OK, Part Two of our ‘client issues answered’ series. For those who don’t know what’s going on, read the questions and Part One.

And for those of who are up to date, let’s go straight to the good stuff:

Please can you make our website Number 1 in google?

The simple answer is yes you can. When asked this question, I always think to myself, “Yes, I could could get you to #1 in Google for the phrase “yellow pyjamas for cats” - but sarcasm probably won’t win over the client.

Explain that there should be research carried out in the planning stages of the project. Identify what kind of visitors they hope to draw, what kind of phrases these visitors will use and what areas of the website will relate to particular phrases. Essentially, this is an SEO101 session for the client.

The good thing is that this is an opportunity to obtain an SEO contract (if you wish to be involved in this aspect of the project that is) and you also really get the client to plan out their website - not that they know that at the time. Sneaky.

Win-Win? Absolutley. You can get some recurring income by means of a juicy SEO contract you get an easy method to plan out the site with the client. They get more of an understanding of the project as a whole and are more likely to make better decisions armed with this SEO knowledge.

Please can you out-date your design so it fits in with our out of date logo?

This is an opportunity in disguise. Going back to our builder analogy (in the previous part), ask the client whether they would do the following:

Get a builder/decorator in and decorate the room to match your drear/drab sofa. Make the room unstylishly out of date just to match the sofa you could easily replace. If you did replace the sofa for a new designer one for a small(ish) cost, the décor could be designed to be uber cool.

Make them understand that it is pointless to launch something that is dated. It will only date quicker and they’ll need to fork out more cash again in the short term.

Win-Win? Yes. You can snag a re-brand of the client’s company if you so desire. And they get a total renewal and ultimately save money because your design will stand the test of time much better.

How do you get a client to pay when they stopped answering your phone calls and emails as soon as you sent the invoice?

This may be better answered by the legal bods out there (please chime in) but I’d suggest (and I’m assuming the relationship with the client has gone sour) waiting a short while before commencing legal action. Check your contracts, email, prior invoices to the client (if any) and see if you’ve done everything on your side of the deal. You’re a great designer so obviously you have.

Now, send them a letter (if you don’t know what this is ask someone not in the web industry) announcing that the invoice must be paid by XX/XX/2007 or action will be taken. Explain that you’ve done your bit and you deserve to have your services paid for. Maybe suggest that they will not get their website launched (and they won’t get any branding material) without this payment. Assuming this doesn’t work, seek legal help.

Win-Win? Well…ummmm…oh. You found out what a letter is? Seriously though, this one is of those chalk it up to experience things your Dad told you about. You live and you learn. Maybe you learnt that one payment at the end of the project has its flaws and that spreading the invoices across the project would ensure you get paid better.

~~~

That’s the end of Part Two. Look out for the next instalment soon. Thanks for asking these tough, but necessary, questions.

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The posts Your Client Problems Solved: Call for questions, Your Client Problems Solved: Answers (Part 1 of 3), Client Speak, Flash and Accessibility, Get inside the client’s mind, are related to this post.

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