Web Design and Web Development Help

Watch your verbiage

Sometimes I have preferences on how I want a client’s site to look. In the above example, maybe I want to go with the blind justice background. I’d tell my client, “you probably want” to go with this design because of blah blah blah. That way the client gets some subliminal messages. First of all, he is reminded that he is playing a part and partially responsible for the final results. Thus, he is a lot easier to work with later if the site needs some tweaking. Plus, “you probably want” subtly gets a message to him that this is what he wants. It’s all in how you say it. Here are some more persuasive phrases to remember:

• This is much stronger…
• This would be more user friendly if…
• This looks/sounds more professional…
• This is “cutting-edge” design…
• This makes a bolder statement…
• This may be better because…

And my favorite:

• If it were me, I might?

Remember to keep your sentences short and easy to understand. Don’t overwhelm your client with too much web tech babble.

Get a good contract

There can be times when all your efforts are not enough. Some clients are impossible to please and chances are you’ll eventually meet one. When you reach an impasse how do you get out? That’s when you are glad you have a good contract. What do you do if your client doesn’t send you their content? What if you don’t finish the site on time? What happens if they reject the site you design? All these situations should be covered in your contract.

A good contract covers common problems encountered in the web design business and spells out what the parties will do in these cases. At some point you probably want to pay to have an attorney help you draw up a design contract. Since we are designers and not lawyers we can’t possibly be experts on the nuances of contract law. Nevertheless, many designers choose to create their own contracts. There are lots of sites on the web that have sample contracts. You could use those as starting points. Remember, your contract will probably change over time. Every time I run into a problem I amend my contract in order to cover that trouble point more clearly next time. Keep in mind that if you present the contract, then it is strictly construed against you if you ever have to go to court to sue a client or if the client sues you.

One important thing to remember is that your contract should state that the contract is your complete agreement and that no verbal agreements will be honored. Always protect yourself by writing down any agreed upon changes. I have some blank “amendment” lines at the end of my contract for just that purpose. Other things to consider when writing your contract are:

• How much deposit money is required and when deposit is forfeited?
• What are my other payment terms?
• Who controls the source files?
• How much technical support and maintenance is included?

It is also very important to include indemnification clauses and liability limits. You might think that you couldn’t get sued for anything other than “failure to perform” (finish the site) but there are many other concerns that a web designer may have. For example, suppose you designed a site for an upscale specialty store and were supposed to put in a link so that customers could get directions. Instead of listing the directions to the store, you inadvertently listed directions to your other client’s office - a discount warehouse. During that time maybe the client had a big sale on and customers from the web couldn’t find his store. Maybe they just made their purchases at the discount store. You client may want to sue you for resulting loss of business.

I am not going to go into more detail on contracts here. Many good articles have been written on contract development, and that point really does deserve its own article. Suffice it to say that you need a good contract. Too many designers start out on a handshake and learn the hard way that they should have “put it in writing”.

Conclusion

We may laugh at television shows when everyone hates the designer’s work. But in web design, an unhappy client can ruin your reputation and your self-confidence. Many design geeks are great at the computer, but are clueless on how to effectively communicate with a client during the design process. Following these few simple guidelines will put you on the road to more successful client interaction.

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