I recently spoke in Olds (with video conferencing to another group in Sundre) and Red Deer on the topic of “How To Get a Website Without Losing Your Hair”. In it, I tried to identify the problem areas in the web development process; the stuff that makes both designers and clients crazy, delay projects and ultimately end up costing someone money. By knowing what to look out for and avoiding these hazards, perhaps we can all be happier and richer at the end.
OK, so here are the six points I made in my presentation, along with some notes for those who were too lazy to do so at the time (just kidding – I love you):
1. Planning
Both sides need to do some careful planning. If the client skips this part (or doesn’t do it well), the plan will undoubtedly change along the way and the designer is going to end up frustrated. If the designer doesn’t plan effectively, things likely aren’t going to get done on time and the client will be frustrated.
For clients, we provide a bit of guidance on this with our website project planner. It covers things like goals & objectives, success criteria, target audience, competitive analysis, etc. Even if you don’t use Idea Market for your site, going through something like this will help focus your thinking a bit. On the design side, make sure your designer has a clear work plan with dates for each major milestone. This will help keep the schedule on track.
2. Roles
Don’t get the slide? It’s from Jerry Maguire, which includes the famous line “you complete me”. Here’s the thing: the client-designer relationship has a tendency to be somewhat antagonistic at times. The evidence?: the design industry has an entire website (and book) dedicated to complaining about clients. Part of the problem is that each side fails to recognize the value of the other and they step all over each others’ feet. I get it: design is fun and clients want to be a part of a fun project, especially when they’re so personally invested in it.
So what’s the solution? We promote a collaborative approach where both sides are involved at each step and each party is recognized for what they bring to the table. I’ll talk about the process bit later, but the mutual respect bit is equally crucial. Each side is an expert; designers know about design and technology and clients know about their particular industry and their audience. Listen to each other, respect each other, trust each other.
3. Picking a Designer
Make sure you get this part right because you might be stuck with each other for a while. And I’m not talking about obvious stuff like whether or not they can fit your budget and meet your timeline. I’m talking about this stuff:
- Do they truly care about you and your project? Make sure they really want to get to know you and give you a unique design solution tailored for your business or organization.
- Do you like their design style? Check out their portfolio and make sure they’re going to be able to deliver what you need, visually.
- Do they have a good track record of experience, both in general and within your industry? Do they specialize in the type of site you need?
- On a related note, are they stable? If you need something for your site a year from now, will they still be around?
- Do they keep current with web technology? Things are moving fast out there; make sure they are up on the latest stuff.
- Finally, a probably most importantly (maybe even more than timeline or budget): do you have a good rapport? Do you get along and communicate well? Don’t underestimate this factor.
On the designer side, a couple questions we at Idea Market ask ourselves before committing to a client are:
- Will we be proud of this project and this client when we’re done? We want to work with people that we can really brag about.
- When we have that first meeting (preferably over food), did we laugh at some point? If not, there’s a good chance it’s not the best fit for us.
4. Process
Different designers will have different ways of doing things. I’ve blogged about a couple options recently, if you want to check that out. For us, the key to a smooth process is making sure that the designer and client are working collaboratively, step-by-step, towards the same end goal.
5. Content
Content should be your number one priority. It’s the heart of your site and everything else (design, functionality, etc.) should be built around it. People (generally) don’t come to your site for fancy graphics and a nice layout; they come (and return) for your content. If your content doesn’t meet the user’s needs, nothing else matters.
Be aware that your online content should be different than content for other media. People read and interact with the web differently than, say, a brochure, so things need to be planned and organized differently for your website. They also read less, so take that into account as well. As Steve Krug puts it in his book Don’t Make Me Think, “get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left.” (Take that with a grain of salt, but you get the point.) Finally, if you’re not quite up to the task yourself, don’t be shy in hiring a writer. If you truly believe that your content is the most important thing, you will recognize that it’s money well spent.
One final comment here: a lot of clients seem quite willing to spend good chunks of money on search engine optimization. I’d argue that you’re better of spending that on making sure your content is top notch. See a previous blog I wrote about SEO vs. quality content for more on that. Bottom line: if people like your content, Google will, too.
6. Communication
If there are going to be problems anywhere, it will most often be traced back to communication issues. Clear communication is key. So how can we address it? I thought of five ways:
1. Project management. Value it, pay for it. Having a good project manager running the show will be more than worth it.
2. When possible, meet face-to-face. If that’s not feasible, try video conferencing or at least a phone call. E-mail is great, but it also opens up the door to lots of miscommunication.
3. Document all your communication in a central place that everyone has access to. Idea Market uses a project management website that tracks all discussions, schedules, files, etc. so that we’re all on the same page at all times.
4. Have a single point of contact on both sides. This person needs to have the authority to make decisions and give the official sign-off on various stages of the project.
5. Have a shared focus. In other words, keep in mind who you’re building the site for (its users) and do what’s right for them, regardless of personal opinion.
Other resources
How To Get a Website Without Losing Your Hair booklet (PDF)
10 Tips For Ensuring a Better Site Design (by Paul Boag)
Wee Nudge – Teach your clients about the mysteries of the web