Being a web designer can be a lot of fun! It’s a great way to exercise your creative brain while providing an essential piece of your client’s marketing strategy.
But that doesn’t mean it’s all fun and games.
Working directly with clients can be a huge challenge. It can be difficult to understand and anticipate their expectations, and it can be difficult to deliver the kind of website they want. After all, discussing design in the abstract is very different than seeing it with your own eyes! Remember that the customer wants to find the best web design company.
The quality of the website you deliver is important, but so is the kind of customer experience you offer. Make sure you offer the kind of web design services and leading web design agency that make clients want to refer you to their friends and coworkers with these tips.
Use the Right Software and Programs
No matter how good of a designer you are, you will always be limited by the technology and the software that you use. That’s why it pays to update and upgrade your software regularly.
For example, if you’re still using Python 2, upgrade to Python 3. There have been many improvements to the language, as well as more memory efficient features and better bug fixes.
Not only can upgraded software provide you with new and innovative ways to design websites, it can also keep information more secure. That includes your information, but it includes your customer’s and their customers’ information as well.
Share Your Knowledge
Every client is different. Some may want you to take the reigns and create a website with complete design control. Others will want more control over their design. No matter what kind of client you’re working with, you should always share your knowledge.
A client may request an outdated layout that isn’t SEO-friendly, or they may have an idea for a static homepage when you know more interactive pages are all the rage. Whether they make suggestions or not, you should always be willing to step in with your two-cents.
Don’t be afraid to suggest some of the latest web design trends like:
- Custom digital illustrations
- Vibrant, vivid background colors
- A video header on the home page
- Split screen images
- Eye-catching geometric patterns
With your expertise, you’re likely to come up with a design idea that your client never thought of!
Ask for Examples
Having a hard time figuring out exactly what kind of design your client is looking for? Explaining your ideas to someone else can be hard!
Make things a little easier by asking your client to provide you with one or two website examples that they like. It will be much easier for them to explain what they like about a real-life example than trying to tell you what they want off the top of their head.
Is your client struggling to come up with some examples? Help them out by providing them with a list of effective homepage designs. They can pick a few from that list for you to reference.
Clarify the Editing Process
It is extremely important to clarify expectations, no matter what kind of clients you work with, or what you do for a living. That includes delivery deadlines and services that are included in the price, but for designers, it means clarifying the editing process.
Some clients will go back and forth on a design dozens of times if you let them, tweaking small things here and there, looking for the perfect unicorn website that doesn’t exist.
It doesn’t matter if you’re willing to do one round of edits or ten rounds of edits, being upfront with your clients will save a lot of frustration down the road.
Be Available
No matter what kind of service you are providing, your clients want to know that you’re taking care of them and their project. They may have questions or concerns throughout the process, and you should be available to answer them in a timely manner.
That doesn’t mean you have to reply to emails right away or answer the phone every time they call. It does mean being clear about when you will get back to them. That might mean always replying within 24 business hours, or during regular business hours.
Delivering an eye-catching, effective website is an essential part of your job as a web designer, but it isn’t your only job. It is extremely important that you deliver an enjoyable customer experience too. With the tips on this list, you’ll do just that!
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Contributed content
Founder Dinis Guarda
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