Why Client Involvement Matters
October 02, 2014 filed under: Digital Marketing, Website Design
As you can imagine, active client involvement is invaluable in any project. The client knows their business inside and out and knows what they want their website to accomplish. Beyond knowledge of their field, the client also knows their target audience and how to appeal to them. But sharing this basic knowledge is not what makes a successful project; continued, championed involvement is what elevates a website from good to great.
A comparison of two recent projects
I will give you two examples. Client A has big ideas for their website redesign and one dedicated person who is a true champion for the project. Client B has the same amount of great ideas and drive to create a new and improved website, but no singular person who is in charge of making this happen.
Client A is quick to answer questions and provide feedback for the web designer. They make the content happen, whether it is writing blog posts, gathering photographs, or creating social media posts. Client A works with the web designer to create an editorial calendar and sticks to that schedule when publishing content. Client A reviews their site analytics and constantly updates their plan based on who is using their website.
Client B receives recommendations but they are never implemented. There is no person to oversee that blogs are getting written or that social media is being used to its full extent. Client B expects that because they hired a web designer, they will not have to put in any additional effort to make their website great.
In the end, Client A is much better off than Client B. Client A’s website is continuously updated, making users want to interact with the site and return over and over again. Client B’s website is generic and unfocused because the client has not made the effort to tailor it to their specific needs. Client B’s site will not meet is full potential, because there is no one person dedicated to the success of the site.
Be a champion for your project
No matter the project, a web designer is only as valuable as how invested the client is in the project. An involved client keeps things moving along to the next step. Not every design works flawlessly the first time, but with that one invested person, we will be able to learn, adapt and rework ideas faster and more efficiently. With hard work from both the client and designer, we can work as a team to create the best design and content that will fulfill the clients wishes.