Entrepreneur.com has an interesting series called “What I’ve learned”, where business owners talk about some of the lessons they’ve received from reality.

The latest one describes one woman’s experience with web designers.

The bullet points:

1. Learn as Much as You Can On Your Own.

2. Don’t Work With Friends.

3. Find someone Who Has Been Around and Isn’t Going Anywhere.

4. Make Sure Any ‘Extras’ Purchased Are Under Your Name.

5. Ask Your Designer To Note All Changes, Folders, etc.

6. Pay by Project, Not Hourly.

7. Be Clear On Your Expectations.

8. Keep it Business Focused.

9. Watch Your Spending.

A lot of that is obvious. But it’s worth keeping in mind that the client’s understanding of what you do is a lot different than your own. Not only do they think complicated things are easy and easy things complicated; they’re a lot more emotionally and financially invested in the project than you.

Given that, the only way to avoid disappointment is clear, constant communication. Tell them what you’re doing and why, what it will cost and how long it will take. Make sure you’re both clear on what is expected. Describe the alternatives so they know the consequences of their choices.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 13th, 2009 at 5:11 pm and is filed under Web design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.