{Offline Tip} How to explain the process of website design to clients

Hiya

So I just got back from seeing a client and I wanted to outline here how I explain the process of purchasing a website.

It can seem complex and overwhelming and trying to explain the process to someone with no technical knowledge at all can be tiresome

Its crucial to get this part right

So your client feels

* Supported

* Understood

&

* Informed

Of the process before it starts

What you are essentially doing is setting the expectations and roles & responsibilities of you both in a really informal manner

Ok so at the point of the conversation with the client .... "I want you to build my website, So what happens from here?"

Ok so let me explain step by step

Firstly I will shoot you over the invoice to your email, is the one the best email@email.com?

ok, so I will send that to you. The next email you will get from me will be an email asking for some more specific details to get your website started, like your logo (or if you need a re-design or completely new one) I will also ask you for links to sites you like the look of, they don't need to be in your current niche. I am just looking for layout and functionality that you are after

So once the invoice is paid and you have answered the questions in the second email we get started on the design.

This process takes about 7 days to design. Once the first draft is completed I email it to you then within 24 hours of emailing to you I will call you and we can talk about what you like, don't like and want changed

We can go back and forth at this stage several times to make sure you get the site that you really want.

You see, at this stage of the process, your website is like a snapshot a picture if you will

Its easy to make changes a this stage of the design

Once you are happy with the way your site will look, you sign off on it and we convert it to WordPress

At this stage this is making your site live.... but don't worry because I will not make it live to anyone else but you, I upload it to my sub domain to work on not your domain yet

Once converted, about 7 days latter, I will email you a live link on my domain showing you your site live

I will call you within 24 hours of sending this link

In the meantime if you click on all the links and make your way through your site - jot down any questions or things you want to raise with me

When I call we will talk about the site and any thing that we need to tweak or make adjustments to, but at this stage the site will look exactly the same as the picture you signed off on

Once you sign off from this stage we then move the site to your domain and make your website live for everyone to find!




{End}



So thats how I explain in a general way to clients the flow of how their website is built and what happens

Its sets benchmarks, I let them know what I expect from them, and I let them know what they can expect from me including timeframes

I also always get payment upfront

I hope this helps you get some confidence and close your website deals

If you have any questions comment below - I will log in about once a day to check

Take care

Emma