1, Know what you want
Before you hire me, know what it is you want. Sit down, think it through. Use pencil and paper, find a site with similar functionality to show me.
2, TELL ME what it is you want
In full, up front. Give me your ideas, show me the sites you found explain it to me.
DO: Make me aware of any project constraints that you are facing, time, budget, technology, server limitations
DO: Ask questions
DO NOT: Tie my hands, If it's a big project that's fine, if you want to divide it into chunks or phases that's fine, but under no circumstances hold back any part of the brief, this will result in unacceptable delays to both parties and I will most likely move onto another project where the client has explained everything to me
Realise that while a project may look or seem big to you, to me not so much, I need a complete overall view to do my work. It may look like 'create a user page', then 'create a product page' THEN we'll 'make an accounts section' but that doesn't work for me. While they may look like separate things they are all very much part of the same thing and I need the full brief up front.
3, Know your developer
I've taken on too many projects that have been either abandoned by a previous developer or completed to such a poor standard that they're not fit for purpose. DO NOT ask me to rewrite these projects, it's faster for me, and cheaper for you, for me to rewrite whatever it is from scratch.
If you still want to hire me, shoot me a message here!