by Mike McKeown
Web designers jump at the opportunity to get new business, but there are certain types of clients that will cause your business more harm than good. Here are a few examples of clients to watch out for.
- The Budgeting Client – Businesses do need to make money and a good business makes effort to keep costs down to keep cash flow up, but clients that want to design a website on the cheap can be the most difficult to manage, often want to micromanage and do not value your work. Some even offer a percentage of their new business that will soon “make millions of dollars.” They say they will put a link to you on their site and it will be an internship, and the business you get from people seeing their site will make you rich. Run away from these clients.
- The Complaining Customer - Beware of the potential client that will not stop complaining about their old web designer. Sure some web designers are just no good and businesses decide to move on, but if the client is constantly badmouthing their last web designer it may have been the client’s fault and not the designer.
- The Late Client – This type of client will seem eager to get things done at the beginning. You discuss when the client will be forwarding the information for the site over to you and when it will be done. The client then is 6 weeks past the deadline on getting you the content, but they still want the site done in the same time frame.
- The Overachiever – This client wants his site to be Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, Digg, Youtube and Google all in one… for $1000. Pass.
- The “Web Designer” – This client claims to know how to build websites and they can do it themselves but they are just too busy. Usually this person created one site in Microsoft Frontpage 5 years ago. This client will usually critique everything you do, and not want to pay you much for the database driven site because you just “put text and words on a page” so it should only cost $50.
- The Number One Client – This client wants a site that is better than all of their competitors and wants to be listed number one on Google for “cheap movies” by the end of the week. Good luck pleasing this client.
- The Debtor – You finished what was covered under the contract but before they pay you they want “just a few small updates.” Don’t fall for this because you will end up doing “a few small updates” for the next 6 months, without getting paid.
- The Flashy One – This client wants a full site in flash with snowflakes, rainbows, unicorns all flashing in and out with background music that cannot be turned off. You don’t want this site in your portfolio.
- The Team – Initially one person contacts you about getting a website. Then they say you will be working with them, their spouse, their marketing director, their photographer, and their 16 year old employee who owns Photoshop. Everyone will be giving you different instructions for the site. There will be little communication between them and you will constantly be explaining to Person A about why you changed the picture on the homepage, which Person B requested.
- The Insomniac – This client never sleeps. They expect things from you at 3pm, 9pm, 12am, 3am, whenever they think of it. They think you are always on call for them 24/7 including holidays. This client will be your worst nightmare.
Keep this in mind when meeting with clients. A difficult to please client will take up a lot of your time, never be happy, and complain about you to all their friends. In the long run, it won’t be worth the $250 they want to pay you for 40 hours worth of work.
March 2nd, 2010 on 1:37 pm
#5 is the worst. Seen that type of client way too many times.
March 3rd, 2010 on 7:58 pm
#5 & #10 is the most common client i think personally. They want it for nothing and they want it now!
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March 4th, 2010 on 11:06 am
That’s how most of my web design clients tend to be, which is the main reason I’m gradually moving from making most of my income from website design for customers to making my sites more profitable.
June 6th, 2010 on 2:05 am
We stole this and slapped it on our site and included a link back to yours. Great stuff. You’ve written a lot of great articles. I’ll definitely start visiting your site often, looking for the new posts.
June 26th, 2010 on 9:53 am
Sounds good to me! Free exposure is always good in my book.
June 30th, 2010 on 12:56 pm
Hello from Albania.
I saw your 10 client types.
But I think you must add another one, the 11th.
There are many clients that have a business heritage from their parents or from big family.
But these clients took the control of the business and did not finish any university or college, they have finished only the high school.
I have been “tortured” with these clients for 600$.
When I took the money after 6 months I said to the clients I hope to not see you anymore…It’s funny now that I mention.
July 1st, 2010 on 4:05 pm
I’ve dealt with those people too. They think their smart because they own a business (where all they do is delegate responsibilities and take credit for the work) but often times they are some of the dumbest people I’ve run across.
November 15th, 2010 on 3:36 pm
I wish I could have read your post 40 days ago…
February 1st, 2011 on 4:23 pm
Great article!!!
February 17th, 2011 on 11:17 am
i had a #3, except replace 6 weeks with 6 months, and now hes told me hes bought himself 5 domains and needs 5 websites, 1 of which ‘has the potential to be a multi million pound website, but i wont have any money until its making money, so ill pay you then’.
personally, i think as soon as anyone mentions anything to do with ‘the next (twitter/facebook/…)’ or the sites potential to make millions its time to say goodbye
December 10th, 2011 on 5:46 pm
That would be counterfeiting, so no, it is not real. Only the federal mint can produce “real” money. All replicas must be marked as such or they’re considered to be counterfeits and the producer is subject to prosecution.
December 11th, 2011 on 11:57 pm
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