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.
- Sell to the Client. If you offer any services the client could use for after a website launch, now is the time to bring it up. I was a kitchen salesperson for five years, so I have a little voice in my head that pushes me to upsell to clients, which is useful for growing a freelance business. I want to offer my website maintenance packages in this post site follow-up email, just in case they want to hire me to upkeep their site in the future, .
- Reap from the Client. This is where I ask the client for feedback of my services. I want to know that the client was serviced above and beyond what they expected. I need to know if I had failed in any way as a service provider. Asking the client for a testimonial can be tough, but if you slip this request into a post launch client follow-up email, it improves the odds that you will get what you ask for.
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Make the Client Smile. It is a goal of mine that anytime I speak or write to a client that I ease up any tension they may be experiencing from their busy day. Find small ways to relate with your client, say something funny, say something encouraging.
Say anything that will break up that robotic feeling that may come from a long day of coding and designing. It can help your own self esteem when you cheer people up! It also reminds the client you are human, not just a computer nerd doing work for them.
- Link 1
- Link 2
- Link 3
And from this list, it made it easier for me to create my canned response template. For some odd reason, I felt it necessary to present myself in the third person. Maybe it took some of the pressure off my shoulders, I really can’t tell you why. But feel free to write your own template in first person if that’s what works for you.
Sample Template for Client Post Site Launch Follow-Up
Congratulations [client business name]!
Your new website at [client website] is now live and running on the Internet as of [date of release].
Maintenance
As part of your website design package, your new website has now been submitted to major search engines and you will be receiving a monthly report on the visitors to your website.
[Your company Name] will be maintaining your website for the next [30 days] as a complimentary service. During this time, please contact [Your company Name] if you notice any bugs, odd functionality or would just like something changed up a bit. If you require maintenance after this time, please contact [Your company Name] to discuss our website maintenance packages.
Tools
Attached to this email is your important account information. Please save this email and keep a printed version in a safe and private place. Here are a few links with easy to follow videos that will help you to understand your website a little better:
Service
If the service you received from [Your company Name] was top notch, please consider supporting her small freelance business by writing us a testimonial and referring her to all your friends and family. If the service wasn’t what you expected, please explain in detail so we can iron out any problems and create a better experience for you in the future.
Enjoy your new online business! It was a pleasure working with your eccentric and easy going company!
Note: You will notice that I highlighted “write us a testimonial” in the email template above. That is because I made it easy for the client by providing that text as a link to a form they can fill out for the testimonial/feedback.
How do you handle this stage of post project completion follow-up with your clients? Let us know in the comments below what has worked for you.
Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Discovod.
Leave a Comment
Thank you! This should be really useful to streamline our post-launch checklist.
Nice one!
Great article Donna. My first response, which anyone who knows me will appreciate, was “huh. Usually, I am so thrilled to finally have the client off my back and in my rear view mirror!”
Maybe with age comes wisdom or I’ve had enough coffee this morning but my well-stoked, sensei, little voice, said “your response says a lot about your lack of success!
”
I now realize that just because a Client drove you batshit-crazy during the project, does not necessarily mean this is their normal persona. Maybe, the process was so far out of their comfort zone, that a post-production, maintenance relationship might be a low-key, satisfying one. Now, that they are online and the pressure is off; they might be grateful and good for your financial future….
Excellent advice Donna, too often I see potential clients with a burned attitude. For example, I recently needed to buy mulch, I had bookmarked the web site and it forwarded me to a lawyer’s site. I initially assumed the guy went out of business. Then, I looked for his phone number, thinking he may be out of business but he still might have mulch to unload!
Long story short, his web site felt like servitude. The site cost him thousands and obligated him to a $200 monthly service fee! When, the economy feel, so did his business and his web master, who really felt like his master, simply cut him off and auto-forwarded his url to another client!
I tactfully told him I thought he was out of business. I also realized his webmaster had virtually screwed him good! He was unconcerned and and said he was going to return to yellow pages ads, they aren’t going to screw him. I smiled and watched him dump the $400 15 cubic yards of mulch and finally told him as I handed over my check:
“I’m not trying to get your business but I don’t have a landline, you’re just lucky I had your number in my address book.”
I then handed him a business card with “wordpress.com” written on the back. I told him that he could get a web site up for free pretty fast. He thanked me and said he’d give it to his son, they know computers.
I was pretty happy when he left. Happy because I realized that I do not want be website-rehab therapist anymore. Also, there has to be a better way to maintain a post production relationship. Firstly, avoid screwing you client. I have never treated a client like this but it does seem to be SOP around here…
Donna, this article was very timely and excellent advice for everyone, newbies and old warhorses!
This is a useful list, and key follow-up after any project.
One minor thing: you mention using the 3rd person, and I like how the company name is featured several times in the text – enforcing the business relationship with the client. However, your text wanders over into the 1st person a couple of times (“discuss our website maintenance packages”, “writing us a testimonial”) which can lessen the professionalism of the message.
Thanks for the great article!
Thank you so much for this. I am definitely going to start using this right away.
This is great! It’s simple, but something I’ve never taken the time to put together. When I finish web design for a client I am always just uhh here is a bunch of random information that I’m rambling about, hope I didn’t forget anything.
This is simple and great! Thanks for sharing!
This was a really interesting template you have here. I would add to it but its a nice start and also a good idea! Thank you.
My heart is incredibly happy to see this published. Must write some more today. I like this feeling. woohooo. And to the above comment from dan. yes. you are correct. I must have see about getting that part changed.
Thanks Everyone
Thanks for some great advice and for sharing your post-launch email template. I will definitely being thinking more carefully about how I handle post-launch in the future.
Thanks for this informative post. This is definitely great advice on how to provide the best service to your clients, which is extremely important to a freelancing web designer.
Huh, never really thought of a launch this way. Nice article.
Nice post! Appreciated, Your advice is useful for all to interact to client and to provide them better and better services.
Thanks for the post…
This is awesome information about something that some web designers forget about. I’m sure the customer would be very appreciative of the work put into the follow-up.
That is great work for us ! because we can make website in few minutes , and earn a lot of money
This is a wonderful post. You have provided with various ideas how to become a good web designer. You have also provided what designer should expect from their clients and what the client should expect from the designer.
Nice one.
These point are very helpful. It’s very important to show your value to your client even after the project is complete.
Having these points can truly eliminate any doubt or he says, she says. Once you provide detailed point to your client, they then know how to proceed
I really empress after reading this post and i got many those tips that are never keep in mind before and now i think after studying I have enough knowledge web design.