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Why Client Services Matters
3:42 with Paul BoagWhile web designers do build things, they are actually in the service business, and their customers must have a good experience.
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[? How to Run a Web Design Business with Paul Boag ?]
0:00
So we now turn our attention to the subject of client services.
0:04
This is a bit of a weird one, and you might be wondering why I've included it.
0:08
But the trouble is, as web designers
0:12
we like to think of ourselves as manufacturers don't we?
0:14
We build websites, that's what we do.
0:17
But actually we're also a service business.
0:19
It's not enough for our clients to have a great website.
0:24
They also need to have a good experience.
0:28
If they don't have a good experience, they're not going to love their website.
0:32
If they don't love their website, they're not going to invest in it.
0:35
If they don't invest in it, it's going to turn into a bad website
0:38
no matter how much work you've put into it.
0:41
One of the best questions I ever got asked by a client
0:43
was, "What are you going to do to make this web project fun for us to work on?"
0:49
What a wonderful question.
0:56
What a surprising question.
0:59
What would your answer be to a question like that?
1:01
It certainly caught us off guard, but it's a really good question.
1:03
Because it's so important that clients enjoy the experience of working with you.
1:08
It's not just important for the website and ensuring that the website
1:13
is maintained and looked after.
1:17
It's also important for you and your business.
1:19
An unhappy client who has had a bad experience will criticize you.
1:21
And this is a particular problem if you take that specializing approach
1:27
to marketing I talked about earlier.
1:33
If you're targeting one particular community
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and you do a bad job and a client is unhappy for whatever reason,
1:38
they're going to criticise you within that community, and word will get round
1:42
and you'll struggle to win more business.
1:46
Alsoโthe other problem isโif you've got an unhappy client
1:49
they could be more difficult to manage,
1:52
and that's going to cut into your profit margins.
1:55
A happy client on the other handโone who is having a great experience
1:57
and is enjoying working with you will recommend you,
2:03
and that is absolutely invaluable.
2:06
They'll be a brilliant reference, won't they,
2:10
when it comes to adding references to future proposals.
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If you can include them then you can be sure of a good reference.
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Also a happy client is going to be more patient with you
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when things go wrong, and let's face it things always go wrong
2:24
no matter how good you are as a web designer.
2:27
But most importantly, if your client is happy
2:30
they will come back to you again and again and again.
2:33
And repeat business is ultimately the life blood of your business.
2:38
If clients don't keep coming back to you, you're going to be in serious problems
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because repeat business has such a low marketing cost.
2:49
You don't need to do a lot of things to attract people's attention
2:53
because they already know you.
2:57
Also the cost of sales is a lot lower.
2:59
You won't need to be jumping through anywhere near as many hoops
3:02
to win repeat business as you will for the first time.
3:04
Also if they keep coming back to you time and time again,
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those turn into real high-value clients that are great.
3:11
They're also a lot less hassleโthey know how you work,
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they understand how the process goes,
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and so your profit margins are going to be low tier.
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But most importantly of all, repeat business means better websites.
3:24
If they're coming back to you again and again continually
3:31
investing in their website, it's going to lead to better websites.
3:34
And that is after all, what we're all about.
3:38
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