You Need to Be Part of the Process

Having a new website built can be a lengthy process. It requires commitment from both parties to ensure the end results is the best it can be. Occasionally, this commitment is not met by every party.

Being part of the process refers to being actively involved in each stage of the project. Sometimes other priorities arise and the involvement needs to be pushed back.

As a client, it's crucial that you are involved in each process of the project. Regardless of the industry or project, if there are multiple stages, you need to be involved in each.

This is especially important with design stages. These are the core stages of any project where your involvement is most important. Without your input, the designer will not receive crucial feedback on their designs. Meaning the end result could be off the mark.

We cover more on this in our article on why you need to trust the designer .

You also need to be on hand to answer any questions the business may have for you. In our line of work, regular client input is required, especially with important questions about servers and hosting.

There will be questions that only you can answer. If you are not there to answer them, it could affect the outcome of the project. In some cases, it could lead to an increase in price.

As a designer, the last thing you want to hear is "I don't want anything to do with it, that's your job" or as a developer "let me know when the websites built" when the designs haven't been completed.

As a service provider, it's discouraging to hear this. Not only does it give the perception that the client doesn't care about the end result, but it also makes the job of getting to that result more difficult.

It's the equivalent of paying someone to build and paint a fence. Once you've paid them you say "let me know once it's done". Yet, they don't know what type of fence they need or what colour it needs painting.

The end result will almost always be different from what the client imagined. As a result, the relationship between the client and service provider diminishes to no fault of the service provider.

Not being contactable puts the service provider in a predicament: do they continue the work whilst being unsure? Or do they wait until they receive a response?

In the eyes of some clients, both options are wrong. We have experienced times when a client will disappear for a few months and on return, expect that their website picks up immediately where it left off.

Many developers ensure that each project sits in different stages of their workflow. This ensures that you won't have 4 website builds arrive at the exact same time. As such, when a client disappears for a while, the website needs to go back into the workflow at the next available point.

If the service provider hasn't been provided with enough information and you can't be reached, they may continue the work based on what they have. This may result in the client receiving work that they don't like. This issue is more prevalent in the design stages.

Rectifying this then takes more resources and goes to further delay the project from completion. This can sometimes add additional weeks to some projects if requirements were not communicated altogether.

There are multiple ways that as a client, you can get involved in the process. The first step to take is gaining an understanding of the project as a whole. It can be hard to get involved when you do not understand what is actually happening.

When we begin our projects, we send each client a break down of the stages and what to expect during each stage. This gives the client every bit of information they need to make an informed decision on how best to proceed from their position.

At Devmac, we keep in weekly communication with our clients. This not only allows us to ask the questions we need to, it also allows them to know that we are here if they have any themselves.

Whilst we cannot speak for other developers, as a client, you need to know what contact points you have and who you need to speak to if you want to check on the status of your project.

We've covered what happens when you aren't involved in a project. However, the opposite can also have a negative impact. Too much involvement is when a client consistently voices their opinion, changes and always provides input.

This can create a wide range of issues, especially if additional input is given before a draft has been completed. If the designer is midway through their initial draft then they should be left to complete it.

Additional changes should then be made once the draft has been completed and reviewed. There could be some key parts of the initial draft that the client really likes, yet, if they were to be re-directed midway, that would be missed.

As a client, you need to understand that you are payer a service provider for a reason. They are professionals in their field that understand the inner workings of the service they provide. However, they aren't miracle workers.

If they do not have direction in which to complete the work, then it's likely you won't be satisfied with the result. On the other hand, if you intervene too much, you are not allowing them the room to complete the work to the standard and skill that they would normally show.

Too much interference can mean that the end result shows little original work from the service provider. Instead, you end with a result that is comprised entirely of your ideas... whether these are good or not.

Your business website is a big investment, maybe the most important investment you will make for your business. Making this investment matter and getting it right the first time is critical.

Looking for a new website? Contact us on 01332 477575 and speak to us about your requirements.