Web Design Client Follow-Up: Post Site Launch Strategy
If you’re a freelance web designer like me, it’s likely that you have read a post online and put into practice an ultimate checklist for launching a website.
While it’s very important to proof read your website, do cross browser checks and validate your code before launching, there are also some important steps that must be taken with your client post launch. In this article, we’ll focus on how to handle the post site launch client communication and how to develop a strategy for this stage of follow-up.
This post project client follow-up was something I had taken lightly in the past. When a site was launched I’d send an email to my client that basically said “Your website is up and running, please email or call with issues or any small changes you require”.
What’s wrong with this?
I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it, it lacks feeling and it lacks important information that the client should be reminded of. So I sat down one day and constructed a canned response template in my email that empowered the all mighty greatness of launching a website.
First, I had to jot down some important facets I wanted in the email. What did I want the client to know? What kind of feedback do I want from the client? So I came up with the following list:
- Provide for the Client. Provide the client with the tools they will need to access their site and the tools to help them in the event you cannot. This is when I provide the client with all their account passwords and login information. I give them awesome links like the WP101 Basix Training or WP Ecommerce Video Tutorials.
- Remind the Client. One of my services is offering a short term complimentary maintenance of any website I design and launch. In reminding the client that I will be maintaining it, this ensures that the client knows I will not work for free after the 30 days. This gives them a small window of time to check the site for any changes they require. Within the email the date is recorded so this helps ease any miscommunication.
