Five Lessons Website Designers Can Teach Their Clients

Website designers educating their clients can be the vital key to taking their working relationship to a new level of understanding and mutual respect.

One of the main roles of website designers is to educate their clients about the design process and hose down any unrealistic expectations they may have at the start – this should be outlined formally in a contract and reinforced throughout assignments. This may mean the difference between profitability, breaking even or losing money on web projects. Here are five things you can teach your clients about website design.

1. You are a professional like any other

First impressions last and it’s important to establish your design credentials with clients at the start. If you want to be treated like a professional, you need to act like one at all times in your face-to-face meetings, telephone conversations and email contact. Show prospective clients examples of your work, testimonials and if necessary, allow them to speak to other clients you have collaborated with in the past.

2. Creating a brochure doesn’t make you a designer

Website designers are skilled professionals who may spent many years perfecting their craft. Most people would not dream of telling their lawyer or doctor how to do their jobs but seemingly have no problems in constantly questioning and undermining web designers. Outline formal meetings in your contract so clients can be updated about the project and be discouraged from calling you on the hour every hour about their project.

3. Website designers are not on call

Whether you work in a traditional office as part of a marketing agency or you are a freelancer, it is important from the outset to educate your clients that you work set hours like any other business professional and they should only call you during those times unless it is an emergency. You may also have to educate them exactly what an emergency is and it’s not just a font change they want done straight away.

4. There is no such thing as one last change

Making constant ‘little’ changes to a website that may require half a day’s work can slow a project down and cut deeply into your profits and also affect your sanity. The number of change requests needs to be outlined in a formal contract for clients. If they want to make additional changes, they need to be informed there will be additional charges – makes sense doesn’t it? This needs to be made crystal clear at the start of the project.

5. The lines of communication need to be wide open

The saying ‘no news is good news’ does not apply to website design. Make sure you have official sign off at different stages of the project. Website designers can fall into the trap of thinking everything is running smoothly and then a client comes back with a huge list of changes at the end of the project. You need their involvement at every phase of the design process – ask them to sign off on this in your initial contract.

Educating clients is the way forward for a happy and healthy client relationship that results in successful projects, repeat business and referrals. Website Design Works has a team of dedicated website designers that successfully collaborate with high-profile clients to create professional looking and Search-Engine friendly websites within project deadlines – contact us if you would like to find out more about our design packages.

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