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jcmarchi · 1 month

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Clients Are Demanding More Web Design Freedom

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Clients Are Demanding More Web Design Freedom

Web designers love to client-proof their creations. It’s all about preventing a rogue client from mucking up a layout or feature. After all, everyone’s happy when things look good.

The practice keeps those technical support requests to a minimum. Or at least it did.

These days, it seems like clients are eager to experiment with design. The more we lock down features, the more frustrated they get. It’s been a growing trend in my freelance business.

I often receive design queries from clients. They want to know how to create specific layouts. Or how to embed video or other third-party content.

It marks a change from how things used to be. So, why are clients suddenly interested in doing it themselves? I have a few theories! I also have thoughts on what we can do to meet this need.

There’s a Higher Standard for Web Design

Today’s clients are avid web consumers. Some have grown up alongside the internet. Therefore, they possess a different set of sensibilities.

The web used to be a novelty. The clients I served 10+ years ago weren’t as attuned to user experience (UX). If anything, they asked for features that went against the grain in this area.

Sure, I still get requests for such features. But they have decreased significantly.

I more often hear from people who want to replicate a specific look. They want a page layout similar to a big brand or competitor.

True, they may want these results on a much smaller budget. But they have an idea of how a website should look and work. And it’s miles away from the clunky designs of yesteryear.

Clients are surrounded by better design. And they want the same for themselves.

No-Code Tools Are Promising a Better Experience

We’ve witnessed an influx of browser-based design tools in recent years. Proprietary systems like Wix market themselves as do-it-all solutions. Even open-source apps like WordPress have gotten into the game with its Site and Block Editors.

The message is that anyone can build a website. Sure, the reality may be blurred (and there’s no mention of quality). But these tools have raised the bar of expectation.

For some website owners, having a site is no longer enough. They also want to create content and personalize the look. Empowered clients, yay!

However, this is a less-than-ideal situation for web designers. We want our clients to accomplish great things with their sites. But there’s a price to all of this newfound freedom.

These tools make building a custom layout easier. But things can get out of hand rather quickly.

I’ve seen this with the WordPress Block Editor. There’s a lot to love about it. However, it doesn’t guarantee success. Those unfamiliar with design can paint themselves into a corner.

For example, building layouts that are hard to maintain. Or accidentally dragging a block into the wrong space. All good for our job security. Not so much for our mental health.

Yes, anyone can build with a no-code tool. But it still takes careful thought and foresight to do it well. That’s why locking things down is still so attractive.

What Should Web Designers Do?

We want to keep our clients happy. Plus, there’s only so much lecturing we can do. So, how can we provide the flexibility clients want while also safeguarding their site?

There are a few ideas that come to mind:

Build with Flexibility in Mind

I’m a very purpose-driven designer. I like to build features that match a client’s stated needs. But sometimes, that leads to inflexibility.

A client will attempt to use a feature in a way that I didn’t intend. The result is often a frustration for both parties.

The lesson here is to build with flexibility in mind. Consider other ways a client may use a feature. Then, provide options for making it work.

Custom WordPress blocks are a good example. Instead of creating a block with a singular layout option, go the extra mile. Add column and row layouts. Allow for different types of content to be input.

These little steps can mitigate issues down the road. Clients won’t have to think outside the box – they’ll already have everything they need.

Invest in Client Education

Design tools are more powerful than ever. That’s a good thing. However, a well-intentioned client could use them to cause havoc.

When people know better, they do better. Thus, education can be just as powerful.

Sit down with clients and teach them the basics. Provide documentation that spells out best practices and things to avoid.

Granted, not everyone has time to do this. In that case, you might employ a third-party resource to help. Curate a list of videos and tutorials to put clients on the right path.

Again, prevention is the best medicine here.

Lock Down What You Can

None of this means we should stop locking things down. A client-proof website is still a noble goal. We might have to be more selective, though.

Tools like the WordPress Block Editor include a locking feature. You can use it to prevent those unintended consequences. Adding block patterns could also satisfy the need to create custom layouts.

You might also seek to limit user permissions. If there’s an area that a client should never touch – don’t give them easy access.

Think about the site’s most mission-critical aspects and act accordingly.

Web Designers Need to Meet Clients Where They Are

Today’s web design clients want to do more with their sites. Sure, they want us to build them something beautiful and functional. But they also want the ability to do it themselves.

There’s no going back on this. The cat’s already out of the bag. Thus, we need to adjust to match these expectations.

We can achieve this through a bit of foresight. Anticipate how clients will interact with their website. Build features that can withstand whatever they throw at it.

We’ll still make mistakes. Plus, some clients will be prone to mishaps. However, these experiences are learning opportunities. Take them and keep evolving. After all, our clients aren’t slowing down.

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meganwilhoit · 1 year

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Digital Retailing: Understanding and Communicating with the E-Consumer.

Over the last few years digital retailing and e-commerce have been steadily increasing. And then with the COVID-19 pandemic and months of lockdown, e-commerce has skyrocketed. In 2022 the United States' eCommerce surpassed one trillion dollars (Clark, 2022) and holds roughly an 11.27% annual growth rate (Statista, 2022).

Hi, my name is Megan Wilhoit I am a digital marketing student at Davenport University in Michigan, and I am a consumer. I am lucky enough to come from a generation who grew up with technology as an aid to my life and have it not consume my life. Because of this, I was able to see how retail has changed over the years for the average consumer. I get to see firsthand how new technology is impacting our lives, whether that is an advantage or disadvantage. And as someone who is is wanting to go into digital marketing, getting to experience how digital retail affects consumers and how they shop is super important.

I remember the days when if I couldn’t find something at Meijer, I would go to a different store or find the next best alternative. But now we live in a world where if I don’t see a specific product in store, I go straight to Amazon, or that store's website, and order it to be at my doorstep in one day. Over the last 23 years, I have gotten to witness the fantastic advantages e-shopping has brought to e-consumers. But I have also gotten to see the disadvantages that come with e-shopping for consumers. And when comparing the advantages and disadvantages, it makes me start to wonder how “great” e-shopping really is for the average consumer.

One of the most common advantages I have seen is the convenience e-shopping has brought to consumers. Like I stated before, I remember the days when if something could not be found in-store, you would have to go to a different location or store to find the product or you could maybe order the product online. But now with e-retailing, consumers (like myself) can purchase products from anywhere online. I don’t need to go in person to look for a product. Also, online retailers such as Amazon, have even made the online purchasing environment even easier, using “buy now with one click” options, saving your address and payment information for future purchases, and easily being able to re-purchase goods you have bought in the past. With these benefits, consumers are also not having to put in as much effort and thinking when it comes to buying. These benefits are focused more on non-perishable items, but e-retailers have even been bringing grocery shopping online. With companies such as Shipt, Instacart, or grocery stores' online grocery shopping applications, consumers can do their weekly grocery shopping from the comfort of their homes or during breaks at work. Consumers can even schedule when they want their groceries to be delivered and schedule future grocery shopping for their most common items.

The convenience of e-retailing can also be viewed from a location standpoint. E-retailing can put consumers in contact with brands all across the world, or just help consumers reach retailers who don’t have a physical location near them.

Two personal examples of location convince that come to mind are 1, I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am fortunate enough to live near many malls and shopping centers, but one huge company I don’t have nearby is IKEA. With my current financial situation (being a college student and only working part-time), I cannot afford to purchase expensive furniture (even if it will last me longer). So using IKEA can really help save me money. And with e-retailing, I am actually able to purchase their products without having to drive the two and half hour journey. IKEA even offers a “design” feature on their online store where consumers (such as myself) and design out how furniture will fit and look into space. Without e-retailing and its features I would have to truly envision a space with furniture, measure out the open spaces, write a list of these measurements, and still have to make an almost 3-hour car ride to a store where the products in mind may not even be in stock. E-retailing has been able to completely cut out these inconveniences for consumers online. My other personal experience deals with local businesses. Every year I go to Mackinac Island. On the island, there are so many cute local shops and boutiques, and I love looking through them to get gift ideas. With e-retailing I can now take their business cards home with me and still be able to purchase their products from my hometown of Grand Rapids, instead of having to make the purchase the exact moment I am on the island. E-retailing has made connecting with local businesses online plausible.

Some other advantages e-retailing has brought consumers are the variety of products or “breadth and depth” as well as the personalization of products. Online stores are able to hold a much larger stock of products for consumers than a traditional store can hold. This allows of consumers to have much more variety in styles, sizing, colors, etc. Also with online shopping, personalizing individual products is much easier. Whether that orders a custom-sized couch to fit a specific living area or customing a pair of Nikes to your significant other's favorite colors. Another area of personalization online retail stores has been able to add sections such as “customers also bought”. Consumers can use these features to find other products or brands similar to what they already have purchased while having this feeling of personalization with the company.

The last “common” advantage e-retailing brings to consumers is the pricing and the ease of product comparisons. Pricing has been found to be cheaper through online retailers because “online retailers may have fewer overhead costs” (Kelly and Baker, 2022), as well as the ease of finding coupon codes and extra sales. Also with the ease of e-retailing consumers can easily compare prices of specific products on different websites to see which site is going to give them the best deal. The same thing goes for products. For me when I think of when I want to buy a dress for a more formal occasion. I can now use the Internet to not only find different brands but also compare their prices, reviews, and style options before making my final purchase. There are also even websites and apps that will compare prices for items for the consumer. The most common occurrence of this I think is comparing airline prices through travel agencies such as Trivago and Google itself.

Although e-retailing has brought consumers so many amazing advantages and conveniences, e-retailing also brings consumers some disadvantages.

One common disadvantage is the lack of security and the fear consumers feel about their information being stolen. For major brands online stores, consumers may feel more comfortable inputting their information, but for smaller or newer brands consumers may have a fear of having their information stolen. And if businesses do not input proper safety measures for this secure information, consumers' personal information can be stolen they will no longer want to shop from that specific e-retail store. I have never had my information stolen through online retail stores, but I am extra careful of what websites I input this information just for extra precaution. Another large disadvantage consumers face with online shopping is the lack of personal interaction. This social interaction can help consumers build loyalty to a brand. I also know from personal experience I really enjoy the interaction in traditional retail stores so I can receive a second opinion from “the expert”, and when purchasing more expensive items such as furniture, it is nice to get that expert opinion and see what they have to offer and if they can make any recommendations, and this cannot be done easily through e-retailing.

Some other disadvantages that customers face with e-retailing (and I have personally experienced) are delivery times can be extremely long or customers have to pay extra money to have products delivered sooner, issues with online refunds, and not being able to actually use our five senses to buy products on the e-retail store.

Customer reviews are one feature of online retailing that I have seen to be an advantage AND a disadvantage for customers. As an advantage, it gives customers a better idea of how products look (with real-life customer images), how materials hold up, and overall how other customers like the product. This can help influence a customer's purchase decision. From my experience, I always read customer reviews before an online purchase now, and if I read any bad reviews I either don’t purchase at all or I have to really think about if I want to make this risky purchase. But I also view customer reviews as a disadvantage sometimes. For starters, some products can have really mixed reviews and it doesn’t help a customer in determining if they want to purchase the product. But also today brands use “influencer marketing” so much more, they pay “influencers” to talk good about their products and promote them, and will even give out sales codes for the influencer's audience to use. With this, it’s hard to tell what reviews are based on personal experience or if they're just being paid to leave good reviews. One example of this that I have seen is with the Beis Weekender Bag/Tote. This product was heavily advertised on TikTok over the last 6 months or so. Every influencer was raving about it and calling it “the best travel bag ever”. Then the average consumer started buying this bag but realized this bag sucked for travel (especially flying). So through these “deceiving” reviews, consumers wasted their money on a product that doesn't actually do its job and this reflects poorly on the brand itself.

References

Clark, D. (2022, June 14). » US Ecommerce Will Cross $1 Trillion in 2022 eMarketer Newsroom. Insider Intelligence. Retrieved January 18, 2023, from https://www.insiderintelligence.com/newsroom/index.php/us-ecommerce-will-cross-1-trillion-in-2022/

Eleonora Pantano, Bang Nguyen, Charles Dennis, & Sabine Gerlach. (2017). Internet Retailing and Future Perspectives: Vol. Second edition. Routledge.

Kelly, R. (2022, November 8). Is Shopping Online Really Cheaper? The Balance. Retrieved January 18, 2023, from https://www.thebalancemoney.com/is-shopping-online-really-cheaper-939778Statista. (2022). eCommerce - United States. Statista. Retrieved January 18, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ecommerce/united-states#key-players

#marketing #digital marketing #e-retail #onlineshopping #consumers #ecommerce

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