This is the moment you have been waiting for.
It’s an exciting event, but it can also be nerve-wracking for everyone involved in the build. Website development can take weeks, if not months, of hard work. What if the client doesn’t like the final product?
Clear communication is key to a successful web design reveal. Account teams and web designers can have difficulty determining exactly what should be communicated.
Before you Unveil Your Client’s Website…
It is important to meet with your client at every stage of the web design process before the big day. All approvals will be easier if you communicate with your client throughout the build.
To make sure the unveiling goes smoothly, follow these tips:
- Make sure you schedule a screen share or meeting: Don’t just send a link to your client. They shouldn’t be allowed to navigate a website in its early stages of development. You can decide what your client should be focusing on and when. This will keep you from getting overwhelmed by irrelevant feedback about aspects of the site that are still in development.
- Explain why your design was chosen and how they relate with their original design needs. This will show your client that you listen to them and are able to find the best solutions. This allows you to pinpoint key elements that should be the focus of the build.
- Establish expectations for client feedback: Clients may want to give feedback in one meeting. Make sure clients understand that this isn’t a one-off meeting. This is a time to concentrate on key elements early to avoid unwanted features being added to the final product. Your client should be informed that they will have all the links following the meeting, so that they can give more detailed feedback.
- Establish goals for the meeting before you start: This is in line with our previous point about setting expectations around feedback. It is important that your client knows what your goals for this meeting are. This meeting is not to discuss design direction but rather to confirm that you have agreed on the initial design direction. Later, the time will be right for a complete site reveal.
- Make sure you communicate with your client the next steps: To ensure that the site is up to standard, it may be necessary to schedule similar follow-up meetings. Give your client a clear timeline for when elements will be reviewed and at what times.
Although it may seem tedious, this is the best way for the client to be satisfied with the website design. You can repeat this process as many times necessary to ensure that the project runs smoothly.
