Over many years in business, I’ve experienced a huge spectrum of client personalities. And let me tell you… it’s a diverse bunch.

With such different personalities often come different collaborative experiences. And when the project doesn’t go as smoothly as you’d expected, you may find yourself asking, “Where did things get off-track?”

Reflecting on this, it’s often a matter of some breakdown in the client communication process.

Whether you’re just starting out, or you’re a seasoned business pro, it’s always a good idea to step back post-project and evaluate your client communications. You’ll be able to see where any missteps may have occurred and what can be done to improve your communication and processes for a more positive website design experience both for yourself and your future client.

How to understand and improve client communication for your website design project

Start with these basic questions:

What worked or didn’t work communication-wise?
What were the miscommunications and how were they resolved?
How did the project end?
Would you work with the client again?
What should YOU improve for the next project?

Remember that you’re building a relationship

You’re building rapport with a person (or a team) and the success of the project largely depends on the success of the relationship you build with that client.

An artist, a yoga instructor, an interior designer, a real estate agent… It doesn’t matter what type of work you do. As an entrepreneur or a small business owner, you’ll benefit from implementing these tips below to avoid client miscommunications that may arise along the way.

So how can you start off on the right foot and maintain a positive and productive flow of communication from start to finish? How do you maintain your sanity throughout? How can you cultivate a great working relationship with your clients that will have them referring you to others?

Creating a smooth process from website consultation to project sign-off

1. Set the first impressions and expectations

First impressions are critical. Your potential client will be looking at your business website, your social media accounts, and any other information they find to gain an understanding of what services or products you offer.

Be sure that your digital presence is updated with the full and correct information (offers, packages, etc.), contact methods, and photos or visuals. Clearly state and describe your services or products and what’s included in the price. A potential client will have certain expectations based on the information they find, and those expectations should align with your business.

If possible, respond to an inquiry within 24 hours. If that’s not possible, create an auto-responder that is appropriate to the inquiry received.

After your initial meeting, send a friendly email with a detailed re-cap so that all is in writing and clearly stated. You should summarize what the initial conversation was about and include the next steps to take and who will be taking them (you or the client): follow up phone calls, proposal of work, invoice, etc.

2. Outline the process clearly

Think about your client’s experience from start to finish and outline the process on paper. Imagine yourself as the potential client and try to formulate any questions you’d have along the way. Remember that this may be the first time they’re utilizing services such as yours, and you want them to feel confident that all their questions have been answered before proceeding forward.

Create and iron out your processes from first inquiry —> contract signing —> final product delivery (and the steps in between), clearly defining each phase along the way. I find that having a simple visual guide to showcase the steps really helps my potential client understand what it will be like to work with me.

Include the general amount of time for the project, building in some padding for various phases to allow for slight client delays, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your ability to take on new clients.

3. Remember that it’s okay to decline work

Hindsight is always 20/20 right? But honing your ability to discern from the start that you and your potential client may not be a good fit will go a long way as well. And sometimes that just comes with experience, so don’t be too hard on yourself!

You hate to turn down work, but trust me, you’ll be saving yourself valuable time (and $$) by passing on what could potentially be a difficult situation. Plus you’ll be freeing yourself up for accepting new work or clients that are more aligned with your method of doing business.

Listen to your gut instinct. I cannot stress this enough. After the initial meeting, consult, or questionnaire you determine that it’s just not going to be a good fit for you or your business, politely decline.

But don’t leave the person hanging. Respectfully attempt to point them in the right direction or provide information that will be useful in their search for what they need. Remember that this individual may provide a future referral.

4. Clearly communicate the contact methods and hours

If the project is a go… hooray!

You’ll want to immediately reiterate the ways/methods by which you’ll be communicating with each other during the project. Include the hours when a client may contact you (via phone or email) and when they can expect an answer.

Don’t be shy about setting boundaries from the start, and you’ll avoid any assumptions that you’re reachable on a whim.

5. Create an organized timeline and deadlines

Set up a work flow that’s easy for both you and your client to understand and follow, preferably within a software platform such as Honeybook*.

With a clear understanding of what’s going to be provided (and when), what payments are due (and when), your client will know exactly what’s happening when and what the deadlines are, and can follow along easily. Having the work flow will also prevent a ton of back-and-forth emails that will only distract from the project.

Set up templates for auto email reminders that will gently nudge the client about upcoming deadlines. Within Honeybook*, there’s a fantastic way to create a variety of work flows and then assign them to different client projects. It’s such a flexible system and has worked well for me and my business.

I like to create a visual reminder too (sort of like a PDF checklist) - a thorough list of items on one side, with the deadline dates on the other - so that the client can follow along with the process and be completely in the know.

(*This is an affiliate link, however any commission earned comes at no additional cost to you. Read the full disclaimer.)

6. Address any work requests that may arise outside the project scope (aka Scope Creep)

We’ve all been there before… you’re mid-project and your client realizes that they need some extra work that wasn’t included in the original proposal. In order to avoid any misunderstandings, be very clear from the beginning what the client can expect to receive, what the deliverables are, and how much any additional work will cost. No one likes the kind of surprises that hit your wallet.

7. Follow up with the client post-project

After all the approvals and deliverables, be sure to get some direct feedback from your client. Whether by online form or a simple email survey in which the client answers a few questions, getting their honest input is so valuable.

This step is crucial to understand if there are any areas of improvement to consider, even if the criticism is tough to hear.

It’s also a great time to ask for a client testimonial while the project is still fresh in their mind!

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