When you make the decision to invest in getting a website for your brand, the last thing you want is a bad outcome. Fall outs with designers or developers are always bad and leave you on the chopping block for what to do next. Not all relationships are meant to be, but there are certain things you can do to make sure that you get the best out of your investment.
Don’t try to take control of the web project
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “The customer is always right,” and for the most part, they are. Except when it comes to something that they don’t really know much about.
Imagine you’re inside your business and a customer walks through the door. They pay for your service and all of a sudden start telling you how things should get done.
The unfortunate perception of web design or web development is that it’s easy. Many folks think that a design should look exactly how you want it. What most of us fail to realize is that Web Design is actually marketing. The great designers out there understand this and work with you to get the best possible outcome.
[clickToTweet tweet=”The unfortunate perception of web design or web development is that it’s easy. ” quote=”The unfortunate perception of web design or web development is that it’s easy. “]
Notice I said work “with” you and not for you. The main difference is you have to let the professional take the lead.
As a web professional myself, it’s my job to help guide you in the direction that will be most beneficial to your business online. If I start just letting you tell me how to make a website, then I would fail both myself and you in the service I was supposed to provide.
Does that mean you can’t have any say? Not at all. It’s your site, so you should definitely have input as to the type of language that needs to be displayed, the tone, specific brand colors, things you’d like to highlight, and other attributes of that nature. But once discussed, let the designer do their thing. They’ll take everything you want, and present it in a way that’s both presentable and goal oriented.
Don’t rush the creative process
There’s a certain flow and finesse that has to go into a design. If you’re working on a full project from scratch, you always start with the home page. The home page will give you the guidance you need to make all the other pages seem like they flow together.
If you start to rush having other pages designed without nailing down the main one, you’re going to get a very confused designer and the end result will be nowhere as good.
I remember when I was designing websites, it would sometimes take me 3 or 4 days to nail down the concepts and looks. It’s a whole creative process. What is going to look good? What is going to work with the development? Will this first guess be a great way to measure lead conversion?
All of these things need to be considered when making a design. Once they are considered, it needs to breathe life on the canvas.
Ok, I get it, I’m not talking Picasso here, but the same type of creative process needs to exist with your web design, otherwise, you’re just placing shapes and text on a background to make it look pretty. Looking pretty won’t get you sales or leads.
Let the designer do their thing and deliver the best outcome they can. Then, if you don’t like it, start to make tweaks, but the base is there.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Let the designer do their thing and deliver the best outcome they can.” quote=”Let the designer do their thing and deliver the best outcome they can.”]
Ask Questions
It sucks to see ‘professionals’ fluff their proposals and contracts so it looks like a lot more is being done than what actually is. Maybe it’s a psychological thing for value? I don’t know, but if you see something that you don’t understand or seems a little off, make sure you ask questions!
Some of the things that we address in proposals when we need them are what’s included, but also what’s not included.
This simple addition clears up any confusion from the start. The worst thing you can do is assume. That leads to a break down in expectation, which then leads to a fall out in communication, which then leads to a BAD OUTCOME!
[clickToTweet tweet=”The worst thing you can do is assume. ” quote=”The worst thing you can do is assume. “]
Ask questions. Ask as many questions as you can possibly think of until you fully understand what it is you’re getting and what you’re investing in. Don’t be nervous, it’s our job to make sure you’re comfortable with the service we provide.
Don’t Slack On Payments
For some reason, when it comes to services, everyone always feels funny when it comes to the money talk. Keep in mind that web design is a business just like the business you run. When you work on a service for a client, you expect to get paid. This is no different.
Depending on the relationship you have with your web designer, there can always be some leeway here and there, but a part of the mutually beneficial relationship web designers have with other businesses, it’s proper to pay invoices on time.
Remember when I mentioned trust a little while ago? Well, part of building that trust with someone is knowing that after they work there but off, that they’ll get paid for it. Leaving someone waiting for a payment after they did work is not a great way to start any type of long term relationship. In fact, it’s a pretty quick way on the ol’ ‘bad outcome’ express train.
Be Respectful and Understanding
Making changes on a website and working in marketing is not a quick ‘easy button‘ fix. These things take time, code, and a big understanding of what’s under the hood. Many web professionals spend years honing their craft.
It’s our job to understand what types of plugins may conflict with others, what can and can’t be updated right away, what obstacles we may face when working with certain themes and frameworks.
This is all a part of the job, and it isn’t very easy. With the release of page builders and a mix of DIY systems out there, it may seem like anyone can just build a website and be done with it. But there is no magic bullet to get clients and similar to what I said before, just because something looks pretty, doesn’t mean it’s going to work well for your business.
I’ve been in situations where I had clients that were just flat out disrespectful with comments like “is that all you did?” or no understanding by saying things like “it’s just a simple button, can’t you just add it?”
Certain web builds have limitations to them. Sometimes, it is a simple add, but depending on how your site was built, sometimes a 5-minute simple job can turn into a complex 3-hour job. But those are the things that we’ll deal with and try out best to help you understand.
But always remember, more than just providing a service, the most important thing in the relationship between the web designer and you is…
