Free Targeted Website Traffic

Ben Scudder from Kansas -

How do you tell a client their site is bad? Am I the only one who has to work with a client in an ongoing project when the 800 pound gorilla in the room is that their existng site is awful?

I get frustrated when I am pouring premium composition into work that is going for a site that still is using text anchors.

Comment #1 Nancy from Los Angeles -

Prepare a sample to show the the possiblities.

Comment #2 Sapphire from Outer Space -

Without coming out and saying "your site sucks", try just making suggestions on what might work better. Start out like "that works, but have you ever considered doing...." you get the idea. Maybe they're open to suggestions. Give it a shot.

Comment #3 webferret from Irvine -

"Prepare a sample to show the the possiblities."

These replies are good answers to a common problem.

Sometimes though preparing a sample is overextending work on a project that is already skating on a thin edge between profit and completion burn.

Comment #4 Nancy from Los Angeles -

"Prepare a sample to show the the possiblities." Ok.. find a sample of someone else's website (non competitive) that is styled along the lines of what you would like to see for your project.

Present it in a manner that would help show how a change to a similar style would make that thin edge a bit thicker.

Comment #5 Brenda from The Beach Baby! -

I agree that you should just give them a heads up while being as nice as possible. Just say, "Hey, I think if you did this....it would look a little better and help business."

Comment #6 Dixie from Somewhere Over The Rainbow -

I think showing them someone else's site might offend them. I'd read that as "this is how you should've done it". I'd be more open to suggestions of things to try than I would be to having someone else's design presented to me as an example.

Comment #7 jennifer from Detroit -

I usually start by asking them how happy their are with their existing design and usually they say something like "well we like it, but we do have a few issues" or "there are a few things we'd like to change" which provides an opening for you to suggest some major changes. If they don't they'll still usually ask you why you asked that question and then you can just say nicely that you had a few suggestions in mind that could make it even better.

Comment #8 PokerPrincess from Hogstown, The Universe -

All of these suggestions are good. The best one I think though is to discuss with them some "great ideas" that you have been tossing around in your head that might really go well with their site.

Then when they ask throw out a few suggestions and say, you know, you probably have already thought of these things and if you would really like to try them I would be more than happy to help you get them set up.

Take the onus off of them and put the onus on yourself. Say things like you are off to a great start and I know I probably shouldn't be interfering in what you are doing but sometimes the juices just start flowing without my asking them to and I had an idea for "this" part of your site... what do you think about it or am I way off base.

If you attack them they will get their back up but if you even make it like it was their idea such as... you make a comment a while back and it has been boiling in the back of my head and you know what you had a great idea and I would be pleased to help you set it up.

Comment #9 Marcia from Arizona -

I definitely think you should show your client some answers to their "problems". Obviously be tactful in what you say but also provide a solution to the problem that you are seeing. Sometimes an outsider's critique is much helpful than their own.

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