I have been doing freelance web design for a little while now. I think about maybe...8 years or more. It has made me some pretty good money that has given some padding in the checking account. However, I am beginning to wonder if I want to continue doing this.
The main problem, customers don't know what they want. And all that matters to them is their Google ranking. Don't care about how the page is laid out and how it is W3C compliant. However, as soon as the page goes live, if they search for something about their business and they are not number 1, then they call me and ask me why. Not much I can do about it really. I'm not a SEO professional.
Maybe I'm not a "people person", I don't know. But what I do know is that I am starting to wonder what to do...
I'm pretty sure they call it "Mid-life Crisis" my friend. And, not to make bad sound worse, but I tell my employees to think about it like this: We run into a lot of ignorant Customers, not stupid, just ignorant of what they want and are able to have. These Customers aren't professional shippers and freight transporters...we are. If our Customers were professional shippers and freight transporters, they wouldn't need us, and they would continually tell us what to do or not use us at all. Their ignorance pays our bills and gives us all jobs. Learn to love the ignorant.
ReplyDeleteVery good point. I guess I should clarify what I mean a bit better. I actually never thought I would have anyone read this stuff LOL.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that "Their ignorance pays our bills..." And I really like that. I do some computer repair and if it wasn't for someone's ignorance (i.e. clicking on that link they shouldn't) then I wouldn't be able to charge them.
When I do web design and I present a proposal to someone and they accept the design, then they see it and they want a lot of stuff changed. In the middle of working on all these changes (that they think should be a quick fix) they are calling me every 2 hours wanting to know why I haven't finished. This is where I get annoyed.
The problem once again comes from their ignorance. Moving something from one spot to another, may be a large undertaking. To the customer, they think it's no big deal. I try to explain what is involved and that it will take some time. Doesn't seem to do much good.
So, in short, it's not really that the customers ignorance bothers me, it's that they don't seem to listen to me. I am not here to "steel" their money, but I also don't want to have to re-do everything a million times with them calling and email every 2 hours wanting to know when I'm going to be done.
Hope that makes it more clear. Maybe clear as mud!