It seems that almost every other week, given the lightning-speed momentum of the web design and development industry, that new pitfalls crop up that can really make a developer’s working life a nightmare. Security issues, payment issues, coding issues…each of these can pose something of a headache for the unprepared or novice web worker. Making sure you limit or avoid these pitfalls is crucial.
As for how to go about your next project without falling into the abyss? Perhaps the following advice might be of some help.
Consideration, Restraint and a Realistic Outlook
A lot of developers promise the world to new clients expecting a rapid overhaul or revamping of an existing site. To the uninitiated, especially those with no experience in coding or front-end development, understanding the work and time-scale that goes into executing specific plans is very rudimentary at best. As a developer it’s your job to be restrained in your proposals, offering the best solutions that fit you and your client’s time-scales.
Too many projects go off the rails quickly when trying to accomplish a long-list of things all at once. Showing careful consideration in the planning stage can help overcome that. Keep a realistic approach to what you can achieve and build too.
Service and Client Payments
When it comes to perhaps one of the most important aspects of business, the exchange of money, working on the web can pose significant problems too. Making sure your clients pay on time and through reliable payment portals, as well as the payments you might make in your own outsourcing, is critical. Use reliable online payment services like paysafecard.com/en-ca/ at all times. Going down the other route, using untrusted or unfamiliar sites, can lead to your funds or those of your contractor’s, disappearing into thin air and putting a massive halt on the progress of your business.
Keep your payments safe and use a resource all parties trust.
Starting Afresh Each and Every Time
Approaching each project from scratch, going completely back to the drawing board with little to no resources compiled, is likely to waste both you and your client a lot of time. Instead, put some of the building blocks of a workflow in place and create a system by which you can approach each new spec. Whether that means building templates that are wire-framed and can be shown to potential new customers, or perhaps having a library of design solutions including CSS tricks saved somewhere that can be dropped into your code quickly and easily, these are the kinds of things that can help.
Not Networking
Many designers and developers tend to stay away from networking with a ferocious desire to lock themselves away in a studio and create. The truth is however, that business networking is an integral part of growing your client base and marketing your services, and doing a little of it as opposed to none can go a long way.
Use social networking to take the sting out of it too. Get active on LinkedIn to build a client short-list, source Twitter for design tips and avoid Facebook if you don’t want to limit your productivity.
Web design doesn’t need to be more complicated than it already is. Avoiding the aforementioned pitfalls can help keep your enthusiasm and business ticking over nicely.
