My Friend Makes Websites: The #1 Mistake to Avoid in 2025

The Allure of the "Friend Discount"

Your small business is finally ready for a real online presence. You need a website, but agency quotes are making your eyes water. Then, a brilliant idea strikes: your friend is great with computers. They’ve built a few sites, they know their way around WordPress, and they’d probably do it for a fraction of the cost. The phrase “my friend makes websites” has launched thousands of projects, but it has also sunk just as many friendships.

It’s a tempting path. You trust your friend, you have a good rapport, and you’ll save a significant amount of money. What could possibly go wrong? As we head into 2025, where a professional website is more critical than ever, this informal approach hides a monumental risk. And it's not about your friend's skill or intentions—it's about the process. Before you seal the deal over a cup of coffee, you need to be aware of the single biggest mistake businesses make in this exact scenario.

The #1 Mistake: Skipping the Formal Contract & Scope of Work

There it is. The number one, most catastrophic mistake you can make when your friend builds your website is failing to create and sign a formal contract that includes a detailed Scope of Work (SOW).

Many people feel that bringing a contract into a friendly arrangement is awkward, or that it signals a lack of trust. In reality, the opposite is true. A contract isn’t about mistrust; it’s about clarity. It’s a professional tool that protects both of you. It transforms a vague, assumption-filled conversation into a clear, mutually understood business agreement. Without it, you are building your project on a foundation of sand, and when expectations clash, both the project and the friendship are likely to crumble.

Why a Handshake Agreement Fails for Websites

A website is not a simple, one-time favor like helping a friend move. It’s a complex, multi-stage project with subjective design elements and technical requirements. Here’s why a casual, handshake agreement is a recipe for disaster.

Scope Creep: The Silent Project Killer

It starts innocently. “Could you just add a small photo gallery?” A week later, “You know, an e-commerce store would be amazing.” Then, “Can we integrate our booking calendar, too?” These “small” requests, known as scope creep, are the bane of web development. Without a written SOW defining exactly what’s included, there are no boundaries. Your friend, wanting to be helpful, might say yes to everything until they’re overworked, underpaid, and resentful. The project timeline bloats, and quality suffers.

Misaligned Expectations on Design and Functionality

What does “a modern, clean design” mean to you? What does it mean to your friend? Your idea of “user-friendly navigation” might be completely different from theirs. Without written specifications and mockups, you’re both operating on assumptions. When your friend proudly presents a design they’ve spent 40 hours on, and it’s nothing like what you envisioned, the conversation becomes incredibly difficult and emotionally charged. A contract forces you to define these subjective terms upfront.

The Awkward (and Damaging) Money Talk

How and when will your friend be paid? Is it a flat fee? Is it hourly? What if the project takes twice as long because of your feedback and changes? What about external costs like premium plugins, stock photos, or specific fonts? A handshake deal often leaves these crucial financial details vague. This leads to awkwardness when your friend needs to ask for money or when you’re surprised by an unexpected bill. A contract lays out the payment schedule, a clear budget for expenses, and terms for handling extra work.

The Anatomy of a Bulletproof Website Agreement

A good contract doesn't need to be 50 pages of legal jargon. It just needs to be clear. You can find many templates online (look for a “Statement of Work” or “Freelance Web Development Contract”). At a minimum, it must include these four pillars:

Detailed Scope of Work (SOW)

This is the heart of your agreement. Be specific. It should list:

• Number of pages: (e.g., Home, About, Services, Blog, Contact)
• Key features: (e.g., Contact form, newsletter signup, image gallery, customer testimonials)
• Technology stack: (e.g., WordPress with specific themes/plugins, Shopify, custom code)
• Content responsibility: Who is providing the text, images, and videos?
• Number of revision rounds: How many times can you request changes to the design and content at each stage?

Clear Deliverables and Timelines

Break the project into phases with deadlines. For example:

• Phase 1: Design Mockup (Due: Feb 1)
• Phase 2: Development of Homepage (Due: Feb 15)
• Phase 3: Build-out of internal pages (Due: Mar 1)
• Phase 4: Final Review & Testing (Due: Mar 10)
• Phase 5: Launch (Due: Mar 15)

This creates accountability and keeps the project moving forward.

Payment Terms and Schedule

Be crystal clear about the money. A common structure is:

• 30-50% Deposit: Paid upfront to begin work.
• Milestone Payments: Payments tied to the completion of specific phases.
• Final Payment: Paid upon completion and launch of the site.

Also, define the hourly rate for any work requested that falls outside the original SOW.

Ownership and Intellectual Property

Once the project is paid for, who owns the website? The contract should state that upon final payment, all rights to the design, code, and content are transferred to you, the business owner. This is crucial for your ability to modify, sell, or move your website in the future.

How to Approach Your Friend Professionally

Worried about offending your friend by asking for a contract? Frame it as a positive step that protects both of you. You can say something like:

“I’m so excited to work with you on this. Because this project is so important for my business and I value our friendship so much, I think we should write up a simple agreement. It will help us stay organized, make sure we’re on the same page, and ensure you get paid fairly for all your hard work. It’s really just to protect us both.”

A true professional, even a friend, will appreciate this. It shows you’re serious about your business and respect their time and skill. If they push back hard against any form of written agreement, that itself is a major red flag.

Beyond the Launch: The Critical Maintenance Question

A website is not a painting you hang on the wall and forget. It's a living digital asset that requires ongoing care. Your contract should address post-launch support. If it's not included in the initial project, you need a separate, smaller maintenance agreement. This should cover:

• Software Updates: Keeping WordPress, themes, and plugins up to date for security.
• Backups: Regular backups of your site files and database.
• Security Monitoring: Watching for and responding to threats.
• Minor Support: A set number of hours per month for small changes or bug fixes.

Ignoring maintenance is like buying a new car and never changing the oil. It will eventually break down, and the emergency fix will be far more expensive than routine care.

Conclusion: Protect Your Business and Your Friendship

Hiring a friend to build your website can be a fantastic, mutually beneficial experience. Your friend gets a great portfolio piece and some income, and you get a website from someone you trust at a fair price. But the success of this venture hinges entirely on moving from a casual, friendly context to a structured, professional one.

The contract is your bridge. It’s the tool that manages expectations, defines boundaries, and provides a clear roadmap for the project. By avoiding the #1 mistake of skipping a formal agreement, you’re not just increasing the chances of getting a great website—you’re ensuring that at the end of the project, you still have a great friend.