Are You a Bad Web Design Client?

We appreciate every web client we have the opportunity to work with. Once in awhile, unfortunately, we do get that client that makes us reconsider the relationship we have with them. Let’s take a look at the characteristics of a bad web design client:

• Expecting more design services than you have paid for, or are included in your contract
  
• Expecting every design task to be turned around immediately, regardless of time of day or night
  
• Last minute requests always needed ASAP
  
• Extremely vague about design preferences or requested feedback
  
• Asking your designer to copy someone else’s web design exactly as is
  
• Threaten to take your project overseas to someone cheaper
  
• Disappear for weeks or months without notice when design feedback is required
  
• Offer a payment that is far less than what you’ve been quoted or that you are contracted for
  
• Try  to each web design best practices to your web designer
  
• Completely switch design direction after approving design compositions, and want those changes made for free
  
• Treat your web designer like a low skill, replaceable employee

You probably get the point by now. Don’t get us wrong, more often than not bad web design clients don’t start that way. They become bad clients as a result of the web design companies they have dealt with not properly doing their jobs and communicating the right expectations upfront. Most bad web clients we have come across we have inherited, and have been created from their experiences with past designers.

To help everyone, clients and designers alike, from avoiding these kinds of situations,  we are providing following checklist to produce positive web design project experiences.

Before a project starts, clients should always:

• Request to see the designer’s work that is similar to the kind of project they require
  
• Clearly understand, and agree to, all design costs and prices, and review all contract documents completely
  
• Provide at least 5 samples of web design projects you like, with explanations of why you like them
  
• Provide any and all logos, photos and content that you would like to be used in the design

Prepared, responsive clients lead to motivated, enthusiastic designers. Motivated, enthusiastic designers are more likely to include some design work for free.

It is our responsibility to properly manage your project expectations and produce a happy client. Whether you think you’re a good or bad web design client, if you are relying on an ineffective, outdated website to grow your business or support your non profit organization,  then we want to help.