Let’s take a look at a topic that’s been written a multitude of times for different industries, but bears repeating: The Web Designer – Client Relationship. I mean let’s face it; it’s rare for a good business relationship to “just happen”. Just like a romantic relationship, there’s a honeymoon phase with a working relationship as well. The initial phase is great – the client conveys what they want, the web designer sets expectations, and the client thinks, “This site will be awesome! They really get me!” But it takes work and patience for a designer-client relationship to endure. We all know how quickly things can get rocky, and how a great web design can go straight to hell! Your client calls to make some “little changes – nothing major”, and then proceeds to decimate the design so it barely resembles the clean, clear, well-developed site that you were so proud of in the first place! How many designers have gotten an email where one of your clients cancels your project, telling you his nephew has offered to make them a free website? And six months later, you find their site still hasn’t launched? Or worse yet, the site looks like a piece of crap?

Now although this is not new to most designers, it still remains one of the most poignant and hilarious examples of what I’ve been trying to say:  theoatmeal.com

I know what you’re thinking right now, and please, let me preface the rest of my article by saying these examples of not-so-great designer-client relationships are not by any means stereotyping ALL clients. Personally I’ve had wonderful working relationships with most of my clients. But I digress – this article is “designed” (pun intended) to give you a glimpse of how you can steer those detrimental working relationships into healthy and enjoyable ones!

Communication – this is a no-brainer. Both parties need to ask questions, and maybe more importantly, listen. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a mind reader. I know best practices and I know good design, but if my client doesn’t convey to me what the purpose of their website will be, or that they absolutely can’t stand the color blue, or who they’re trying to reach, or how much time and money they’re willing to spend, well, things are going to get really ugly really fast. Designers please remember this rule: You need to make sure that you understand as much as you can about who your client is and what they expect from you before you start work. It may seem time-consuming and tedious to talk things out before you dive into your creativity, but believe me, if you don’t, you’ll be working only off your intuition. It won’t get you very far and certainly won’t win you points with your clients.

Feedback – get it from the right people. No, it’s not all created equal! Yes, feedback from other professionals in your field can be very valuable. But don’t dismiss perspectives from viewers in your client’s target market. Let’s not forget how design and function need to pair seamlessly! But feedback from your client’s Uncle Bill who once created flyers for his high school back in 1959, maybe not so valuable. (Sorry Uncle Bill.) Designers need a thick skin, because believe me, your work will be critiqued by others, and it can be a very humbling experience. We put so much time, skill, and energy into a project, and when it’s complete we sit back and take pride in what we’ve created. Try not to take offense with the critique of others – remember your work isn’t really about you – it’s a service for your client. (I know, that hurt your ego a little. Don’t worry, you’ll get over it.)

Pricing – I won’t get into gritty details here, but this is my blog, so this is the place I can voice my opinion. True, skillful, experienced, educated web designers provide professional services. Why is it so difficult for some clients to understand this? Do you argue with your surgeon on his fees? Or call him to say you’ve decided your niece (to give equal work to the nieces and nephews out there!) will be yanking out your appendix next week instead of him, because she’ll do it for half the price? Are you shaking your head right now at my analogy? There’s a reason I titled this the Anatomy of the Web Designer – Client Relationship. You can apply this to any professional service, though, and it still drives the point home. Do you barter with every professional you come across? Sounds a little silly from this perspective, doesn’t it? Clients please remember this rule: If you seek out the services of a professional web designer, don’t insult them by complaining they charge too much. Give them the respect they deserve. And also know all prices are not created equal, because not all websites are created equal. For example, the process the web designer uses can require drastically different prices. Some clients have smaller budgets that don’t allow for custom unique designs. Customizing a template in the designer’s collection would be a viable option here. Although still taking a considerable amount of work to make it your own, it will usually be at a lower cost. Some clients need additional back-end programming, shopping carts, custom forms, logo creation, custom graphics, flash animation, etc. This all adds up.

To sum it up for the designers out there – Say what you’re going to do, do what you say, and do it in the timeframe you promised. Send your client previews along the way to avoid misconceptions, and for God’s sake, pick up your phone and answer emails! These simple steps will keep your projects and your working relationships running smoothly.

I’m concluding this rather windy article today with a video produced by Scofield Editorial, Inc. Hopefully I got you to read my whole article, but I’ll tell you, these guys have summed it all up in about 2 minutes of video! Enjoy, and to all the great web designer-client relationships out there, this is not for you! Have a great week everyone!