Comments on: Five things all clients want to know

By: Five things all clients want to know at live and let learn

Five things all clients want to know at live and let learn — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 05:28:48 +0000

[...] A few days ago, Russ posted a list of 5 things that all clients want to know. Things like: [...]

By: music

music — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:24:47 +0000

A great list. I would highlight two in particular. First, I think nothing you can actually offer the client is better than an example of past work. This is true of any business, but web design in particular is both an artistic and a functional product, and if you can show off these two sides of your own successful projects, you have gone a long way towards convincing someone that you are capable of constructing a quality site for them. This has to be done effectively, though. It is important to make sure that you don’t show the client several sites that are identical. Just as he or she (or they) wants to be reassured that you have a track record of making solid sites, he or she also wants to believe you are making something individually tailored to his or her needs. Everyone wants to stand out in the marketplace, and your expertise can allow companies to do that. Demonstrate you can by showing off several very different kinds of sites that you’ve designed. But more than that, as you say at the end here, the key is being calm. High-pressure sales suggests something to hide.

By: Jermayn Parker

Jermayn Parker — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 02:37:53 +0000

Most clients do not see the reason behind it, to do stuff like that, like what you suggested Russ. All of the clients I have dealt with think that google is some magical formula that you say “go to front page” and it does…

By: Russ

Russ — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:36:40 +0000

@Chris: I agree. I have watched very experienced web developers who forget this. When asked by the client “what happens if you get hit by a bus” the common answer is “I won’t”.

This does nothing to reassure the client.

The answer is to provide backup plans. This could include things like:

1. Have a backup person who can take over your domains and sites (even if just to manage mail servers, domains etc)

2. Find a person with similar programming knowledge and skills and set up a shared “take over in emergencies” partnership

3. Document all aspects of the job and hand the client a detailed package so that they can hand it on to someone else in an emergency.

The solutions are probably much more varied, but the point is to plan for this sort of situation and be able to articulate it to clients so that they feel you will not leave them high and dry if something terrible happens.

By: Chris Blown

Chris Blown — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:53:52 +0000

Yes! These are great, nice and simple – yet easy to forget how to answer.

I for one find that 5 is really important, esp when its easy to forget the jobs since completed, especially when the updates come in thick and fast years later…

By: Russ

Russ — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:03:05 +0000

@Jermayn: Agree, initial content should be provided by the owners or clients but ideally a content specialist could come in after this and rework the content using the methods mentioned above (seo, tone, reading levels etc). This is often seen as extravagant by clients.

By: Jermayn Parker

Jermayn Parker — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 05:37:26 +0000

Should not content actually be provided by the owners and then SEO for best results??? Thats the way I personally try and do it.

btw in regards to the post and tips I have to agree with them totally and I have in the past failed on some of these but hopefully no more

By: Russ

Russ — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:01:15 +0000

@Matt: I think this is inevitable. Some clients have small budgets and others have large budgets. no easy answer

I’ve noticed this problem in other areas such as content writing more than design. As most people can write basic content, there is a definite reluctance to pay someone else to write their content for them.

This is sad as content writers can bring a lot to the table such as a consistent tone and language across a site, clearly defined reading levels and an understanding of the importance of keywords within content (for SEO).