The document discusses best practices for managing WordPress client projects from start to finish. It recommends setting clear expectations upfront, using a project manager during development, and testing work thoroughly before delivery. It also stresses the importance of training clients, providing updates on progress, encouraging independence after launch, and following up after projects to ensure long-term success. The overall aim is to establish sustainable client relationships through open communication and meeting commitments.
I had a revelation about clients last month. I dreamed of a ceramics studio like this. So, after a lot of consideration, I started to put all the pieces together. I created a plan. I set a budget. I had the tools.
um we had a ways to go. So my friends and I, a bunch of nerds, set about the job.
It was taking forever, was nothing like the home renovation shows, and
tl,dr: it sucked. My friend Elena, her dad is a retired architect, and he wanted to help out. He literally offered his time and labor for free. So, one afternoon he comes over
so where do we stand today? we look legit, right? yeah, we’re not.
We need to stop vilifiying them. Overwhelming is easy. Appreciate all the decisions that have happened before a client even approaches you. They consider their needs, their budget. They get approvals. They propose to teams. There is no universal place or authority or governing body or certifying board that says "this is good design" or "these people are to be trusted". So many clients come to us burnt, or thinking they're budgeted realistically.
Good expectations are matching expectations. Contracts mean little. When you overpromise, yourself up to be unhappy. Reasonable timelines are flexible timelines with concrete deliverables. Don't underbid, always pad a reasonable margin. Discuss amortization of the website, the ongoing committments, the realistic cost of plugins and maintenance. Discuss the committments of blogging and updating.
Don't go in with assumptions- the favorite font or theme or plugin you've been waiting to use. Start each job with a fresh slate and really consider what clients need.
Use a PM.
translate
allows engineers to focus on code
can tell engineers what rabbit hole to chase down. dog with a bone
the school. turn each article into a post. makes it searchable, its turning away actual content. Well…. the art teacher delivers it as a PDF. So? Lets get a copy of it as before they print to pdf. Well, its done in photoshop, so we don’t have the right software. Well, lets just get the articles. This isn’t that hard. End, realized, no matter how many solutions, no one was ever going to put these artciles into WP. If I’d built it for the to do so, I’d be setting them up to fail, and by default, me too.
The importance of the UX, UI, Information Architecture process cannot be underestimated. Websites aren't merely what's above ground- their roots are below. They are a manifestation of processes and mindsets of things that take place at the organization. Understand those processes. Work with those processes and people. Don't steamroll people's mindsets and processes. Some will not change, regardless of our actions.
Build for the way people will use. ACF, CPT, Role Manager. Customize the dashboard. Limit options. Help people see the next step.
Between "deliverables" and client expectations is a huge chasm of misunderstanding. Engineers understand ideas as "how things are built" while clients understand ideas as "how I want it to work". There's a difference and it must be acknowledged.
Refuse to work outside the process. Workflow is a cascade. Scope. Sitemap/Funnels. IA. Design. Build. Q/A. Deploy. Test. Feed. Create checkin points, so there's no one over your shoulder. A date to show CSS, a date to show functionality.
Refuse to work outside the process. Workflow is a cascade. Scope. Sitemap/Funnels. IA. Design. Build. Q/A. Deploy. Test. Feed. Create checkin points, so there's no one over your shoulder. A date to show CSS, a date to show functionality.
Friendly is not the same as being friends. Show the scale: Immediate response/over explaining/chatty//non response. Acknowledge receipt, but wait to respond. Give yourself space to move away from the frustration, so you can stop and sit in the other person's seat and consider what they're looking for and why. Ask yourself "what will it cost me to give them this?" When you respond, remove adjectives.
Friendly is not the same as being friends. Show the scale: Immediate response/over explaining/chatty//non response. Acknowledge receipt, but wait to respond. Give yourself space to move away from the frustration, so you can stop and sit in the other person's seat and consider what they're looking for and why. Ask yourself "what will it cost me to give them this?" When you respond, remove adjectives.
Q/A is paramount. He who builds cannot Q/A. Use a PM. Test, test again, test again. Expecting bugs results in more flawless handoffs. Use github to log tickets.
1. Remember that clients forget. Don't dump hours of instruction on clients. Create short videos, add them to WP Help. Everytime you're asked a question, record the answer, add it to the help menu.
DOCUMENT. Don’t bury things, use bulletpoints. keep it short.
2. Stop teaching WordPress- teach to client workflow and process. Clients don't need to know what a post vs plugin is... they need to know how to conduct their business. Create timelines (every day, every week, every month, every year).