Growth is not a four letter word?
In the mist of Covid-19 (Corona Virus), we at JDS WebDesign are hoping everyone is safe, washing your hands frequently, sneezing and coughing in your elbow, and practicing social distancing. Over the next several weeks, we are planning on blogging about how to make your website more business friendly. We will have some tutorials on our favorite plugins and features, which will make your site more efficient.
The other day, I was advise of a separation or firing from a client. The client was a employment based company, located on the West Coast. They had been a client for several years. It was a project, which was referred to me. Valuing my referral projects, a lot of work was put into making sure this was a successful project. It was a very challenging project, beside the time changes (I am on the East Coast). This was a client, who loved to scope creep and would push the boundaries.
When a separation from a client occurs, then some general questions are asked by me. Did I represent the process correctly? Was this a good fit? Could I have done something differently? What was the tell…tell signs? How is this going to affect me from a financial side? Do I have a client or prospect to replace this missing income?
Did I represent the process correctly?
Before discuss the design process history, a little background information about the client. It was a referral from an existing client. The employment based company was a new startup. They had come to us, upset about the design a prior design agency had performed. Drilling down on the reason for the disconnect, it appear to be communication based. The client wanted more of a role in the design process. Quickly pointing out the tools, which we use in our design process, Asana Asana is a great tool to keep everyone on schedule and informed about timelines and expectations.
The client had picked out a design theme and wanted us to incorporate their content. Many times target audience, brand development, and expectation requirement took a second seat to this theme looks “pretty”. The design process was not represented properly. Your target audience does not care about “pretty” sites, if they can not get the answer to a pain point. I dropped the ball on that issue, early in the design process.
Was this a good fit?
The client hit all the marks as far as the ideal client. It was a start up. It was looking to grow. It was on the cutting edge of its industry. Overall it was a good fit. We had several lunch dates to discuss the project, as the client had business partners near our Agency. The founder signed off on our design process.
Last year while visiting the West Coast, we meet to discuss the project. Wanting to make sure that we were on the same page, everything seem fine. No complaints. No issues with the monthly fee. Loved the client reports. All questions were standard. Reveal some growth plans, which would mean some potential other opportunities.
Could I have done something differently?
What did we miss? Nothing! Sometimes the results of doing business, is your client can make decisions which make no sense. The design process was explained in detail. The design process was flexible enough to have the client’s concerns incorporated. Cost was not an issue. Time / Launch of project was on time. Launch party was a success.
What was the tell…tell signs?
There was no tell tell signs. Unfortunately sometimes your client relationship grows in different directions. Not wanting to beat ourselves over the client decision. A card of “thanks” for the opportunity was sent, with a selfish plug asking for a reference and or referral. Wishing nothing but success to the new web design agency and my prior client.
JDS WebDesign creates on line presence for Faith Based Organizations, Non profit Companies and Influencers. I try to cater to small to mid size companies and organizations, who are looking for more than a web site. We work to get your target audience to your site, using the Know, Like, and Trust Marketing Method.
I am sure this is going to have an impact on my financial side, but sometimes I have to remind myself all relationships have an expiration date on them. My lifestyle is not depended on how much money that I bring in. My salary has already been set…this loss will be affect my saving and ability to maybe go to some future conferences…but then again typically I will secure another client within a couple of weeks.
Image courtesy of Oliur.
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JDS WebDesign is a Web Design and Brand Marketing Agency located in Marietta, Georgia. We create AWESOME on line presence for Start-ups and Influential People/Organizations. To learn more about us or how we can help you and your organization, you can contact us or schedule a meeting.
