LinkNow Media | Customer Reviews

The Web is Waiting For You

Month: April 2018

Keeping Clients Happy as a Designer

Personal Reviews

It’s a well-known fact that when creative people deal with non-creative people, it can be difficult on both ends. The client is usually coming from a place of not knowing what goes into the work their designer is doing most of the time.

Given these facts, it’s always important to remain calm, professional, and empathetic to the stance of your client. Telling yourself that the client is always right can get you part of the way, but learning how to work with your client and share ideas to create a productive environment is what will really sustain you throughout your career.

Tips for Success

As a designer, you’ve either spent years teaching yourself or being educated at a post-secondary school putting all of your passion and energy into the creative field that is design. Whether you’re a colorist, web designer, graphic designer, or one of the many other sub-sects of this area, it’s safe to say that your job is your life.

It’s unlikely you want that life to be a difficult one, so here are some tips to get through the day.

  1. Start the day right
  2. Before opening up your email and diving in, take a moment to meditate on the fact that the power is in your hands to discuss, educate, and create a final product that will both please your client and enhance your portfolio. You are the one with the knowledge, and as it was so famously stated by Uncle Ben in Spiderman: with great power comes great responsibility.

  3. Stay open to suggestion
  4. There’s nothing that will put a stop to cooperation faster than a closed mind. If your client approaches you with an idea that you believe to be impossible, take a moment before responding and figure out the best way to execute that idea in a way you see as doable. There’s no such thing as a bad idea. Even the most frustrating suggestions can lead to real results.

  5. Learn about the brand
  6. By learning about your client’s business you can better invest yourself in the work you’re doing. If you care about what you’re creating just as much as your client does, beyond the purely creative point, you’ll find it a lot more exciting getting to work!

  7. Communicate
  8. The most important thing you can do is communicate. Don’t move ahead on any aspect of the project without checking in and making sure that where you’re at right now is good. You will still have clients who may change their minds, but you can minimize that through communication.

    Keep Calm and Carry On

    When two people from vastly different backgrounds come together to work on a project, there will inevitably be problems. As a designer, it is your duty to help your clients through the creative process as you collaborate to create a final result.

    By keeping in mind that you hold all the information and have the ability to share it, you can take on a calm and confident role in all of your business relationship and continue to enjoy your job!

When Reviews Get Personal

Personal Reviews

When we talk about online reviews we often discuss businesses with multiple people at play—the owner, partners, employees, and clients walking through the door whether that be a physical one or an online one.

But what if you’re the sole-proprietor of your own small business, or a freelancer working for larger companies? Then things start to take a more personal turn on the topic of reviews. As the primary figurehead of your business, the only owner, and the only employee, it’s going to be nearly impossible to separate the actions of yourself from the work you do.

While many freelancers will not open themselves up to online review in the classic sense, if you are the owner of your own online storefront, that’s not an option you’re going to have.

When the Face Impacts the Business

Businesses like NastyGal and Lime Crime may have a multitude of employees, but they make for good case studies when it comes to showing how the face of a business can impact its sales.

NastyGal

By now, many in the retail world know the story of the rise and fall of GirlBoss Sophia Amoruso. But we’re going to point out a situation that happened before the official launch of NastyGal.com, back when NastyGal Vintage was a not-so-humble eBay store.

Marking up thrift store finds from $8 to $1,000, Amoruso started garnering the disapproval of other vintage eBay sellers. Not content to ignore them and continue on her way, she would delve into chatrooms to argue with and troll fellow sellers. The result? They banded together to get her store shut down.

Now, while this gave her the push to launch her multi-million dollar .com, it was a low point that displays how getting personal can bring you into the spotlight and ensure that simple seller jealousy turns into a personal vendetta with a lot more power behind it.

Lime Crime

As of 2015, Lime Crime was labeled “the most hated beauty company on the internet” by a multitude of online bloggers. Right from the start, the brand was founded by Doe Deere who already had popularity online through LiveJournal, which as it turned out would both help and hinder her brand.

When you’re an online personality, there’s dirt for people to dig up, and being in the blogosphere, there were a lot of people on the lookout for Deere’s first slip-up. And dirt was indeed dug up.

And, amidst news of Deere threatening legal action against a 13 year-old for photo credits, repackaging her makeup, and dressing as a Nazi for Halloween—how did Deere react? She got deeply involved in the conversation even suing multiple bloggers.

Lime Crime is a textbook case of a company face tarnishing the reputation of a good product.

In Conclusion

The message to keep in mind if you are the owner of your own small business or you work freelance for larger companies, is to remember that you are your business.
Especially in the age of the internet, people are always watching. And while that may seem creepy, it’s a good thought to keep in mind. As a business owner, you now represent that business at all times. So, try not to wear offensive Halloween costumes and sue your critics. It’s the least you can do.

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