Running a successful website design business is more than designing great looking sites and closing the sale. It’s about fostering customer relationship, building referrals and keeping clients on board for years to come. Here are some tips to maintaining a growing relationship with your clients after their site is launched.
- Give them Access - Once you designed and launched a website it’s important that you give your client’s the keys to manage it on their own. Grant client’s login access with the ability to add and edit content, manage pages and view stats. Small businesses like to be in control of their own marketing with the confidence that you are there to help when they need it.
- Stay in Touch - Truth is, a lot of small businesses (and web designers) have a “set it and forget it” attitude when it comes to their website. While this typically means little to no work to you, it’s important to stay in touch with your website clients. Even a friendly phone call or email just to touch base will remind your clients of the personal level of service you offer.
- Provide Excellent Support - When a client does require assistance or have a question, it’s vital to provide excellent customer support. Whether it’s adding content on their behalf free of charge, responding to phone calls or emails in a reasonable amount of time, or being understanding about late payments, great service will win them over and keep them happy customers for years to come.
- Increase Value - Offer more than just answers to customer questions. Use your expertise to offer marketing advice, ideas for improvement and how to help grow their business online and through other channels. This not only offers you the opportunity to stand out among the competition but it also offers you the opportunity to cross-sell additional products and services you have to offer. Try this; schedule Quarterly Conference Calls with your clients to discuss their website and marketing. Use the time to review stats, offer ideas for improvement, explain how to make changes on their own, and discuss upcoming promotions to help boost their business.
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