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Building WordPress Sites for Clients

by lirikh
2 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
    • |
Hi there, I wasn't too sure whether to post this in Offline Marketing or Website Design, so here goes...

I need help retrieving and organizing web content from clients in an efficient way. Does anyone know of any good tools to optimize this process? If you develop websites for others, do you mind sharing your workflow?

On my side, what I usually do, when I develop sites with WordPress (WordPress is king), is determine whether the client has any existing asset regarding web content. I gauge their brand, objectives, and anything else that can be pertinent to the website. Basically any fact-finding techniques. This all is done via judgment with no planning (I need a way to find a better way here).

After I finish collecting all the info, I research theme candidates. I select around 3 and shoot them up to the client. They choose one and we progress to structuring the content. All communication is done via email and this can often be a hassle when trying to make sense out of everything. We try to use Google Drive to collaborate on the content, but clients prefer to email their info by forwarding anything they can think will be of help. It's not easy working with clients that have no digital assets, but that's good in a way because in those cases they're desperate for a web presence and here I come.

Anyway, any input would be appreciated. If you got a rant or have a random comment, shoot away.
#building #clients #sites #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author JaMoke
    Getting content from clients I find is the hardest part of making a site for them, especially if they don't have anything already. What I do is let them know I can do content writing for them as well, I would collect info about their business and then outsource this to a content writer if I feel I could not do it myself. Of course I would add on a specific dollar amount per page for content writing.

    I've literally had clients delay for months because they can't write or think of content. With clients like this I try to look out for and if I feel like this may happen I would get 100% of the $$ upfront from the client and not a deal like 50% when starting a site and 50% upon completion. These clients are a lot more headaches than the others.
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  • Profile picture of the author Greg71
    I'm very small time word-of-mouth, but feel your pain with the content. I don't like writing content for them but usually they have no idea how to do it. For example, accountants aren't very creative and creative writing requires, well, a bit of creativity.

    While giving myself the same suggestion, signed contracts are the best solution. On it, you list what you are going to provide for the amount they are going to pay. Once you have delivered, your obligation is over. If they never get around to writing content, it's not your problem.

    If you are writing the content, try looking at competitors websites in the same industry, what they talk about etc. It might be a good way to feed your brain so it can come up with something unique. That could be the first step in your system for written content. But if you're including SEO, you would need to do keyword research first so you know what each page will be optimized for.

    Not simple, is it? If only clients understood so they would part with $ more easily.I usually decide on a keyword before I start typing, then I just ramble away, kind of doing a brain dump without thinking too much. Then I go back and reread it and do some editing to remove the crud. Go back the next day for another edit because what looked good today usually looks like rubbish the next when you read it.

    All the best.
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