3 Ways to Keep Your Clients Happy
In the world of web design and development, it’s safe to say that dealing with clients isn’t the most fun part of it all. On top of actually building websites and managing your team to get the job done, you also have to manage the client and make sure they are happy.
While all clients are different, there are a few steps you can take to make sure your clients go home happy and come back wanting more. In this post, we’re going to share you with 3 things you can do to keep your client’s happy.
1. Don’t Over-Promise
As they say, it’s always better to under-promise and over-deliver, rather than over-promise and under-deliver. When it comes to deadlines, one of the biggest mistakes made by both freelancers and full-blown web agencies is getting so caught up in landing a client that they agree to everything and promise to have a project done ASAP.
What’s happening here is that you’re basically setting your client’s expectations higher than it should be. If it turns out that you can’t deliver at the agreed-upon time, it’s going to make you look bad to the client and likely leave them not wanting to hire you again.
The better approach to situations like this is to figure out a realistic timeframe of when you think you will be able to deliver then add a few days or an extra week on to that in order to give yourself some buffer if you do end up needing the extra time. This not only gives you some extra time if you need it, but if you’re able to deliver earlier than agreed upon, it’s going to stand out to your client and make you look good.
2. Notify Them About Everything
As a freelancer and a boss, I can honestly say that being out of the loop on both ends really sucks. As a freelancer, you really need feedback and communication with your clients to make sure they are happy with the work that’s being done. Likewise, as a client, you’re investing good money to get your product or idea developed. You deserve to get kept in the loop on how things are progressing and moving along.
When working on projects for clients, it’s important that you notify them frequently about how the project is moving along. You don’t have to update and call your client every 5 minutes, but reaching out to them every couple of days or so is a good idea. It keeps them up to date on things, but also allows you to get feedback so you can know if things need to be changed or done differently. It’s well worth it to both parties to make sure you’re all on the same page.
3. Be Transparent and Clear with Them
Believe it or not, one of the most dangerous things in the world are assumptions. When we make assumptions pertaining to important things, we open ourselves up to a lot of headaches and stress. This couldn’t be truer when it comes to working with clients. Regardless of your profession, it’s a good practice to never make assumptions about something. Especially when it comes down to how someone’s hard-earned money is spent.
When working with clients always make sure that you are very transparent and clear with them about what services you’re going to provide and what you’ll be doing for them. If you have a question, don’t be afraid to ask it. It’s better to get it out of the way in the beginning than risk totally doing something wrong and having to spend extra time and money fixing your mistakes.
Whether you run your own web design agency or do freelance work for a living, these three tips will help put you on your way to building long-lasting and great relationships between you and your clients. Do you run your own business or freelance? Share them with us in the comments below!
