What Makes a Great Client?

August 24, 2011

 

Many people talk to me about their “bad” clients. But it’s rare to hear about their great ones. So here’s what we think makes a great client.

Trust

We’ve been developing internet and interactive media projects for 15 years. We really do know what we’re doing. The recommendations we make are based on fulfilling our client’s goals in the best possible way in the least expensive way possible. Our great clients understand that and trust us to do whatever we can to make them successful.

 

Commitment

We know what we’re doing and once we get the go ahead for a project, we are committed to getting it done as well as possible, as quickly as possible. Great clients commit to that as well. Projects often get held up by clients who do not supply the images or data we need in a timely fashion so we can put a project to bed. Great clients are ahead of the curve and have things ready for us on time or even before! We love that!

Reality

If you have a $10,000 budget, please don’t tell us you want a site just like Apple or Nike. Those cost upwards of a million dollars or more. They also have full-time staff whose only job is to support their sites. Having said that, we can and do work with smaller budgets. Great clients understand this and help us work within their budgets.

Bonus Thought

Great clients understand that budget plays a role in a project’s progress and success. We don’t ask what budget you have available so we can spend it all. We need to know what we are working with so we know what we can build for you within that budget. If you were building a house, your architect would certainly ask what budget you had. We need to know as well so we can do the best job for the budget you have.