Has your freelance WordPress Developer Disappeared?

Hiring a freelance WordPress developer can be a great decision for your website or online project, offering the flexibility and expertise that can propel your online presence to new heights. However, what happens when your trusted freelance WordPress developer suddenly vanishes into thin air, leaving you with unfinished work, unanswered emails, and a looming sense of uncertainty?

Let’s explore the all-too-common issue of a “freelance WordPress developer disappeared” scenario and provide you with essential steps to take when facing this frustrating situation. Whether you’re in the midst of a project or preparing to hire a new developer, we’ve got you covered with actionable advice to navigate through this challenging experience and get your WordPress project back on track.

The troubles with freelance WordPress developers

Let’s explore some of the troubles you may encounter when working with freelance web developers to develop your WordPress site.

A freelance web developer is a one-man army

A freelance web developer is an individual who possesses a diverse set of skills and abilities, allowing them to handle various aspects of web development independently. They take on multiple roles and responsibilities throughout the entire process of creating a website. Freelancers take on everything from planning and design to development, testing, and deployment. This can be a lot for one person to take on and this can cause them to slip through the cracks on certain things.

They take on too many projects

A freelance web developer will take on as many projects as possible. They have the fear if they don’t, those projects will go away. Moreover, if they don’t work, they don’t make any money. But the trouble with taking on so many projects, they cannot keep up with them all. They don’t meet deadlines and do things along the line of least resistance.

Code standards and quality can be iffy

When it comes to coding standards, with freelance web developers you never know what you are getting. In fact, you could be getting a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Unless you are technically savvy, you have no way to verify the technical background of your web developer.

Here at Acclaim, we have had the pleasure of finishing websites that were started by freelance web developers. Some of these freelance web developers who claimed to have years and years of experience, were worse off than our junior developers.

Experience doesn’t mean much, and it’s hard to check

There are some freelance developers who are great at what they do. But trying to measure code quality and verify that experience can be tricky. If you are not tech-savvy and looking for someone to do the work, you may find yourself hiring someone who provides you with a poorly coded site. As we mentioned above some freelancers may have 7 or 8 years of experience, but in reality, experience level is like a junior level.

They often don’t stick to their deadlines making them unreliable

As we have mentioned previously, freelancers tend to take on a lot of projects at once. This can make it difficult for them to stick to deadlines. They are often unreliable which may cause delays and problems on your end.

Don’t panic if your freelance WordPress developer disappeared

Take a deep breath, don’t panic. Don’t let dark thoughts take over. It’s not the end of the world if your freelance web developer disappears. There are a number of solutions if your freelance web developer falls off the face of the earth.

Document attempts to contact the freelance developer

The first thing you need to do is to document any attempts you make to contact your freelance web developer. This way if you need to take any legal actions, you have proof that you tried to reach out. You can show that the lack of communication was not on your end.

Contact your web host to see if you have access to your website

The next you want to do is contact your web host provider to see if you have access to your website. Your web hosting account should be registered to you or your company. If you don’t have access to your website. You should contact a web development company to see if there are any other ways you can access your site. They may be able to copy the source code, change a few things and move your site to a new web host. A web hosting account will be under your name and registered to you.

If not, get legal on that problem

If it turns out that the freelance developer has registered the hosting service to his name, you may consider taking legal action. This shouldn’t happen. You need to make sure that you can regain access to your website.

Do you have access to your site?

If you access your site you have a few options when your web developers disappear. Let’s explore them.

If you are a tech company, complete the site in-house

If you are a tech company and have the necessary manpower, you may want to consider finishing your WordPress website in-house. This may be a less expensive option, not to mention you have control over the entire process. Moreover, you have certainty that the code, the site, etc. belongs to you and no one else.

Find a WordPress development agency to complete the site

Another option is to find and use a 👉 WordPress website development 👈 agency. A WordPress development service can help you finish your site if it’s still in the development stages. Moreover, if you need to start over from scratch, this is again a great solution to that problem.

Why is a WordPress agency better than other solutions?

First of all, when you work with an agency, you have a full team working on your WordPress website. You have a team of developers, QA testers, designers, and a project manager. It’s not like a freelancer who is a man or woman of many hats.

Moreover, a WordPress development team has procedures and processes to check the quality of the code. We have QA testers to make sure that everything on your site functions properly. There is a higher standard that we have here at Acclaim than let’s say a freelancer may have when working with you.

Another benefit of working with Acclaim as a WordPress development agency is we create a clear schedule for when certain tasks will be done. We can create a schedule to set up calls with you, to ensure that you are happy with the process of your site.

Something we also hear from our customers is that we not only get things done on time but also take initiative. Our developers come up with ideas that will make your website better. Moreover, they come up with solutions that are long-lasting and will keep your site running smoothly long term.

Try another freelancer

If you are brave enough you can try using another freelance web developer to finish your site. But this time you can take the necessary steps to prevent disaster. You can ensure that the web hosting account belongs to you. Moreover, you can ensure that the code is your intellectual property, not the developers.

Contact a WordPress support company

Another viable option is to contact a 👉 WordPress support 👈 company to help with your website. Using WordPress support is a great option if you need someone to maintain your site, add new features, fix errors, etc.

Furthermore, a WordPress support company can update your WordPress core. Moreover, it can update & maintain any WordPress plugin. Also, they can also update your WordPress themes to make sure that everything is up to par and working properly. Additionally, they can also add additional security features to protect your site from security vulnerabilities. Lastly, they can add new features when you need them, in order to keep your site growing just like your business keeps growing.

How to get your site back online using these steps:

Let’s go through some steps you can take to bring your WordPress website back online. Moreover, to bring your WordPress website back to your arms.

Check access

Ensure that you have access to all the necessary accounts and platforms related to your website, such as the domain registrar, hosting provider, and content management system (CMS). If you don’t have access to these accounts, try to recover or reset passwords through the respective platforms.

Dig up a website backup

Dig up a website backup so that you have your WordPress core files, source code, and all other necessary website files. If you have a backup of your website’s files and database, use it to restore your site to the last known working version. If you don’t have a recent backup, see if you can find any old backups or files related to the website.

Hire someone to finish your WordPress site

Now, you can hire someone to finish your WordPress website. If your website is only partially converted from the design, you need to hire someone who can finish it. But mind you a 👉 website is never finished 👈, not really. Even if your WordPress website was perfectly converted from a design and all the functionalities were set up. This doesn’t mean your site is finished. Here are a few reasons why:

• Website trends are constantly changing, meaning you may want to change your design or add to it, in order to keep up with the latest. Moreover, user’s expectations are also continually changing, right now there is a huge emphasis on mobile devices.
• Your website needs to load quickly, or you can say goodbye to potential customers, conversions, and sales. This is especially true if you own a WooCommerce shop, it needs to load in less than 2 seconds.
• Search engine optimization is constantly changing. It constantly needs to be monitored and upgraded. You need to regularly add new content, do keyword research, etc. SEO is not a one-and-done, scenario.
• Moreover, you should constantly create backups of your site and update the WordPress core files, WordPress plugins, and themes. In order to gain new features, security patches, and much more.

Your website is like a house, it needs constant care, fixing, cleaning, etc. to stay standing and up to the highest standard. So don’t believe that your website is finished because it’s visually like you planned.

Test thoroughly

Before putting your website back online, test it thoroughly to check for any errors or issues. This will help you identify any problems and address them before they become visible to your site visitors.

Do you want to check the health of your website?

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Make your site visible to website visitors

Once you have tested your site, everything works and you’re happy with it, now you can take it live. Once it’s live Google will index it and rank it. Your website visitors will be able to access it and hopefully purchase your service or product.

Remember, it’s always a good practice to maintain regular backups of your website and to have a contingency plan in case something goes wrong with your web developer. This way, you can minimize the impact of such situations and get your site back online more efficiently.

How to prevent issues when your freelance web developer suddenly ghosts you

Dealing with a freelance WordPress developer who disappeared and suddenly ghosted you can be frustrating and challenging. There are a few things you can do to prevent issues down the road if your freelance developer ghosts you. You can reduce the likelihood of encountering these issue and mitigate its impact when it does happen by:

Clear Communication from the Start:

Establish clear communication channels and expectations right from the beginning of the project. Make sure both parties understand their roles, project deadlines, and preferred communication methods.

Contract and Agreement:

Always have a written contract or agreement in place that outlines important information. Information like the scope of work, project milestones, payment terms, and deadlines. This helps protect both parties and provides a basis for legal recourse if necessary.

Regular Check-Ins:

Schedule regular check-ins with the developer to discuss the project’s progress and any potential roadblocks. This keeps the lines of communication open and allows you to address issues early on.

Payment Structure:

Consider using a payment structure that ties payments to project milestones rather than a lump sum upfront. This way, the developer has an incentive to complete each phase of the project.

Document Everything:

Keep records of all communications related to the project, including emails, chats, and project updates. This documentation can be valuable if you need to involve a third party or pursue legal action.

Intellectual property rights

You need to make sure that your website belongs to you with the code. Moreover, the web hosting account belongs to you and not the freelance developer.

Remember, even with all these precautions, there’s no foolproof way to prevent a freelance developer from ghosting you. However, by being proactive and prepared, you can minimize the risks. Moreover, you can respond effectively if such a situation arises.

TL: DR; Summary: Help my freelance WordPress developer has disappeared

Let’s conclude what you can do if your freelance developer disappears and cuts off all communication. Navigating the world of freelance WordPress developers can be a challenging endeavor, as they often operate as one-person teams with varying degrees of reliability and expertise. Facing troubles such as missed deadlines and subpar coding standards can be frustrating and detrimental to your project.

However, if you find yourself in a situation where your freelance WordPress developer disappeared, there are proactive steps you can take. Consider reaching out to a reputable WordPress development company or WordPress support company to take over and complete the project. These professional teams have the experience and resources to pick up where the freelancer left off and deliver a polished end product.

It’s also important to always ensure that your web hosting account is registered in your name to maintain ownership and control over your website, safeguarding against potential issues with disappearing freelancers in the future. By taking these precautions and seeking reliable partners, you can safeguard your WordPress development journey and achieve the success your project deserves.

Has your freelance WordPress developer disappeared? 👉 Drop us a line 👈, and we can help you get your WordPress site back and up online. We can either continue with the development of a started site or support your existing site, it’s up to you.