Articles
How to be a Good Client
By Cyndi Nguyen
We’ve noticed over the years that the best websites Gravitate has created, the ones that are truly inspired and effective, are a result of true collaboration between our team and the client. When clients come to the table stating, “I want to do this, I’m willing to make myself available, I’ve identified resources to get this done,” our creative team is doing cartwheels and slapping high-fives.
Most people don’t know what they’re getting into when they engage in a web project, and most underestimate the amount of time and energy that is needed to ensure its success. The biggest disservice you can do for yourself is to engage in a web project when you don’t have time to think about it.
Here are some tips on how to get the most for your investment in a project:
Know thy goals. Any marketing project cannot be all things to all people. Have defined and realistic goals in mind and be ready to clearly communicate them.
Do your homework. Don’t leave critical decisions or items to the last minute. If you’ve got 2,000 products to get online, make sure you’ve got photography for each item and make sure you’ve got a defined strategy to fulfilling and shipping them. Don’t have any content? Identify who on your team will be responsible for completing this or hire a copywriter.
Think scalability. The best way to get more for your money is to think of solutions that will grow with your business. It is better to plan for smaller phases than to try to do too much at once. Further, your audience appreciates (and expects) new information on a regular basis.
Respect timelines. When we communicate the project timelines and milestones, we’re committed to delivering your project within a certain timeframe. Any significant delays on your end may result in the project being delayed until we’re able to secure resources to re-engage.
Get involved. Engaging in a marketing project requires healthy amounts of input and collaboration. We’ll do the hard part - we’ll need you to provide feedback and make timely decisions. Beware! Collaboration is fun and highly addictive.
With these tips in hand, you should be able to make the ranks of expert clients in no time. Need a little more coaching? The Gravitate team is more than happy to answer any questions and offer more helpful advice on getting the most out of your marketing dollar.
