The most successful web design projects are a result of a good working relationship between the client and the designer. In order to get the most out of your web design journey read the tips below.

Good Clients Are Realistic…About what they want.

It’s funny how the clients who start out their web design journey by saying, “I don’t know, you decide,” are often the ones in the middle saying, “Can you change this, this and this,” and at the end of the process, “I don’t like it.” While you might think it is good to give your designer carte-blanche more often than not this leads to an unsatisfied client and a designer that has to do twice the work. 

Don’t worry, when we say know what you want, we aren’t saying you have to have to know everything down to the last detail (most clients don’t and there are many changes throughout the process), however, the more information you are able to provide initially the easier it will be for your designer to create something along the right lines from the get-go. 

Good Clients come prepared with examples of websites, fonts and colours that they like and know the answer to the following questions;

• How many pages you need,
• What features you want,
• If you need eCommerce functions, and
• Any extra services you might need (login functionality, user-generated content etc.)

 

Excellent Clients not only have examples of what they like (and dislike!) but explanations as to why they feel this way.

GOOD CLIENTS AREN’T SURPRISED… ASK HOW MUCH IT IS GOING TO COST.

It’s often the case that clients do not know what a good website costs, and that is ok. When they are given an estimate or proposal good clients will recognize that you get what you pay for - sure the kid down the block could probably make you a website for cheaper but they do not have the same experience or technical skills as a professional web developer. 

Excellent clients realize that marketing is an investment, not an expense, and understand that you’ll see a better return on your investment if you pay for quality. 

GOOD CLIENTS KNOW THAT THEY HIRED AN EXPERT… AND THEY TRUST THEM.

If you are hiring someone to design a website for you it’s most likely because you do not have the time or expertise to do it yourself. In this case, it would be silly to act as though you know more than the designer does but you’d be surprised how often this happens. 

Good clients understand that designers put thought into each aspect of a project – more than just how a website looks they are taking into account the functionality, user experience, search engine optimization, and much more. While they may make changes to a client’s original ideas a good designer should listen to a client’s opinion and explain their reasoning. While you can ultimately ask the designer to go with your original idea over theirs, good clients take the time to understand and consider a designer's recommendations before giving judgement.

Excellent clients help to identify issues and look to their designers for solutions. This approach will demonstrate that you value their professional know-how resulting in a website that is the professional product you sought them out for. 

GOOD CLIENTS SPEAK THEIR MINDS… IN A HELPFUL WAY.

We are going to let you in on a little secret; your web designer wants to hear your opinions. Throughout the process they will send you briefs, wireframes, sketches and designs which require signing off before moving to the next stage. This is the time to share your thoughts – the trick is to give detailed feedback that they can work with.

Good Clients communicate by using the following five techniques;

1. Gather your thoughts – rather than send email after email with changes as you think of them, take the time to review all of the design assets presented to you at each stage and present your thoughts to your designer in one document in a timely manner.
   
   
2. Construct negative feedback – take the time to share why you don’t like something rather than dismissing the designers work without reason. This helps guide your designer in future work and pretty soon you’ll be giving less and less negative feedback.
   
   
3. Share positive feedback – letting your designer know specifically what you like is just as useful as constructive feedback. This helps to expand your designer’s knowledge of what is on point for your brand.
   
   
4. Ask questions – it’s better to ask than to nod along leading to a bigger issue in the future. Don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t understand something, if things are possible or how things work (in moderation of course). 
   
   
5. Don’t nitpick – though they may be good-intentioned, a whole bunch of small requests like, “Can we change the title font?” or “Add space before and after these pictures,” can not only result in delays but can result in a website that does not feel cohesive or well designed.

Good clients also know that while it might be tempting to ask your family/friends/colleagues for advice on designs, that this can backfire – too many various opinions with little reasoning can cause you to be more confused than when you began. If you do choose to get an outside trusted opinion, then be sure to provide context behind the design choices and the process that led to them. 

Excellent clients designate a point of contact between their business and the designer. This allows the communication to be streamlined and organized (see point 1 above) as well as ensures that nothing drops through the cracks (which brings us to our next point).

GOOD CLIENTS DO THEIR PART. 

Kelly Goto, author of Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow That Works, stated that receiving content from a client on schedule is “perhaps the most difficult and least-predictable part of any Web project.” This is often because clients tend to believe that the content they have is ‘ready to go’ or they do not realize what content will be required for their website.

Good Clients will take the following into account;

1. The copy doesn’t write itself – even if a company has written text from a previous website or other marketing they need to be aware that at the very least this text may need to be edited for purpose or even rewritten completely. If you do not have the time and skills to write good copy, we suggest hiring a copywriter. Not only will this avoid delays but the copywriter can produce content with search engine optimization taken into account.
   
   
2. High quality websites need high quality images – if your company does not already have high resolution images then the designer may suggest a custom photoshoot or purchasing stock images. Clients need to understand that both of these options can contribute to delays and added costs. If your company already has quality images, provide them to the designer right away, as they can use these to guide their designs.
   
   
3. It is not a hands-off process – though we mentioned above that you should let the experts do the designing, clients should not expect to do a consultation and then just wait for the finished website in a few weeks time. Clients need to be prepared to dedicate time to reviewing designs, providing feedback and delivering content.

Excellent clients understand there is a honeymoon period in the design process and delays can result in a strung-out project and frustration on both sides of the agreement.

GOOD CLIENTS PAY ON TIME.

Working with a professional web designer is like commissioning a custom piece of artwork – there is a (small) chance that you won’t like the final product but regardless the designer has invested their time and resources to create something with your input. 

Good clients know that their designer has worked hard to produce something they will love and they pay their invoices on time.

Excellent clients tell their friends how awesome their designer is and leave a good online review. 

Thanks for taking the time to review these tips before working with us,

Love your designer. 

Filed in // Strategy, Design, Websites, Brand Identity, Business