Types of clients
Clients can be easy or difficult to work with.
The ideal client is communicative, knows what are his responsibilities and what are yours.
They get involved in the early stages (visual planning). They are prepared with their content and instructions.
They are the decision maker. i.e. they aren’t making the website for someone else.
The relationship you have with the client is one of equals. They value your input and they also give input.
The not-in-charge client
There are clients who are not decision makers. They are working on behalf of someone else. They could be a VA (virtual assistant), an employee or a marketing agent.
Their job is to get what their clients or boss wants. Often, what they want is not good for the project and since you are not talking directly to the decision-maker, you cannot discuss solutions in detail.
Relationship advice: Keep to the process, don’t rush to please the top boss because the junior needs to impress. Stand your ground, resolve the problems, wait for proper feedback, even if it takes longer.
Under-involved clients
Some clients are too busy or seem to not want to get involved in the details.
They may agree to everything, but then complain at the end when they finally review the results.
You can make the decisions for the client, but you must get proof that the client agrees so that if there are any complaints at the end, we can charge the client for extra revisions.
Slow down the project, to work at the client’s pace.
Commanding clients
Some clients know what they want but don’t know what is possible for their budget or what is best for their website.
They will want to do things their way.
It is important to be slightly flexible to clients, but also know when to draw the line (and switch to hourly rate)