One of the major challenges facing all website design companies is how to make existing and prospective clients happy with both end the result of design projects and the general operational processes of the company. It is these metrics which will ultimately determine the success or failure of the company.
An impressed client will bring more jobs and provide word of mouth advertising for your company. What does it take to impress clients? It goes beyond creating something in line with popular trends, which can come with problems, as we saw in this previous article.
Let’s take a look at what you need to know to create the right image.
Use Technology
Your meeting room will go a long way to telling your client who you are as a company. Steve, presentation systems designer and engineer at Videonations explains that “creative agencies are increasingly putting in place interactive whiteboards, Barco Clickshare wireless systems, videoconferencing systems and even digital signage. Having such technology helps them to win the bigger contracts through the image they create, and the efficiency and creativity that they can achieve.”
Professionalism
Is your design business a professional one? Make sure it is clear for your client to see from the very first contact. You can do this by answering all your emails fast (emails should contain precise and clear sentences without any mistakes or typos), following queries with relevant questions, and ensuring erroneous assumptions don’t slip into conversational processes.
Make sure the timeline for the project is understood and agreed on from the start, and ensure that the final delivery doesn’t come up short of the client’s expectations.
Friendliness
Most clients today will be most impressed working with a professional but fun website design company. You don’t have to be stiff or bureaucratic to be seen as a good website design company. Dynamism, passion and professionalism, mixed with a healthy dose of fun, is a sure way to leave any client impressed. This article on Forbes highlights the importance of being “nice”.
One way you can achieve this is to ask your client to follow your business on social media. The lighter tone used on social media offers a great way to stay in touch in a very relaxed manner.
Nice surprises
A nice bonus, or surprise, is a good way to make your client smile, and fortunately, can be achieved very easily. Your focus should be to do something that will leave a lasting effect on them. For example, you could deliver an email footer along with a website project, or you could send over some promotional materials to them bearing their new branding. These little extras do not have to be expensive, and you will be amazed by the power of them feeling they got something for nothing.
Keep in touch
Finishing a website design doesn’t always signal an end to the relationship with a client. If you keep in touch, the client will not just be impressed but will have your company on speed dial for future projects they may have. They will also have you in mind to recommend your business to other people.
However, as you do this you need to be very careful to avoid appearing pushy. An interaction (direct tweets, replies, comments) with them every couple of months on social media for instance is more than enough. Alternatively, you can put up a blog post about a completed project and notify them. If in doubt there is nothing wrong with asking them how much contact they want, and if they want to hear about exciting developments.
Do they have your physical business card? If they don’t, package it as a gift and send over, perhaps with some of your own branded merchandise. It is always nice to complement the online contact links with something physical.
These are just a few of the key ways that can help keep your website design clients impressed.
