contact with me
>> when I posted to find a developer on here. And from my searches  
>> through the
>> archives.
>>
>> I just feel I need to write this observation to help other people  
>> looking
>> for a prospective WP developer.
>>
>> I do go on here I know, just go to the end summary for a condensed  
>> version.
>> My search for a WP developer has been long and hard. Starting  
>> probably 4-6
>> months earlier. Took me awhile to work out this list even existed. I
>> approached 4 developers directly from the official WP list of  
>> providers on
>> their site. Not sure where that list is now on WP's main site  
>> but ....
>>
>> 2 never got back to me, 1 was too busy for new work (fair enough)  
>> and one
>> sounded perfect, we started our negotiations but all went dead from  
>> him.
>> Then I just got excuses that "I was sick ..." etc. So I thought oh  
>> well not
>> interested lets move on. Even though this same person kept coming  
>> back to me
>> saying still interested. But everytime we started communication  
>> contact
>> stalled so I did move on.
>>
>> So then I did find this list and thought wholoa answer to my prayers.
>>
>> I had no idea how much my project would cost but stated around  
>> $6500 plus.
>> Not a huge project but compared to some of the job spec requests I  
>> have seen
>> on this list for the last 3 months more than big enough and  
>> lucrative enough
>> to get some interest and some negotiations happening to see if I  
>> was in the
>> right ball park with my project cost estimation, from all the  
>> "experienced"
>> WP developers I expected to be on here.
>> I had 5 people contact me.
>>
>> One was a so called "expert" that had done heaps of customised WP  
>> projects
>> and emailed me direct and said it would cost $999. Now what I  
>> needed done
>> there was no way he could get it done for this. It was impossible  
>> and he
>> couldn't provide any work so knew I was wasting my time with him.
>>
>> 2nd and 3rd contact was just general contact. One wanted to join  
>> with me
>> because they wanted something similar and the other was just spam.
>>
>> 4th was a guy I cant remember his details now who advised me that I  
>> would
>> probably get what I needed from another CMS like joomla or Drupal  
>> etc for
>> cheaper as this was WP and thus a blog product more than a full  
>> solution for
>> what I needed. Yep I agreed with him and thanked him for his  
>> advice. He was
>> right in some respects but I knew what I was after could be adapted  
>> to
>> Wordpress and this was my preferred option because the existing  
>> site was a
>> WP website so needed all the content from the existing site so was  
>> prepared
>> to pay for it. But he was giving me unbiased advice and I  
>> appreciated that.
>>
>> 5th contact I cant remember now. Obviously didn't go anywhere though.
>> Also funny enough as I was getting frustrated by lack of enthusiasm  
>> for a
>> developer on here I saw that the person I was dealing with before I
>> discovered this list was also participating on here and so thought  
>> lets try
>> with him one last time. All sounded good he was "interested" again  
>> but again
>> lack of initiative and contact from him halted the process. I  
>> refuse to
>> chase someone to come and work for me. Thats not how I work. Been  
>> through
>> this before. If lack of effort presale it is guaranteed to show up  
>> during
>> work or after sale. So moved on.
>>
>> Anyway long/er story short I have a WP developer from elance who is  
>> doing my
>> site. $9500USD it is costing which is fine and coming along nicely.  
>> Total
>> professional relationship. So all good from my point of view but it  
>> has been
>> a looonnnng process.
>>
>> SUMMARY:
>> So to end the rant my findings in summary are:
>>
>> Maybe I was just unlucky but ...
>>
>> For small jobs, installs, modified themes, plugin help etc then  
>> this "could"
>> be the place for you.
>>
>> For a full customised solution - I suspect that not many of the real
>> experienced WP developers attend here. I maybe wrong. Go ahead and  
>> post here
>> but I suggest at the sametime also look at somewhere like elance or  
>> other
>> freelance sites. You will have more luck.
>>
>>
>> kind regards
>> Alan Johnston
>>
>
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