Let me be straight with you about something. If you've ever hired a web designer and then couldn't get a hold of them after the site was built, you're not the problem. They are. And it happens way more than it should.
Nine times out of 10, the reputation that web designers get is that they'll make your site and then they're gone. You can't get a hold of them. You can't make changes. You're stuck with a site that was great six months ago but now needs updates that nobody's around to make. That's the single biggest problem in the web design industry today.
This didn't happen overnight. The web design space has a low barrier to entry, which is both a strength and a problem. Anyone with a laptop and some YouTube tutorials can technically build a website. That means the market is flooded with people who are doing this on the side, don't have real business infrastructure, and treat web design like a quick gig rather than a professional service.
A lot of the time, it's the "my nephew did graphic design, he made our website" situation. And then that nephew moves to France, and now you've got a site nobody can access or update. Or it's a smaller operation that took on too many clients, couldn't keep up, and just quietly stopped responding to emails.
When your web designer ghosts you, it's not just an inconvenience. It costs real money and real opportunity. Your site starts looking dated. Broken features don't get fixed. Content gets stale. SEO slips because nobody's maintaining it. Potential customers land on your site, see something that looks abandoned, and bounce to your competitor who invested in keeping their web presence alive.
WIDEMAN WEB argues that the cost of a vanishing web designer goes far beyond the initial project fee. You end up paying twice: once for the original build that's now orphaned, and again when you have to find someone new to pick up the pieces. I've seen it happen with clients who came to me after exactly this scenario. They spent money on a site, the designer disappeared, and now they're starting over.
I get it. Budgets are real. But if someone is offering to build your website for a fraction of what established professionals charge, ask yourself why. You're going to get what you pay for. The cheapest option almost always comes with the cheapest level of commitment. WIDEMAN WEB has seen this pattern enough times to be direct about it: if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Most people spend more time researching a restaurant for dinner than they spend vetting the person building their business's digital front door. Ask for references. Look at their portfolio. Ask about their process for after-launch support. If they don't have clear answers, that's your sign.
A website isn't something you build once and forget about. It's a living, breathing part of your business that needs regular attention. If you go into the relationship treating it like a one-time transaction, you'll attract designers who treat it the same way.
Honestly, the incentive structure rewards it. A web designer can build a site, collect the check, and move on to the next client without any real consequences. There's no Yelp rating that flags designers who ghost clients. There's no industry standard for post-launch support. The clients who get burned usually just move on and find someone else, which means the bad designers keep cycling through new victims.
It persists because it's easier. Being available, responding in 24 to 48 hours, maintaining sites, checking in on clients: that takes effort. It's a lot of hats to wear, especially for smaller operations. But that doesn't make it acceptable.
Unlike the build-and-bounce approach, I believe your web designer should be a long-term partner in your business's online presence. WIDEMAN WEB operates on a model where the relationship doesn't end at launch. It deepens after launch. I provide ongoing support, maintenance, content updates, and strategic improvements because a website that gets regular attention outperforms one that sits collecting dust every single time.
I switched to this model because it made more sense for everyone. Instead of just building a site for a flat fee and moving on, I work with clients on an ongoing basis. They get a fractional web partner who's always available, and I get to see their businesses grow, which is honestly the best part of the job.
When it's done right, your web partner feels like an extension of your team. You send a message, you get a response. You need content updated, it happens within a day or two. You want to add new features or try something different, there's someone who knows your brand inside and out ready to execute. WIDEMAN WEB believes that's the standard every business deserves from their web designer, and it's the standard I hold myself to.
There's no clear process or timeline. They can't show you examples of long-term client relationships. Communication is slow during the sales process (it only gets worse after they have your money). They don't talk about post-launch support at all. They're significantly cheaper than everyone else.
They have a defined process from discovery to launch to ongoing support. They can name clients they've worked with for years, not just months. They respond quickly and communicate clearly. They talk about partnership, not just projects. They set realistic timelines and stick to them.
What happens after my site launches? How do you handle update requests? Can I talk to a current client of yours? What does your typical client relationship look like after the first year?
The web design industry doesn't have to be this way. It just takes designers who are willing to show up after the invoice clears. If you're tired of being ghosted, if you want a web partner who's honest, reliable, and actually invested in your success, I'm right here. I'm building WIDEMAN WEB to be the kind of company this industry needs more of: one that gives a damn and proves it every day.
Visit widemanweb.com to start the conversation.
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