The “Bad Client” Fallacy
Web design and development blogs are always full of advice and constructive discussions. The mission of these blogs is to help the community stay informed.
One such informative article that a fellow Six Revisions writer of mine wrote recently is about the strategies involved in avoiding bad clients. Many other Six Revisions writers have tackled this concept with articles that discuss how to avoid project disasters, how to handle difficult client situations, and things we shouldn’t tolerate in design projects, all circling back to the notion that it’s just best to avoid "bad" clients.
Avoiding Unscoped Work from Unreasonable Clients
Have you ever had a dispute with a client? Most freelancers and contractors will answer this question with a resounding "no" because we tend to think of disputes as something which results in court proceedings, or at least, the intervention of lawyers.
However, ask them to tell you how many unreasonable clients they have had, and most businesses will reel off numerous examples!
Many people mistakenly believe that contracts are only useful in the event of a dispute, but this is not true. A good contract can save you time, money, stress, and even improve your sales opportunities and your brand image.
Using “Preventive Medicine” Against Bad Clients
Bad clients have been an issue in everyone’s career at some point. Managing difficult client relationships when they occur or avoiding bad projects in the first place are two of the most important skills in managing any freelance business.
Many articles offer great advice on how to handle such situations and how to stay as far away as possible from these troublemakers. But the problem still exists: bad clients are always lurking out there, keeping you on guard and plaguing others in the industry who weren’t lucky (or cautious) enough to avoid them.
So what do you do when you’re the unfortunate one who is stuck with a tough client?
Tips for Creating an Excellent E-Commerce Website
A growing number of top quality designers are turning away from contract work and towards their own personal projects (such as selling WordPress premium themes, for example). From skills-based products to online consulting, the world of design goes far beyond the field of Design itself; it extends into disciplines such as online retailing and marketing — two of the most lucrative forces on the web.
Letting Bad Design Decisions Happen
For a web designer — whether you work in a design agency, a design department of a large company, or as a freelancer — it’s a rare occasion that you embark on a project totally on your own. The creation and deployment of a new website is almost always a team activity comprised of clients, employers, other designers, and developers.
Your Client Knows More Than You
"The customer is always right." It’s an often disagreeable adage, but it exists for a reason. Those of us who have had any direct client experience understand that a happy customer makes for a happy business. Return customers account for the bulk of any good design business.
Social Networking Strategies for Finding More Work
As a web designer or web developer, you probably have a firm grasp on the social media/social networking scene. What I’m finding, however, is that although many people in our industry understand how the Social Web works, surprisingly few of them are actually using it to their advantage for landing more gigs.
With that said, here are a few strategies to help you find new business, generate more leads, and make more sales through social media.
