Customer communication in business processes is a science in its own right and is important in every business sector. It is also in web development, and even more so than in any other field, because web development is a very creative process of creating a digital product that is tailored to the customer’s needs and expectations and that will shape an important part of their business process.

Over the years, I have managed many different web development projects, interacted with clients in many countries around the world, and based on these experiences, I have developed my own principles and working methods on how to interact with the client in the most effective way, in order to create a website that best meets the client’s expectations.

These experiences are generally usable in any municipality and hopefully can be useful for the good reader. Here are 10 steps you can take to encourage cooperation with your customers.

1. Make customer communication easy

When communication is so important, it makes sense to make it easy for customers to communicate with you. This means providing your customers with communication tools that they can use to reach you. This could include email addresses, phone numbers or even live web chat.
It also means that you should include an easy way for customers to reply to messages you send.

2. Be consistent and quick in your answers

Slow or inconsistent responses to customer queries often create communication barriers and hinder workflow. This creates mistrust among customers. However, when agencies respond quickly and consistently, this increases the trust of their clients. Allocate a timeframe for responding to clients that does not exceed 24-48 hours. In emergencies, respond more quickly. To build trust, stick to your rule.

3. Adapt good communication styles

Misunderstandings in communication often lead to breakdowns and poor cooperation. If your clients have difficulty interpreting your actions or intentions, they may become confused and even mistrustful. Make sure your communication is clear and concise. Stick to the point and use language that your customer can easily understand. Address their main concerns before raising other issues.

4. Invite clinicians to join your project management software

Many virtual teams rely on collaborative software to communicate and track tasks, project deadlines and milestones. In many cases, collaboration software platforms include a facility where all team members can get an overview of the project and task status. You can help customers monitor the project and get a clearer picture of the status of different tasks by adding them as guests to the project dashboard. Many platforms allow you to add guests who are not allowed to delete files or complete tasks and are therefore only observers.

5. Check what the customer sees

Clients don’t need to see all the details of the project work, such as preliminary drafts or draft notifications. Restrict your client’s access to a general view of the project. Many clients are happy to follow the progress of a project without knowing where every nut and bolt fits.

6. Set milestones for the project

There’s no better way to engage your customer than to show them that your project is making progress. So one of the best ways to do this is to set milestones and make sure the team delivers on them. Clients see the achievement of these milestones as progress towards project completion.

7. Neutering emails, online chats, platforms to communicate with your customers.

The success of a project depends on clear communication. This means that team members should be clear about the tasks they are assigned. Involving website owners in the tasks will make it easier for team members to interpret the client’s needs.

8. Give feedback to the client  on the work done.

It’s important to keep customers informed and make sure they understand what’s happening in the project at all times. Weekly or monthly progress reports can help to keep customers informed. Sharing files and any relevant data with clients also creates a sense of ownership and encourages them to get involved.

9. Track the time spent on your client’s project

One of the most controversial issues in projects is invoicing. Clients often feel they are being robbed, while team members feel they are working overtime on the project. The best way to ensure transparency is to track the time spent on client project tasks and the outcome of those hours. Invest in a time-tracking platform for your monthly payment and make sure team members are using it. It’s a solid metric to measure the time spent on a project.

10. Create a knowledge management base online

Throughout the project, a great deal of valuable information will be communicated between customers and the team in emails and other documents. It is easy for this information to get lost in the many emails and shared files. Therefore, it is important to create a separate folder in the task platform for valuable information such as the scope of work, meeting minutes, specifications and more. A task platform that can be easily searched and updated will prove invaluable when people need information both for clarification and for a complete overview of the current project.
Encouraging collaboration may not be easy, but it is worth every second spent on it.