All Posts, Web Design, Web Development
Most of us know how important it is to maintain a good business relationship with the clients we deal with. To do this, we must build their trust and confidence to ensure a good business relationship and ongoing business dealings. Back in April, I wrote a blog titled “They Trust Me, Trust Me Not…” which talked about the importance of gaining and maintaining the trust of your clients. At some point and unfortunately, you’ll come across a client(s) where the business relationship becomes as rocky as an everyday romance. Unfortunately, I am dealing with this issue right now with a client and in the process of deciphering what went wrong where, I’ve come up with some navigating tactics when the honeymoon seems (or is) over.
Realistically Set the Bar – What is absolutely essential is setting realistic client expectations. Under estimating a projects complexity or scope can cause serious communication breakdown and seal the fate of your deal. If you can’t meet an expectation, inform the client that there is no way the project will get done on time and within cost. Hopefully your relationship is strong enough that they respect your craft and know that it is worth hanging in there until completion and possibly investing more cash flow into the project. The flip side is that they are angry and/or frustrated – so what do you do? You take responsibility for the oversight or incorrect projection and build confidence once again through honesty.
Give or only take? What do you do when you need the clients input on an essential decision and they just won’t do their part giving you information? Does it seem that you’re the only one trying to resolve an issue or find a work-around to solve a problem? Then it may be time to confront your client (in a non-aggressive & professional manner of course) and find out why they’re not pulling their weight, what the hold-up is, etc. A great business relationship needs two committed & fully communicative parties and if one half isn’t fully invested, it will inevitably cause problems and the venture or business relationship may not be a successful one.
Keep the lines clear – Speaking of communication…we all know how frustrating it is to go through a “dead zone” while on our cell phones. It’s the same in the business world- lack of effective communication about how a project will proceed, timeline for completions, and projections of cost, can cause serious problems in your business relationship and your bottom line. To ensure you & the client are on the same page, try asking rhetorical questions (The “question” is posed for the sake of encouraging the listener to consider what was said/the viewpoint) or my personal favorite, the “regurgitation” method. This is basically asking the client to regurgitate/reiterate (“repeat a response after the cessation of the original stimulus” per Wikipedia) what you just said but they do it in their own words to help to confirm that you are on the same track and what you have asked or said is really understood.
Keep it business & not personal – Most of the time, difficult business situations that arise are often linked to communication. As with our personal life relationships, most of the time you only get out what you put in. I cannot stress enough that effective communication is essential. Whether the client feels unheard or you can’t seem to agree on a point, ALWAYS remember that they are the client. Keep a professional demeanor, a level head and govern the words you say recognizing the power of them over your current and prospective business dealings. Also have confidence in your talents and don’t let 1 clients displeasure cause a low hanging head. Know that their disagreement on a matter has everything to do with the business and do your level-headed best to keep it that way. Choosing to always keep it professional will command respect and they mght just use you again because of your stamina & professionalism.
Word of Mouth – It’s been reported that “studies confirm that word of mouth marketing drives 20-50% of business decisions.” Wow! So what that says clearly to me is that how you deal with the client, good or bad, has a profound effect on the success of your business as well as your future collaborative business efforts. It may be a little hokey but I always remember, what they say is tied to what they think and that can cause the deal to sink.
So I’ve learned some valuable lessons and am encouraged to further hone my craft and become better at successfully navigating the client relations waters. As I’m going up & down river though, I’ll keep these considerations pocketed in my life vest.
Web Design, Web Development, WordPress
WordPress 3.4 has a number of exciting new tools and features. Over the next several weeks I’d like to share some of the highlights with you. Please do note that the current version of WordPress is 3.4.1 -which includes some important bug fixes- but because these features were included in the 3.4 “Green” release, I’ve chosen to reference the core.
One of these new tools is the Theme Customizer, which provides a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor for some style and display options.
To access the Theme Customizer page, you can reach it via a link directly under the active theme area.Alternatively, you can find it in the admin menu bar beneath your site’s name when you are logged in and viewing your site. You should end up at a screen looking like this:
Looking at the options on the left side, we can see that there are a number of things we can alter. (I am referencing WordPress Twenty Eleven. Depending on your theme, there may be varying levels of support for this, so be sure to check what version of WordPress your theme is compatable with.)
The top box drops down to provide the description of the current theme–though there isn’t an option to change it here.
The second allows you to alter the site’s title and tagline. If you make a change to either, you will notice that the preview on the right instantly updates. This is the case with all edits done from the customize page — hence the WYSIWYG feature — though none of the previewed changes take effect until you click the “Save and Publish” button on the top of the toolbar.
One of the coolest functions of the “Theme Customizer” tool is the “Color” option. This allows you to preview and select a change in color scheme– for example, Twenty Eleven has a light and dark color scheme built in– header text color, background color and link color.
Clicking on one of the swatches displays a color wheel, which allows you to slide and select your color, or you have the option to input a hex value if you already know what color you’d like.
Layout does just what it says–allows you to select from the theme’s default layouts. It is important to note that this change seems to cascade throughout the site, so if you select “No sidebar”, you will not only be removing it from your homepage, but from your blog as well. If, however, you want to set all your pages to the same template with minimal amount of clicking, this is definitely the way to go.
Header Image lets you select a header image from the defaults, uploads, or upload a file. The uploader is much like the media uploader, allowing you to drag and drop the image or select it by browsing. The uploaded tab shows you images that you have uploaded previously. The default tab allows you to view all header images packaged with your theme. You also have the option to remove the header image entirely.
Background Image is, again, self explanatory. This gives the same options as the header image (upload, remove and, depending on your theme and your prior changes, uploaded and default). Once you make a selection, you are given the options of background repeat (change if or how your image tiles), background position, and background attachment (if the picture scrolls with your content).
While an option available in the Settings>>Reading menu, Static Front Page with the customize tool is easy to find. You also can preview how the front page will look if you switch it to a static page, or if you want to display your posts.
The option to customize your WordPress theme via a WYSIWYG editor gives you even more freedom and control over your site. If you don’t know CSS or don’t want to mess with the theme’s style sheet directly, you are no longer forced to choose a theme simply based on available color schemes or background. Are you a theme designer/developer? Then check out “Add Customizer Support to Your WordPress Theme” to learn how to add customizable options to your own theme.
All Posts, Web Design, Web Development
When a new website is completed and launched, there is a great sense of relief and jubilation from my design firm. All the extra work we put into a project feels like it was so worth it. Almost like we could have done it for free had we been given the chance. Hearing how the client or group is so excited and hearing their praises gives us some great confidence and feedback that we met or exceeded their expectations. However the project actually isn’t completed at that point. I pull together all the staff members who were involved with the project for an exit interview.
In Corporate America when someone is let go from a job or moving to a new department, the sitting manager or HR representative will host a meeting with the employee that is moving to get their honest opinion on their soon to be previous role. Their asked to be candid and explain how they felt about their manager, job function, duties, achievements, and of course moral. The end of a design I feel should be the same in some aspects.
Some things to consider or talk about with your team or reflect on yourself would be:
Content: Was there enough content provided from the beginning? How much copy needed to be edited or rewritten? Did the client provide enough? Was I delivered or provided to us on time or when asked?
Budget: Was the client charged adequately for every deliverable we were tasked with. Did we find any areas in the project that could have been handled a different way that would have given us more services we could have offered? Does it seem like the client would have paid more for the same level of service?
Timeline: Did we beat our deadline? We’re we late and why? What were some factors that contributed to our timeline. How can we avoid any setbacks on our end or the clients going forward. We’re they’re new requests submitted that effected the timeline that was not accounted for?
Teamwork: Overall how did everyone work together? Did anyone feel like they didn’t get their opinions expressed or considered enough? Did everyone pull their weight? Did everyone feel they were given all they needed to complete their tasks? Was the communication across the team well enough or does it need improvement? What was the best medium for communication?
Customer Experience: Did the customer play a big enough role in the project. Were there enough options provided yet not too much to hinder a confident choice? Did all the team members have a chance to meet and/or talk to the client? We’re all of our responses timely? Did email communications go well, or could more phone calls iron out misunderstandings?
After reading through these I’m sure you may have wondered or even asked some of these questions to yourself after completing a project. It may seem a bit time-consuming but I promise you it’s worth the effort. It will help you avoid mistakes in your future projects while providing some self-examination to your firm and tactics. If you have some other points to add please do so in the comments below. As always we love hearing your opinions and contrary thoughts.
(Image credit: auremar / 123RF Stock Photo)
All Posts, Web Design, Web Development
Ever have a client talk to you in a way that made it seem like you were a wizard at design? Ever have a project with very little resources from the owner, yet expected to deliver an award-winning experience? We’ve all been there, and for those of you who haven’t, know that you will soon enough. Having a potential client tell you they want the moon is a pretty funny experience. If you’re not ready, you’ll be taken back by all the requests. You may even think they’re accurate in their assumptions that flash is better than HTML5 or that having more images and no text is perfectly fine for a their entire website.
Let me first point out some of the warning signs:
- A client that has no content, marketing plans, or media
- You not having an up to date pricing list
- If they’ve never seen your portfolio of work
- The client thinks your prices are too high
- The project needs to be done yesterday (already late)
- There are unrealistic expectations
- You not having a workflow
- No contract
Sure these are just a few warnings, but they are with a lot of cause. When a potential client has expectations that do not seem to line up with your sense of reality, you’ll need to reach a middle point with them. One of the biggest mistakes you can do is promise the world when you’re in negotiations, then produce disappointments during development. You’re not going to want to keep calling or emailing them with bad news, and they’re not going to appreciate having to pay you for things their not going to get.
The idea of a magically grown project comes from misconception at the start. I know when I first got started, I would ask the client what they wanted. After a few years of experience, I now ask them what they do. After then tell me what they do, how their business works, I then tell them how a website we create for them will help. Either by plugging holes in their marketing, sales force, lead generation, brand recognition, social media, etc. By taking control of the expectations up front I get to set the scale for what the project will be. Even if I have my own limitations, I can still play within those limitations while the client essentially gets what they wanted.
Keep your clients on a schedule. It may be daily or weekly, but give them a clear set of action items or goals they need to achieve so that all parties can see the project “grow.” Also inform them when they’re behind on deliverable, and be honest about your hangups. This transparency helps to keep tensions on the ground instead of elevating to stressful levels. At the end of the day, it always comes down to customer service. You’re not a store at the mall, but you do need to have great service skills to ensure quality and future work.
One last time I have to create some checks and balances with your clients and your projects. Make sure everyone is accountable to either clear deadlines, or to someone else on the same team. This helps eliminate procrastination and even losses in translations. Clear goals and milestones post production will also help ensure a successful website.
Marketing, Social Media, Web Development
As the Internet becomes more fully submerged in Web 2.0, it becomes more and more necessary for individuals and businesses to interact with the social web. No longer is it enough to simply have a webpage,you must build a platform, utilizing a number of different tools to achieve your online marketing or selling goals. How should this affect your website?
What is Web 2.0? Web 2.0 is not a style of website. It is a way of thinking about the web. Web 2.0 is the social web that facilitates participation and information sharing. The focus is on interactions.
Social media is not a substitute for a good website: No matter how many social media services you use, how frequently or how well you use them, it is still important to have a website to both direct your visitors to and point them towards your social media outlets. A website helps to build your credibility and makes certain information better available–services, hours, ect.
Link to your website–and vis versa: This seems rather obvious, but it is a point that can be overlooked. Most social media sites allow you to enter your site’s URL so that your profile will link back to your website. You also should include social media links on your website to facilitate further conversation and interaction with your visitors. In some cases a “Like” button from Facebook or an embedded Twitter profile feed may be appropriate.
Allow for comments: Blogs can also be a powerful tool for building your web platform. Not only do frequent updates help your SEO, but you can also receive feedback from your readers and build a conversation from there. Spam can often be minimized through plugins available on many blog systems, so this shouldn’t stop you from blogging.
Consider a Content Management System: Obviously to succeed in Web 2.0, you need to have a website in place which allows you to interact with your visitors, post new content and make updates as needed. Content Management Systems–such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal–make your website more “interaction friendly” and may be the way to go rather than a static HTML site.
How has your website helped or hindered your transition to the Web 2.0 Mindset?
All Posts, Content & Copywriting, Marketing, Social Media, Web Design, Web Development
In the first of this two-part series, I delve fork-first into what should be on your success plate for your restaurant via the world wide web and which content accompaniments will have your customers coming back for more.
*It’s Like a Restaurant without Signage ~ Restaurateurs everywhere, you may offer fantastic platings and have a location that rivals cobblestone street cafes in France, but today’s savvy foodie eats with their eyes first…ON THE INTERNET. What about the power luncheon you’re boss asks your to book and you need that perfect location with a swank menu to ink the deal? Or the family of 7 traveling from Virginia to Maine who needs an affordable, family friendly menu with ample seating? In 2012, 90% of consumers first instinct is to Google everything – that’s even for the neighborhood coffee & biscotti café. One of the most successful ways for potential customers to know how fantastic your spot is- is if you have a website. This reigns true if you’re a small Mom & Pop coffee shop, a breakfast & lunch only establishment, or have won a “Best” culinary award for your fusion creations. Wherever you are and unknown vs. well-known, it is imperative you have a web presence to:
1. let the world know you exist and give them a visual perspective of your establishment and its offerings;
2. stay relevant & competitive with other restaurateurs within the same category or cuisine within your surrounding neighborhood/area;
3. make the world aware of accolades you’ve received and watch them influence your prospective patrons; and last but most importantly
4. obtain new and possibly life-long, faithful patrons.
*A Sour Ingredient? ~ If you’re still not convinced a website is necessary, here’s an eye-opening scenario. If you don’t have a website you could be opening yourself up to reviews of your food and/or service via such sites like Yelp which allow visitors to say something influential about your establishment. And wait, here it comes…AND POST IT ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION. Whether flattering or not, you won’t have a voice and presence on the www to contradict it will you…Convinced now? I have disregarded many a YELPing, whinny patron’s review when the restaurant’s website reflects legitimate and noteworthy criticism and compliments.
*Wanna Really Start Cookin’? Add Some Social Media ~ Social Media is big business in every business arena around. Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Stumble Upon…and even more to come. And the great thing about Social Media is that it’s free! Tweet about your most popular pizza made with all organic ingredients. Create a Facebook page for your restaurant and get customers to Like it. Dish on Digg about this seasons new menu and why your patrons need to give it a test run.
Another great Social Media tool is blogs. Much like this one, blogs can be influential depending on the level of content writing, and what other mediums the blogger is using to expose your restaurant to the world. And if they have a decent following in the industry for which your business belongs to, that’s even more exposure in addition to your other online marketing tools. I’ve seen this at work with a recent client for which I blog and how their customers responded to it. The blog influenced someone to order a dish they never had before and now they are absolutely in love with it. AND they bragged to others about it and now that establishment has 3 new customers. Ahhh…the power of suggestion.
Check back next week when I add the remaining ingredients for a stellar, set you apart from the competition restaurant website. And if you think you should toss this advice out with your table scraps, check out http://www.google.com/analytics/customers/case_study_cke.html and see what CKE Restaurants founder Carl N. Karcher found behind the curtain about his restaurants web presence!
Most of us know how important it is to maintain a good business relationship with the clients we deal with. To do this, we must build their trust and confidence to ensure a good business relationship and ongoing business dealings. Back in April, I wrote a blog titled “They Trust Me, Trust Me Not…” which talked about the importance of gaining and maintaining the trust of your clients. At some point and unfortunately, you’ll come across a client(s) where the business relationship becomes as rocky as an everyday romance. Unfortunately, I am dealing with this issue right now with a client and in the process of deciphering what went wrong where, I’ve come up with some navigating tactics when the honeymoon seems (or is) over.
Give or only take? What do you do when you need the clients input on an essential decision and they just won’t do their part giving you information? Does it seem that you’re the only one trying to resolve an issue or find a work-around to solve a problem? Then it may be time to confront your client (in a non-aggressive & professional manner of course) and find out why they’re not pulling their weight, what the hold-up is, etc. A great business relationship needs two committed & fully communicative parties and if one half isn’t fully invested, it will inevitably cause problems and the venture or business relationship may not be a successful one.
So I’ve learned some valuable lessons and am encouraged to further hone my craft and become better at successfully navigating the client relations waters. As I’m going up & down river though, I’ll keep these considerations pocketed in my life vest.
