Well, yes I did. I had a nice 2 week reprieve from the “summer” season but that came quickly to an end with the “end of year crush”.
I’m not really sure why (and it seems to get worse every year) but I get inundated with new prospects as the holidays approach. And I’m not the only one, I get several referrals from other developers that are similarly getting barraged with requests and I know the ones I pass overflow business to are also booked.
My only theory is that people made pledges to themselves that they would either get a web site or fix their existing web site and make it work better for them this year and suddenly they realize ‘this year’ is almost over. I also get some stragglers that want something up ‘for the holidays’. Most holiday-themed (or shopping themed) sites need to be up and running by no later than mid-September to be contenders for the holiday shopping frenzy.
As for anyone who wants a site by the end of the year, I pretty much have a policy against it by mid-October. Normally, 6-10 weeks is plenty of time to finish a site, but I find it works out better for everyone involved to have a realistic view of their level of involvement during the holidays. Plus, launching at the beginning of the new year can give you a sense of optimism and vigor to meet your business goals for next year.
For those who still want to try to find a developer that will say they can finish your project before the end of the year, I say sincere apologies that I cannot oblige and good luck with your project.