By Sujay Pawar, founder of Astra, one of the most popular WordPress themes.
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As a website design agency, you know that building successful client relationships takes time and consistency. With the right strategy and execution, it doesn’t have to feel like a marathon. Instead, it can be a sprint. A fun one!
As an agency, you must create a scalable solution for your client’s web design needs from the get-go. Not only can this help you retain them as clients, but it can also keep them happy for the long haul.
Here are a few things you should keep in mind while developing a scalable solution for your client’s web design needs.
Identify Your Client’s True Goals
First, you need to identify your client’s goals. This helps you better identify your client’s actual needs and avoid wasting resources in the process.
For instance, our team was once hired by a client to update their website. But when we got onto the project, we realized that they weren’t actually in need of a new website. They needed search engine optimization, something that would help them increase their rankings and gain more visibility in search results.
So instead of creating a whole new website, we helped them complete the optimization and saw their website ranking grow. And with that, we saved time and resources while creating a scalable solution that worked.
The Problem
When it comes to design, different clients have different needs. Each client comes with its unique business offering and unique requirements, and it does get challenging to handle last-minute changes.
In short, design is a creative endeavor.
Business owners and designers need to work together to ensure that the client’s needs are met.
Tips For Successful Client Management In Web Design
Keeping track of your clients is one of the most challenging tasks as a designer. You have to constantly ensure they are working efficiently and be solving any problems they may have.
While it may be exhausting keeping track of the clients you work with, it’s necessary if you want to stay on top of your game.
Here are a few tips that can help you create a scalable solution:
1. Set And Meet Client Expectations
When it comes to new clients, it’s easy to fall into the trap of setting expectations too high to secure the contract. This does more harm than good. You never want to make promises you can’t deliver.
Setting expectations in the right way can set you up for greater success with new clients.
Here are a few ways to ensure you set the right expectations.
• First, ensure you understand your client’s business and goals before starting a project. By setting expectations correctly, you will be more likely to deliver a great project that meets their needs.
• Secondly, set expectations by discussing your design process.
Knowing what your client expects from their project and why they need it is important. It is also essential to know if you will be delivering this project yourself or if you will be outsourcing part of the project.
2. Address Red Flags Early On
First impressions are essential when it comes to meeting new clients. You want to show them that you are trustworthy, reliable and capable of high-quality work.
By addressing design red flags early, you can prevent them from turning into a possible concern later on. This is especially true if you’re offering a design service.
If you get a design red flag, you can still turn it into a positive situation by explaining to your client why you handled the situation in a particular manner. This way, your client will be more likely to be grateful rather than unhappy.
3. Setting Up Project Schedules And Deliverables
It’s essential to set up a project schedule and deliverables. This can help avoid any misunderstandings or miscommunications that may arise.
Setting up a schedule can also help you stay on top of your work, avoid hours of distraction and keep you from taking on too many projects at once.
You can set up a project schedule for yourself and give yourself specific dates and deadlines for each stage of the project.
4. Create A Scalable Solution Using Page Builders And Themes
Another best practice is to create a scalable solution using page builders and themes. This will allow you to scale your projects as needed and change the design for each project quickly.
Creating a scalable solution can help you solve any problems your clients may be experiencing. If your clients are experiencing growth and need to expand their site, you can quickly and easily scale your design to match.
5. Underpromise And Overdeliver
Underpromising and overdelivering can make your clients feel valued. It can also help you build trust and confidence, which is vital in the long run.
It is essential to underpromise and overdeliver. This way, you can save your clients time and money. You are also showing your clients that you will deliver every time, and you will not let them down.
6. Collaborate More
As a rule, when you’re managing clients, you should also be looking for ways to collaborate with them. This way, you can ensure that both parties get what they need out of the relationship.
For example, if you’re working on a redesign, you can invite your client to the redesign meeting and present their needs. This way, you ensure that both parties walk away feeling happy. This also applies to client reviews, surveys and other project-related activities that require two parties’ involvement.
Final Thoughts
When creating a scalable solution for your client’s web design needs, don’t create something that won’t work in the long term.
Ensure that the solution you create is something that can be maintained and expanded. This can allow you to scale with your client’s business needs as they grow and have the opportunity to expand your business in the process.
And by doing so, you will be retaining clients and building lasting business relationships.