| LED Digest 2326: Budgeting Client Relationships |
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================================================== The LED Digest Moderated Discussion List "Effective Online Advertising, Since 1997" Data > Information > Knowledge > Wisdom pair Networks: The LED's Web Host Hosting and Domain Registration from a Trusted Leader pair.com for Hosting | pairNIC.com for Domains ================================================== List Moderator: Published by: Adam Audette LED Digest adam, led-digest.com http://www.led-digest.com .............................................. January 16, 2007 Issue no. 2326 .............................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ====== NEW ====================== --== Opening PDFs in the new IE Browser ==-- ~ Kevin Condon "...Microsoft has been forced to update how ActiveX components behave in web pages." ==== CONTINUING ================= --== Saving Design Costs ==-- ~ Shaun Johnston "It's aversive training. Yet you come out looking good." ~ Veronica Yuill "Don't keep a dog and bark yourself..." ~ William Ernest Waites "This is not a new problem and not one confined to web design." --== An SEO Guide - is it Possible? ==-- ~ Nathan Holley "I'd wager there is more SEO knowledge available on the LED than Shari assumes." ~ Dave Mead "Maybe the thing we need is...more of a Wiki approach." ~ Steve Pronger "The LED Digest is all about open discussion." ========== NEW =================================== From: Kevin Condon Subject: PDF files affected by changes in Internet Explorer Due to the patent case with Eolas, Microsoft has been forced to update how ActiveX components behave in web pages. These changes to Internet Explorer have affected ways Flash files, MP3s and PDF open. For Flash, I have used a Java code that gets rid of the browser's need to activate a flash element I have dropped into the directory of my movies. <.script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" xsrc="NoIEActivate.js"><./script> For MP3s, I have created m3u - a file format that stores multimedia playlists and their location. It was originally implemented in Winamp and I think that is why it is working with IE. But I have not found a way around PDF files - does any one have any suggestions? Kevin Condon www.jazzles.com ======== CONTINUING =============================== From: Shaun Johnston Subject: Design costs > What do you do when people insist on too many > renditions of design elements, making the project > launch date later than expected, and going over budget? - Shari Thurow, LED Digest 2323 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1707/55/ What I think is the usual way of dealing with this is, you specify how many of each whatever the client gets free. Then you say additional whatevers will be executed only following acceptance of a change-order, sent by you and approved by the client, no work to begin until the change order is approved. You present this as a safeguard against costs soaring without the client being aware. The point is that the client is always too busy to sign these change orders, so the job slows to a crawl, the client gets mad because things are held up, you point out that it's because he hasn't signed a change order, he grits his teeth and gives you the OK, and he quickly learns not ask for any more changes, not because he resents the cost but because he resents the amount of his time involved. It's aversive training. Yet you come out looking good. Jobs go smoother with you than with other services who don't do this. It's no problem for you, it's no disruption of your procedure, if it's convenient for you you make the change, you just don't release it until you get the change order. It's how to be really, really helpful. Shaun Johnston -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Veronica Yuill Subject: Design costs > Ultimately the site is not about design - it is about the > client's business. Sometimes design elements should > defer to business decisions. With all due respect, I > think it is the client's decision as to the look and feel > of the site - not the designer's. - Lynne Diamond, LED Digest 2324 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1709/55/ Lynne had a horrible experience and I think her designer behaved in a totally unprofessional manner. But I can't really agree with the above. It's part of the job of a competent web designer to design a site that's appropriate for the business goals. You are paying them for their professional design skills, so it seems a bit perverse to then dictate the "look and feel" to them -- "Don't keep a dog and bark yourself," we say in the UK ;-) If a photo is perfect for the design but wrong for the customer then your designer hasn't properly understood your business goals. Web design isn't about just "looking nice" -- it's about supporting your business. Unfortunately there are quite a few web designers about that haven't understood that. From the other side of the fence, it can be really frustrating for designers when the client tries to pre-empt design decisions and come up with their own solutions. Jeff Croft has a great post about this that rings very true to me: http://jeffcroft.com/2006/nov/13/bring-me-problems-not-solutions/ Veronica Yuill http://www.archetype-it.com/english/index.htm -------- new post - same topic -------- From: William Ernest Waites Subject: Design costs In reference to the questions (and responses) about design iterations. This is not a new problem and not one confined to web design. As a practitioner of many years in the black art of advertising, I can affirm that every design project starts out with the same challenges. The client wants the designer's best thinking out of the box, but also has latent ideas about words and graphics, even about strategy and concept. If these issues are not surfaced at the beginning of the project, they will come back and bite both client and designer before the project ends - in my experience anyway. The only difference between print or broadcast advertising and web design, in this respect, is that the former projects have external end-dates - dates by which the work must be done, approved and produced - or the opportunity to use the design will have closed. In any case, however, the first step in any project should be a thorough review of capabilities and expectations at the get-go. The designer should not even start work until he or she has had a face-to-face with the client-who-can-approve (CWCA) to determine what that client is looking for. What is the strategy that the design must execute? What no-nos are there? What existing designs are liked and why? Next step is a clear contract that spells out what the designer will deliver, at what stage of the project, and at what cost. Most contracts I have been involved with have included one major revision and two minor revisions at no additional cost. These are built into the cost expectation by the designer, since almost every client will require this much "plus" work. It is important that the early stages of the design go through the review process with the CWCA to be sure the path followed and envisioned is the path the CWCA is expecting. Work going forward from there should be pretty much on track and subject to minimal revisions. Caveats: The contract should include a schedule of due and delivery dates, including the CWCA's responsibilities to meet and/or review the work. Without that, the CWCA can be delayed in approving (or asking for modifications) which set back the timetable. The CWCA usually forgets who was responsible for the delay. And since time is a designer's major cost, delays cost money for the designer too. Second, set a cost and turn-around-time for revisions beyond those included in the original agreement. When those events are encountered, issue a change order and get the CWCA to sign off on it - before proceeding. Bill the client at pre-approved stages and always for changes when they are requested, not after. Third, changes in strategy are not "revisions". They are fundamental changes in the direction of the design project. From my experience, a strategic change pretty much restarts the meter with a new agreement containing all the elements mentioned above. So, does this sounds like a lot detail to deal with? It is. But it is required to have a work environment where the CWCA gets what he or she wants, the designer gets compensated (and respected) and the project proceeds as smoothly as possible. If the CWCA doesn't agree, run for the hills as fast as you can. Let some other designer play in lion's cage. The CWCA has sent you a great big signal about how he or she will do business. Accept that signal at your own risk. Sincerely, William Ernest Waites, Eyewriter "Words that make pictures." (c) -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Nathan Holley Subject: SEO guide > To be perfectly honest, I don't think there > are enough true experts on the LED list to > come up with a really good SEO guide. - Shari Thurow, LED Digest 2324 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1709/55/ *clears throat* Is this post trolling for reactions? The rest of the response makes good sense, but I don't understand how you can make that comment. Especially in light of the fact that you're an author of a book on SEO. So you can (did actually) write a book on the subject of SEO, but the LED can't attempt a basic guide? There is no single person who can dictate absolutes in the SEO industry, in my view. There is no master adept. There's so much knowledge - you yourself admit that - that there's endless niches and levels of sophistication. Not everyone knows everything in SEO. Some know a lot, some know less, but we are all out here learning, sharing, trying new things (I hope). The discussion here has been about a *basic* search engine optimisation guide, one that covers fundamentals and not advanced techniques. I think we're okay on the LED with that topic, considering some of the posters who visit: Michael Martinez Bruce Clay Michael Motherwell Don Nelson Jill Whalen Shari Thurow (yes, even you :) Aaron Wall Eric Ward Adam Audette (I include you too :) Chris Nielsen Joel Lesser Steve Pronger John Smart Michael Linehan ... just a small sample of the group that could possibly provide feedback on the guide (just off the top of my noggin). And what about the lurkers? They might be able to help with anonymous contributions and feedback, if it was set up with online forms or wikis. I'd wager there is more SEO knowledge available on the LED than Shari assumes. Nathan Holley holleymoney, gmail.com -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Dave Mead Subject: SEO guide Maybe the thing we need is not really a guide (PDF, web page) but more of a Wiki approach. Something that is a living document that can be added to, amended and commented on in front of the visitor so they get the most out of the shared knowledge around the LED list. That way as trends and approaches change to with the way we, and the search engines, deal with SEO the Wiki will reflect that. Just an idea. Dave Mead DMWebsites.com -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Steve Pronger Subject: SEO guide > ... I don't think there are enough true experts on the > LED list to come up with a really good SEO guide. - Shari Thurow True expert? I suppose it depends on what your definition of a true expert is. Someone who talks the talk or walks the walk? I have a suggestion for a "really good SEO guide". Contributions must be backed up by real, actual case studies. Actual URLs with details of what keywords were targeted, what results were achieved and how they were achieved. After all, this is what small business clients really care about. Results. Long term, sustainable, results. Shari, who is apparently one of the few true experts on this list (the rest of us are spammers, apparently) might like to kick it off with what keywords she is targeting for for own site, what results she has achieved, and if they continue to be achieved.. > Those are my standards. They might be too > high for some people. They are not too high for me. By all means stick to your standards, but don't inflict them on the rest of of us. The LED Digest is all about open discussion. When it comes to SEO it doesn't matter what your level of education or training is, or whether you manage one site or thousands, because we are ALL just observers. I, for one, value input from anyone on this list. Mightn't always agree with you, but please, go ahead and say it, whether you consider yourself an expert or not. > And please, just email me or call me. > Don't make these false assumptions. I had a look at John Smart's post for the "assumption published as fact". Couldn't see it. I agree with what John is saying however. Again, LED is an open discussion forum. C'mon, Shari. Do you honestly expect anyone to email or call you before responding to one of your posts? Get off your high horse and lighten up a little. If you don't like what's written in response to your posts, don't post. Assume whatever you like from this post LEDers, and go ahead and post it. That's how open discussion works. Steve Pronger http://www.stevepronger.com ------------------------------------------------------- The LED Digest is sponsored by pair Networks: pair.com for Hosting | pairNIC.com for Domains The Archives: http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/126/120/ Subscribe: http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/52/77/ Unsubscribe, Change Email, or Hold / Resume Delivery: http://www.led-digest.com/content/category/4/17/86/ (c) Copyright 1995-2007 Orange Wheel, LLC. All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Judge not by the eye but by the heart." - Cheyenne |
