iElectrify

We web designers take great pride in our work.  We understand the value of good, reliable communication, and we aim to please.  Sometimes, though, there are times when we dearly wish we could help our clients see things a little more clearly.  This checklist was designed to help make working with your web designer a little easier, which in turn can make your project go a lot smoother.

Web Design is Not Desktop Publishing

Desktop publishing gives you the freedom to use large pictures and creative fonts while allowing you to print with the knowledge that everyone will see the page exactly as you intended it.  Websites are different.  Large pictures take more time to download. There are only a handful of fonts that all computers support, and different browsers and screen resolutions (not to mention individual settings for each user) may make your site display differently to everyone.  A good web designer understands and makes allowances for these things and works with technology to make your site look as uniform to all users as possible.

Have a Clear Plan of What You Want

We’re capable of many things – but we can’t plan your business for you.  Have all the members of your team or department come to a consensus on what pages to include, what features are needed and what can be added in the future.   Your web designer will likely put these things into a contract so that you know exactly what you’re getting and how much it costs.  Deviating from that because you want to see what it “looks like” or how this feature “might work” can be done, but requires more time and will be charged extra.

We Welcome Your Feedback!

We want to know what you think – honestly!  If you feel certain parts of the site should be removed, switched or changed, please don’t hesitate to let us know.  A web designer generally starts a page as a large graphic with interchangeable pieces that can be moved around until it’s precisely the way you want it – and then it gets made into a web page.  After that, changes are more difficult (and costly) – so it’s best to be upfront about any changes you want – earlier, rather than later.

We Don’t Mind Helping, But…

We understand that there are sometimes “little things” that should be added and don’t take much time to do, and we’re okay with that.   But when little things turn into major overhauls of the design, added functionality not in the contract or “just this one change” that ends up taking much more time than the deadline allows – we have to adjust the scope and cost of the project accordingly. 

Please Pay on Time

Our electric company doesn’t appreciate knowing “the check’s in the mail” when the check was supposed to be in the mail 30 days ago.  We understand that life happens when you’re making other plans – but when you don’t pay within an acceptable time frame, it tells us that you don’t respect us or the work we do.   You wouldn’t pay your own bills late – and we don’t want to either!

We Are Worth What We Quote

Just because your neighbor’s 12 year old kid made his own Myspace page doesn’t mean he’s qualified to set up a full-blown shopping cart.  We understand that you may not have much of a budget, or you’re just starting out, or your kid is sick and you spent your last paycheck on doctor bills and prescriptions.  If we quote you a specific amount, it’s okay to say “Actually, my budget is around $____, is that something you could work with?”  We might be able to compromise on the features you “must have” versus the features that are “nice to have” and stay within your budget.  What’s not okay is to say “I don’t pay my designers more than $___. Or, “I only make $X per hour, how do you justify charging $Y?”
We “justify” it because of how involved the work is, how long the project will take and how valuable our time is.

 Let’s Work Together!

Nobody likes a micro-manager, and nobody likes working with someone who is overly critical of them or what they produce.  Constructive feedback is great – nitpicking every single detail is a surefire way to make sure your calls go into the voicemail oblivion. Instead, let’s work together to pinpoint areas that can be improved, what’s going the right direction, and set a firm timeline for launch.  It’s the best outcome for everyone involved.

What Are Some Things You Wish Your Web Designer Knew?

Now it’s time to turn the tables. What are some things you wish your designer knew or understood better?  Help us to help you and post your thoughts in the comments below!

Tags: project management, web design help, web designers