A very quick rundown of my perfect web design client. Here are my 6 qualities any web designer would love:
- Understanding and appreciating the art of web design: It might not seem like it, but designing a website is an art. It’s super creative, and when starting from scratch it can be quite hard to do. A website has to not only look good, it has to function well and not hinder the user experience, but more importantly, a website has to incorporate the companies brand identity and personality. Some business owners will try their luck with a website builder such as Wix or Squarespace, but those self-built websites often don’t look professional and don’t represent the brand and personality. They then end up going to a web designer wishing they hadn’t just spent 20-hours trying to make a website when they should have been focusing on their business.
- Engaging with the process: If a client doesn’t engage with the build process, it makes my job so much harder. It also results in a far lesser end product as I’ve not been given the information and feedback to create something amazing. If a client expects a web designer to build a website with little to no information, then the end result might look good but it’ll be lacking in any depth.
- Providing the required materials: I don’t need much to get going on building a website for a business, but at the bare minimum, I require the basic copy (text) and services/products the business provides/sells. Without this information, I end up creating a very generic-looking website with very generic services/products.
- Understanding the importance of quality photos: Photos can make or break a website. I often build a website using stock images in the hope I can replace them at a later stage with real ones, but having professional-grade photos for a business’ website makes their online presence look so much more professional. I’m currently working with a client who has gone to the effort of hiring a professional photographer for her new website – the results are stunning. Photos bring the page to life and build trust with the business’ audience. Websites full of stock images end up looking fake – and trust me, visitors can tell stock photos a mile off.
- Providing content and feedback in a timely manner: From start to finish, a 5-10 page brochure style website will only take me 5-7 working days to complete. However, when the website’s content isn’t as forthcoming and responding to feedback takes 1-3 days, the entire process slows down, and a website that should be complete in a week ends up taking 6-8 weeks.
- Enthusiasm for their business: I want a client to love their business, I want them to grow, and I want to be a part of that. When a client doesn’t show any interest in how their business will be portrayed online, it makes my job hard. I want to work with clients with a passion for creating the perfect online presence. At the end of the day, if a client has no passion for their business, why would they expect their customers to?
Have a great Sunday.
Ben
