I speak to a lot of different clients every week, and they almost always have the same complaints about working with freelancers. Many of them have been burned before, and I’m always amazed at what they tell me their previous freelancers did or when they compliment me just because I met a basic deadline and answered their emails!
Being a freelance web developer, especially in these hard times, is no easy task. We have to do it all: taxes, invoices, contracts, finding work, project management, client management, keeping up with the industry, blog updates, social media networking…and oh yea – actually doing the work. I get it, it’s a lot to deal with and sometimes balls get dropped. Clients understand we’re real people too and make mistakes, however it’s worth mentioning just how important client relationships are – without clients, we don’t have a business!
The number one thing I’ve heard clients complain about is basic communication skills.
Not answering your messages?
Work-life balance is important. I never, ever answer client emails or texts on the weekends unless it’s an emergency. However, during the 9-3 hours Monday – Friday, I always answer emails within 24-48 hours. Even if I don’t “have an answer” for them in that time period, I’ll at least send an email letting them know I’ve seen it, am working on it, and when they can expect to hear back from me. This is one of the most basic skills to run a business and it’s amazing just how many of us fail in this alone!
Forgetting to update a client
Similar to above, even when I’m in the middle of a project, I try to update a client at least once a week, especially for larger projects that can span weeks or months. Even if it’s a simple “Hey just checking in, I accomplished X, Y, and Z this week!”, clients appreciate getting updated so they know you’re still on the ball and their project isn’t just sitting there forgotten.
The same goes for when you discover something that will hold up the project, or require extra hours/money to accomplish. Let them know as soon as possible and give them the option to move forward or nix that particular ask. You never, ever want to surprise a client come invoice time.
So many questions!
Personally I err on the side of too much communication. I’ve found it’s less work to ask for clarifications up front than to take your “best guess” and have to redo it later. This can definitely hold up a project, but it’s better to be clear on the expected deliverables than to send back something half done. I want to be absolutely clear on what the client wants before I do any work.
We all hate deadlines, but the world turns on them.
Forgetting to set a deadline
Clients want to know when they can expect the work to be finished. For every task I’m handed, I always give a price (or hours) and a timeline. “Sure I can do this for 3 hours and have it done by Friday”.
Sometimes the clients will ask for a deadline I know right off the bat I won’t be able to meet, whether from other projects, my own schedule, or just the impossibility of the deadline itself. It’s ok to push back, as long as you do so upfront. A simple “Unfortunately I can’t have that done for you by end of week, but I can have it done by end of next week!” If they need it right away, they might have to go to someone else, but they’ll appreciate the open communication (there’s that word again!) and they will come back to you.
Oops I missed that deadline!
We’re all human, it happens. Sometimes it’s the clients fault, sometimes it’s yours, and sometimes it’s just the universe’s. But before you miss that deadline, and as soon as you know you’re going to miss that deadline, let the client know.
If the missed deadline is because you’re waiting on something from them, let them know ahead of time that it’s going to cause you to miss the deadline. A lot of times, this will clear whatever log jam you’ve been waiting on, and if it doesn’t, you can’t be blamed for missing the deadline while waiting on them.
All work will have always have QA but there’s a difference between some design QA and a total rats nest of a deliverable.
Double checking your work
It’s hard to double check your work when you’re the one who’s been staring at it for so long. Personally, I struggle with this a little because I get so excited to show the client I’ve done a good job that I’ll completely forget to browser test or even add the mobile styles (oops!). Before you send them that link, be sure to double check:
- The finished site matches the design as best as possible.
- It works in all browsers.
- It works desktop to tablet to mobile.
Taking liberties between designs and development
Sometimes we’re handed a design that’s less than organized. Spacing may be widely inconsistent, heading sizes may be all over the place, heck, there may even be 5 different fonts going on in there. As a Type A person, I hate this so much. However, it’s what the client is giving you. If I notice these sorts of issues (or any other design won’t translate to dev issues), I bring it up right away. A lot of times the designs won’t mind if you even things up, but it’s best to ask first than to just do it and realize they’re pixel-anal and really do want the site to look like that.
Try to lead with an education first mindset, and then if they choose to ignore your advice, you can at least sleep at night knowing you tried!
Relationships are an art.
Like any relationship, client relationships take work. After a time, you build up a trust and rapport which makes it easier if something bad happens and a project goes terribly wrong. Keeping communication as open as possible helps temper expectations and leaves a clear timeline of the project’s choke points.
Managing your deadlines takes practice, as you have to know how long it actually takes to do something (always add in padding for oopsies!), but is a valuable skill to have. Don’t tell a client it’ll take 1 hour and then send them a 10 hour invoice!
Double-checking your work is often forgotten at the end of the project, especially when you’re excited to show the client the great work you’ve done, but it’s important to make sure those loose ends are tied up, and sending over work that requires minimal QA will always work in your favor!
Amber Weinberg
Amber is a freelance front-end developer specializing in semantic and accessible custom WordPress themes. She works with agencies and other freelancers to bring their designs to life using custom ACF flexible layout builds - making them more performant and less buggy while allowing the client easy customization without breaking the design system.