Why do they always want something permanent?

So far, I've worked with two different sites in creating forum skins. I don't know if it's my method in working, or just having weird clients, but they always expect me to keep working on their site, updates, and all that stuff till....the day I die it seems. I just worked with one guy, created my first ever actual contract, then he said to me "I'll also be needing you to alter graphics on the site for me." Is there some kind of flaw in my approach? The steps I took were

- Talk to client on phone.
- Go over everything that the guy wants from his website.
- Write contract, with proposal outlining everything I would be doing, adding how much extra work would cost (also including what the extra work would include.
- Giving it to client.

Every client seems to presume that I'm there with them for the long haul. Am I missing something here?

No, i would just set them straight from the off..

Originally Posted by ULTiMATE So far, I've worked with two different sites in creating forum skins. I don't know if it's my method in working, or just having weird clients, but they always expect me to keep working on their site, updates, and all that stuff till....the day I die it seems. I just worked with one guy, created my first ever actual contract, then he said to me "I'll also be needing you to alter graphics on the site for me." Is there some kind of flaw in my approach? The steps I took were - Talk to client on phone. - Go over everything that the guy wants from his website. - Write contract, with proposal outlining everything I would be doing, adding how much extra work would cost (also including what the extra work would include. - Giving it to client. Every client seems to presume that I'm there with them for the long haul. Am I missing something here?

Extra services cost money. You should be happy that your work is in demand.

You should start building websites with content management systems, that way they can update the sites themselves.

Any extra work after that you should charge for.

Originally Posted by ULTiMATE ...but they always expect me to keep working on their site, updates, and all that stuff ....... then he said to me "I'll also be needing you to alter graphics on the site for me." .... ... Every client seems to presume that I'm there with them for the long haul. Am I missing something here?

What's the problem here? Do you not want to design for clients? Don't you want the extra work? Aren't you into designing for clients for the long haul?

Everything additional to the original contract is additional money and work for you, how simple is that to understand?

Make sure your contract covered everything, you should produce a new agreed addition to the appendices in your contract for each new element desired by the client. Get them signed off one by one, and each element is created under the original contract conditions except completion dates of course.

Make sure your contract explicitly states that extra work costs money or what stage the project will be signed off at. Personally, I would want to hold onto clients for as long as i'm designing, work is money

The thing is, moving onto new work would be near impossible, because these clients want me to practically update their sites 24/7. Also, they try to milk my extra cost services, and small changes become instant overhauls of the sites. One problem I did have was timekeeping, as these clients ask for items to be changed within a day at the most, and as I'm not doing this full-time at the moment, it's hard to keep track of. Luckily, I handed the work off to their new webmaster, and I'm currently free to ponder over my mistakes and write a better contract.

It was never really the added work that was a problem, it was more the fact that I'd be getting 50 emails a day asking for me to add something to the site. It gets kinda frustrating trying to get the content from them as well, and having them breathe down your neck as you create stuff for them, asking questions like "are you done yet?" and "show me what you've done!"

Have a bulletproof contract.

Make sure the client knows that additional communication time is not part of the contract. Anything above 30 mins - 1 hour per day is excessive and will be charged additionally (except for initial comp stages). Also let clients know that the more time spent on communication would get them the ideal design, but it will also get them delayed finishing dates on projects.

Ask them if they think the additional communication is worth the delay in project completion and extra monay spent.

Let them know that completion of projects will be delayed due to waiting for content and excessive overseeing. Ask them if they want to pay for this additional cost.

i think you should make it clear from the outset of the project what your price include: how many major reversions until client is happy and then anything after that is extra charges!
it wont be fair to keep you "bonded" 247!!