🔒 1. Lock-in tactics
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Not giving source code or admin access so the business owner can’t move to another developer.
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Registering domains or hosting in the developer’s name instead of the client’s.
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Using proprietary CMS instead of open-source (like WordPress), so the business is stuck.
💰 2. Overcharging
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Charging premium rates for basic work (e.g., a $50 WordPress theme rebranded as a “custom” $5,000 site).
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Adding hidden costs later (SSL, hosting, maintenance) without transparency.
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Charging for free plugins/tools as if they built them.
🛠️ 3. Low-quality delivery
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Using prebuilt templates and calling them “custom-built.”
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Writing messy code so that only they can maintain it, forcing dependency.
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Delivering a site that looks fine but performs poorly (slow, insecure, not SEO-friendly).
👻 4. Fake skills & outsourcing
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Claiming to be experts in everything but outsourcing work to cheaper freelancers without telling the client.
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Showing fake portfolios or taking credit for projects they never built.
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Using AI-generated code/designs and charging as if it’s handcrafted.
💤 5. Negligence in support
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Charging for ongoing maintenance but barely doing anything.
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Ignoring bugs and security updates, making the site vulnerable.
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Disappearing after payment with no accountability.
🧑💼 6. Upselling unnecessary services
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Convincing business owners to buy things they don’t need:
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Expensive servers for small sites.
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Paid plugins when free ones work fine.
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Extra “SEO packages” that are just keyword stuffing.
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