I know, I know—who has free time anymore? But perhaps there’s a slow period in your work, where you aren’t inundated with projects. What’s the most productive way to spend that time?

Sure, you could busy yourself with small, insignificant tasks or old emails that don’t really matter anymore; but ultimately, that’s not productive—it’s just a way to pass the time.

Here are four activities that can help you evolve as a web project manager, recharge your batteries, and put in you in a ready state for the next onslaught of calls, meetings, and web work.

Review Past Projects

The world seems to be powered by forward thinking, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But there are times when you need to stop, catch your breath, and look back to where you’ve come from. A lull in projects can give you the opportunity to do just that.

In looking back at your past projects, take time to review both the big and little things. By big, I mean the overall success (or failure) of the project, including what went right, what didn’t go right, what milestones didn’t pan out, and so on. For the little things, do your homework—research the total estimated time it took to complete the project, analyze the financials to see if you were over or under budget, and go back to old client correspondences to identify any patterns of good (or bad) communication. You may even want to follow-up with clients to collect post-project feedback—always a source of excellent information.

I also recommend checking out the Web Project Debrief, which is a free download. You can use this document to quickly record end-of-project sentiments and facts, and it can serve as a great skim-through when your miles down the road.

Work On Your Workflow

People are known to be satisficers. Satisficing is the process of finding a near optimal—but really just adequate—solution.  Adequate solutions are not the best, but they work.

On the flip-side is maximizing, whereby you give it your all to achieve the best possible solution. Maximizing may be impossible (is there ever a perfect solution?), but it’s an exercise worth practicing during downtimes—especially with your workflow.

Dust off any old document templates, workbooks, or procedural guides you may have and turn a sharp eye on them. What can you update? What can you remove? More importantly, what can you make more efficient? Or take a look at the software you’re currently using. Are there better solutions out there?

Don’t settle for a workflow simply because it’s worked in the past. Spend some time every so often critiquing it and finding ways to make it flow even better.

Take a Break

Even the Energizer Bunny needs a new battery at some time. And so do you.

If you can anticipate a slow down in project work, schedule a vacation or time away from the office. Going full bore on projects for an extended period of time can induce delirium, which leads to poor team and client relationships.

If your work isn’t as predictable as you’d like, then prepare a list of activities you can jump away to when the project valve suddenly tightens. Maybe this is a trip to the city, or a hike into the mountains; whatever the case, get away—and stay away from computers!

Hone in on Your Skills

You won’t become (or stay) the best at what you do by working endlessly. Excellence requires knowledge, and expanding your knowledge demands a concentration of effort.

Instead of tinkering on small tasks during a slow time, grab a book on HTML5 or read up on responsive web design (or whatever the latest trend is). This is valuable knowledge that you need to absorb if you want to stay on top of your game. And applying newfound knowledge in your projects will trigger better results.

I find weightlifting to be a good parallel to this topic. If you train with weights—and are serious about it—then you’re probably pushing each session to varying levels of intensity. However, if you keep doing that, you’ll find a plateau, meaning you can’t lift above a certain threshold anymore. A common tactic is to de-load, which is the process of reducing the amount of weight you lift for a short while. This allows your muscles to recuperate and lets you still get a workout.

Downtime between projects is similar to a de-loading period. You need a break from projects, but you don’t want to completely stop working (though sometimes a good break is the most beneficial activity). Choose less intense activities to fill your workflow and you’ll come back to your projects refreshed and recharged.

But before wandering to the next project, you should take a moment to reflect on what you just spent the last few weeks or months working on.

What did you take away from the project? What errors did you make that shouldn’t be repeated in other projects? What did you do right that should be repeated? These are questions I posed to myself recently after wrapping up a project. I sat at my desk, wondering about the answers and trying to determine how best to capture my thoughts.

So I decided to create a quick, one-page Web Project Debrief document. The purpose of the document is to allow a project manager or freelancer to swiftly record the basic outcomes of a project. Anything longer than a page and I know I’d never fill it out. And keep in mind—I designed this document to serve as a sort of cover sheet for the data you should be recording in systems like Basecamp and Harvest over the project’s lifespan.

The Essential Web Project Metrics

Below are the fields I built into the document, which I felt were the most important metrics to log. With limited real estate on a one-page document, I had a tough time narrowing it down to the essentials, but alas, here we are:

• Total Project Hours: How many hours did it take to get the project done?
• Delivery Time: From the proposal signing to the website launch, how many weeks elapsed?
• Start Budget: What was the paid for budget of the project?
• Team Members: Who were the primaries on the project?
• Client Stakeholders: Who on the client-side was responsible for the project?
• Project Grade: Grade your project using a basic academic letter, or design your own grading system.
• Project Overview: What was the project all about?
• Client Frustration: At what points during the project did the client become most frustrated?
• Client Elation: When did the client become most elated?
• Major Delays: What items or events held up the project?
• Budget Add-ons: Were there any change requests during the project?
• Client Feedback: What did the client say after the web project was finished?

The Project Grade: Did You Pass or Fail?

Imagine yourself in grade school. The teacher hands back your term paper. It got a ‘D.’

You basically failed.

While you’ll be grading your own projects, choosing a simple symbol to show whether you succeeded or failed with a project is an exercise in honesty. But that honesty pays some nice dividends.

And just like that term paper you got a ‘D’ on, you’d want to take a second, third, and probably fourth look at any project you grade harshly. It’s a mark of failure—and an indication that you must improve.

Without this grade, you’re flying blind. If the teacher never graded any of your papers, do you think you’d have improved in school?

Avoid Client Frustration, Repeat Client Elation

Figuring out when the client was most annoyed versus when they were most happy should be an obvious metric. We want to avoid those frustrating moments in future projects. Likewise, we want to repeat the happy moments.

By recording the instances of these emotions, we can keep a log of what we’re doing right and wrong. Perhaps you keep noting the same frustrations over and over. Let’s say, for example, it has to do with too many errors with the website after launch. You know now that something with your process needs to change—and you have the documentation to back it up.

Or perhaps clients are constantly surprised (in a good way) at how fast your turnaround is on designs. You want to nurture that behavior. Reward your design team. Or see how you can replicate that success for other parts of your projects.

Using Budget Add-Ons to Increase Future Project Revenue

Budget add-ons—or change orders—is a great way to take the pulse of your client’s desires.

Maybe your base projects are selling well, which is always a good thing, but you could be leaving money on the table. By keeping a record of the various budget add-ons that occur during your projects, you’ll be able to gather a list of solutions clients are requesting in addition to your base projects.

For instance, if you note “Facebook page customization” as an add-on for five of the last ten projects, then you know immediately what clients want. Build that into your base project and charge more for it. Sure, clients may request it regardless later in the project process, but you could be missing out on larger deals if you don’t mention these add-ons upfront.

Download Your Own Copy of the Web Project Debrief

I consider this a working document, meaning it’s at version 1.0, and I plan on fine-tuning it as I discover new metrics worth tracking.

The document is available as a PDF download. You can fill it out in the PDF, or you can print out a copy and scribble your notes in with a pen. Despite being surrounded by computers nearly all day, I actually prefer printing a copy to write on. Nothing beats a tangible document that you can lift with your hands.

Also available for download is a sample document with a fictitious client and project in case you aren’t clear on what the fields mean.

• Download Web Project Debrief 1.0 (PDF, 1mb)
• Download Sample Web Project Debrief (PDF, 250kb)

What Metrics Do You Consider Essential?

Finally, as I continue to develop this document, I’d be curious to know what metrics you absolutely must know after a project is complete. Leave a comment, and I’ll consider including it in the next version!

But given how valuable time is, why do we allow it to pass so casually? Shouldn’t we track and understand where it’s going?

The obvious answer: yes. At least for our web projects.

Why Time Tracking?

There used to be a point where I wouldn’t track any of the time I’d spend on a project. Time tracking was too much of a barrier to my creative process. So I’d jump into a project and begin the work, and hours would pass, but no big deal – the mission was accomplished.

And here’s why I was wrong – and why I completely changed my time management habits.

Time is a valuable resource

When we have something that’s valuable and tangible – like money – we tend to be good at tracking it. We use budgets and bank accounts and forecasting spreadsheets to see where every penny is going. That knowledge and persistence is what makes people successful.

So why shouldn’t the same be done with time?

Time is worth more than money, because once time is gone, it’s gone for good. Money can always be found again.

Therefore, it only makes sense to treat time with the same diligence that we show our money. During the working day, a smart businessperson can tell you what they did, how much time they spent on it, and how it contributed to the success of the business. Web project managers and web designers should adapt the same philosophy. How much time was dedicated toward what projects? Chances are you know how much money is in your bank account.

Making more time out of wasted time

There must be gold in here somewhere

Tracking time spent on business and projects is like exercising. At first, you may find that you’re slow and inefficient, and it may take your body a long time to finish a routine, but when you get into the groove of things, and your body becomes more accustomed to the routine, you’ll find yourself exercising more efficiently as your speed and strength increase. And if you’re smart and you track your exercising, you’ll be able to see these improvements and identify where further enhancements need to be made

Your time is no different. Once you start tracking it, you’ll see a bloat of inefficiencies. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, because now you’ve seen the light. You can work toward creating more time by eliminating the waste.

A worldly view of all projects

Having a solid grasp of what you and your team do during the business day means tracking all time spent. I don’t mean the time used to go to the restroom or to drop a letter into the outgoing mail. Generally, anything that will take more than five or ten minutes should be tracked.

Provided a good time tracking system is in place, you’ll have data. Good data. Data you can pull up in an instant to see where time is going. All of this gives you a clear picture as to how your projects are doing and what resources are going where.

How to Time Track

Even this guy can track time

Finding time tracking software isn’t difficult. There are tons of applications out there, and many project management systems incorporate some element of time tracking. However, finding software that will work efficiently within your project environment isn’t so easy.

To be effective, time tracking software must flow seamlessly from system to system. So essentially it needs to be web-based. Widget support is also a must – the software should be able to tie in with other platforms. For example, Harvest is a web-based application that connects with Zendesk for support ticket time tracking (on a side note, I’ve always highly recommended both Harvest and Zendesk).

There are several layers to consider in the realm of project logistics and time tracking:

• The Client: Any client you are actively completing work for should be in the system.
• The Project: The next layer is the specific project. Some clients may have more than one project happening, so for organizational purposes, it’s wise to keep them separate.
• The Tasks: Within each of the projects should be a cookie-cutter list of tasks, such as client communications, meetings, web design, web development, and so forth. The list should be generalized to the point that it can be applied to most projects, making it simple to setup and monitor projects without having to ask what you need to track each time.
• The Team: The final layer, and this doesn’t really fall in any particular order, is the people working on the project. Each project should be assignable to one or more team member, and ideally, roles should be defined (such as project manager, web designer, web developer).

With a system this granular and flexible in place, resource and time tracking is not complicated, and there’s a built-in measure of accountability.

When implementing time tracking with a workforce, one possible bad perception is that you’ll be seen as a micro-manager. That’s obviously not the case (I hope). If time tracking is a new concept to a team, it’ll take an honest explanation of why the system is being used as well as the promise that you won’t be looking over shoulders every five minutes. Time tracking should be seen as a benefit to the team and as a way for everyone to improve without the potential for punishment hanging over their heads. Of course, slackers will need to be rooted out, but that should entail a gradual process, which isn’t the scope of this article.

Using Time Tracking in Your Web Projects

Time tracking is more than an accountability tool – it’s a way to become a better web designer, web developer, and project manager. Here are some ideas on integrating time tracking into the web project management process.

Track project failures

What's causing you to fail?

Projects have problems. Sometimes they flounder. Sometimes they go belly-up and fail. Anyone who has been in the web field for any length of time understands this. But what many don’t understand is why these projects fail or encounter issues.

A history of the time dedicated to a project is a great diagnostic tool that can help lead you to some of these why answers. Why did the project fail? Perhaps not enough time was allocated for development, or maybe the lag between client follow-ups was too long. Why did it take the development team twenty extra hours to complete their piece? Maybe the project was mis-quoted.

Finding the answers may not be easy, or even possible, but a solid data trail of the resources used on the project will put you on the right path.

More precise project estimates

Cost estimating and project quotes seem to be a big headache among designers. They wonder if they should raise their rates or project fees, which begs the question as to whether or not they even have any data to backup their concerns. How does one know when they need to raise their rates?

For instance, have projects been taking longer than the price you’ve quoted (without too much scope creep)? If so, your quotes are too low. Or, are you able to finish tasks quicker because your skills have improved? Raise your hourly rates.

Time tracking provides all of the data necessary to figure these questions out.

More accurate billings

Lawyers also read lots of cool books

If you’ve ever retained a lawyer, then you’re probably aware of what great time trackers they are. Their bills are flush with line item details of the activities and time spent on your particular case, and it’s usually so spot on that it’s hard to argue with – even if it’s a big bill.

Treat your billings with the same accuracy. When invoicing a client for hourly work, give them detailed descriptions of time spent on tasks as well as a break down of the hours used.

Solid, detailed data that is evidence-based is often hard to refute. Your clients will also see you more as a professional.

Track inefficiencies

It’s always worth mentioning again and again the importance of time. It’s our most valuable possession. So when it comes to projects, there should be a constant hunt for inefficiencies – tasks that needlessly extend or otherwise delay project milestones.

If your time task categories are setup with a suitable layer of granularity, you should be able to skim through timesheets and spot wasted time in mere minutes. Too much time spent on administrative tasks is waste. Or, too much time spent in meetings could be waste.

Ideally, you’d want to focus your efforts on tasks that involve working billable hours, growing your business, or making new sales. Anything else during the business day is a luxury.

A Word of Caution: Don’t Let Time Consume You

The purpose of this article is not to encourage you to constantly monitor your time and thus eliminate any kind of fun in life. No – the purpose is to encourage you to achieve maximum efficiency during the eight or so working hours you put in for the day. When you strive for that efficiency, you can rest easy during off hours with the knowledge that you accomplished a solid day of productive work.

Despite many vain attempts to fix the problem, I eventually resorted to contacting the Wufoo support team. After all, a missing submit button on a payment form is a pretty big deal.

I don’t usually contact support. I like to try to figure out things on my own. It’s one of the best ways to learn. But the biggest reason why I cringe at contacting support at most companies is because they can be slow and unhelpful.

Unfortunately, I was really stuck in a rut. So I filled out Wufoo’s contact form and shifted to another task. Pretty soon I received a response. Wufoo was aware of the bug in the system, but the developer working on it was unavailable.

I gritted my teeth and responded that it was a fairly significant issue. This wasn’t just affecting my form, but many others as well.

They got the message.

Shortly after, I received an email that the issue was being looked at. Better than nothing, I said to myself. Within an hour, though, the problem was fixed.

I never doubted Wufoo. Their service is excellent and they have some bright people working hard to make it even better. And I think there are some lessons we can learn from the way Wufoo handled this situation.

Always respond – and respond quickly

Responding to a client inquiry as fast as possible is always good practice. Clients want to be acknowledged and silence is the worst treatment you can give them. Even if you can’t fix the issue right away, let the client know you’ve received their request and advise them when they can expect to hear back . By reducing the unknowns, you’re helping the client to feel more at ease, and a client at ease is a happy client.

Wufoo accomplished this by responding within an hour to my initial request. While I wasn’t satisfied with the first response, they still acknowledged me and gave me a timeframe as to when I could except a solution.

Have a system of priorities

Clients issues can vary in degree of importance. Some are non-essential and can be resolved in a matter of days, and some are critical and must be attended to within hours or even minutes. Determining this priority is what counts. If you’re using a support ticketing system such as Zendesk, priorities can be assigned to issues, and hopefully you have an internal system in place for dealing with these different priorities. For example, a high priority ticket must be resolved within four hours, whereas a low priority ticket can have a lifespan of two business days.

Initially, Wufoo assigned a low priority to the issue I presented them with, so I would have to wait a few days for a resolution. However, after re-presenting the urgency of the request, they shifted the priority to high and had a solution within hours.

Use agility to your advantage

The major benefit small design agencies, freelancers, and companies like Wufoo have is size – or rather lack of. Where huge companies such as Microsoft and Apple take months to roll out fixes and updates, us small-timers can dance circles around them in terms of speed and responsiveness.

This all ties in with the above points. Instead of dreading those support tickets or nagging client emails, treat them as opportunities to show that you have the ability to respond swiftly and with certainty. Wufoo demonstrated this ability by diagnosing, resolving, and implementing a fix within hours. And that’s why I’ve always recommended them.

And then it hit me. I was directionless.

I was directionless not in the sense that I didn’t know what to do. I was directionless because I was looking at too many directions. I wanted to focus my energies on everything, and it left me dry and lightheaded. I needed guidance.

The staff of the fitness center was helpful. They provided input on new features and updates, but in the end, they were just as clueless as I was.

The only obvious place to look for answers was the clientele – the people who visited the fitness center. But how do you access these people? The answer was easy. A survey.

Surveys may be blunt instruments, but they’re excellent at gathering lots of feedback quickly, and that’s exactly what I needed. Thankfully, the staff had marketing data available that greatly helped in crafting the survey, and we were able to collect responses via email, the current website, and in person.

The people who answered the survey are the ones who gave me the direction I sought. Their replies to questions and indications of preference told me not what I wanted, but what they – the ultimate end user – wanted. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief in looking at their answers, because I knew I didn’t need to go chasing after all those light bulbs.

You can’t just build any old survey

Surveys are simple in principle. They ask a series of questions, ranging from multiple choice to essay boxes, and the respondent fills in their answer.

But surveys are not effective in principle. Effective surveys tell you things you didn’t know. Ineffective surveys tell you things you already knew, thus making them useless. So avoiding useless, ineffective surveys is essential – or else you risk wasting everyone’s time.

Taking stock of what you already know is a good first step. If there’s an existing website that you’re redesigning, as was my case, then there’s going to be (there better be) data surrounding that presence, which could include analytics, previous surveys, marketing research, and tons of other good stuff. Sifting through this information, no matter how poor, will help you understand what’s missing. Think of it like a jigsaw puzzle. The existing data are the corner and edge pieces. Sure, those are the easiest parts of the puzzle, but without them, you’d have a hard time completing the picture.

Here are some other good sources of existing data:

• Website statistics
• Old surveys
• User testing results
• Form submission data
• AdSense or AdWords performance reports
• Staff knowledge
• Marketing research
• Comment or complaint boxes

Asking the right questions

When you know what you don’t know, as odd as it may sound, then you’re ready to start building a list of questions you want to ask end users. There’s no cut and dry formula for figuring out the best questions to ask – your intuition is going to drive what you put down on your list.

Your intuition is also going to be influenced heavily by what you discover from research. You’ll likely find anomalies or odd trends that need explaining. Or you could find old questions that have been asked before that need to be asked again. And then your experience with similar and past projects will help fill in the rest. What did you learn from these projects that might benefit this one?

In fact, a good practice to begin following is to maintain a sort of diary for your completed projects. In this diary you would notate what went wrong, what went right, and what you took away from the whole process. As you accrue more and more entries in this diary, you can begin to develop a mental or written checklist of questions that need to be addressed in every web project.

Collecting answers

Collecting responses to a survey is tricky. There are different audiences you need to take into account or else your results will have skewed results.

For the fitness center, there were two distinct sets of audiences that needed to be considered. The first group included those who checked the current website often, and the second group included those who did not visit the website. Why is it important to make this distinction? Because the first group is going to have a different perspective than the second group. They’ve used the website more often and know its strengths and weaknesses. The second group probably doesn’t know much about the website, and they’re going to have a unique perspective.

There are other distinctions in the audiences that may need to be identified as well. Are there subsets of savvy and non-savvy computer users? Are there different geographic areas in which audiences reside? Are there multiple physical locations that the end user visits (such as multiple fitness center locations)?

This is all essential to the collection strategy in that you’ll need to devise multiple collection methods. In the case of a physical client location, there may need to be a paper version of the survey that can be handed out. Otherwise, you’ll miss a segment of the audience (those who don’t use the website, non-savvy computer users, those who visit a specific location, etc).

Here’s what I recommend when thinking about collection methods:

• Online survey using SurveyMonkey, which could be delivered via the current website or through email (establish new links for each media you test).
• Paper survey that staff could hand out on location.
• On-site computer survey that patrons could complete.
• Direct mail surveys.
• Telephone surveys.

Making sense of it all

After casting your line out there and getting a few bites, the toughest part of this whole process then begins: interpreting the results.

Your survey might be completely quantitative, where doing a statistical analysis would make sense, or it could be completely qualitative, in which cause you’ll have to sit down and pore over the data. But you’ll more than likely have a mixed survey of both quantitative and qualitative responses.

In most of my surveys, I use quantitative questions to discern demographics and other data that I can use to categorize and better understand the respondent. The qualitative questions, such as comment boxes, is where I focus the majority of my attention.

The key is to look for patterns. Are there consistent patterns in what people are saying? For example, does the audience, regardless of the demographics, desire the ability to download an application from the homepage? These patterns are going to be the most important areas to hone in on.

My recommendation is to read through all of the responses, whether in electronic or printed format, and then let it sit for a while in your mind. After a couple of days, revisit the responses and begin compiling pattern data in a spreadsheet application. Rank the importance of these items based on the number of times respondents mentioned them. Then go back over the surveys and pick out any outlier data (e.g. creative input that no other respondents shared) and notate them in a sort of wish list document.

Making time for surveys

Setting aside the time and resources for an initial user survey can seem daunting – even to me. I don’t include the process in all of my projects.

However, collecting end user feedback can save time down road when you hit snags in deciding which features to incorporate into the website. And even better, the feedback users provide will ultimately create a better experience once the site is launched, which in turn, will result in a more effective website for your client.

If you have a client with easily identifiable groups of end users to survey, push them toward adapting the process for the project. Yes, there should be an added cost in your proposal – a survey, while it may seem simple, is really no easy task – but also highlight the benefits of understanding the people who will be using the website. These benefits should speak for themselves, but some clients need a little handholding. Here are a few examples:

Understanding end user behavior will help us…

• Design a website that eliminates needless clicks and pages, which will lower the barriers to completing a transaction.
• Provide the information and features users demand, which will lower the amount of phone calls and emails to support.
• Brainstorm new ideas for the website that could lead to new income opportunities.
• Cut the fat from the website to make it a lean, simple presence that clearly communicates the organization’s message.

Those are some generic benefits, but you get the point. It’s time to stop throwing darts in the dark – successful websites depend on user feedback, and the survey is one of the best tools for accomplishing that.

Jack Bauer is a man who knows no boundaries. He’ll do whatever it takes to achieve an objective, from disobeying the higher-ups to working past internal conflicts, and although he’s merely a fictional character, there are some lessons we can learn from Agent Bauer’s unique approach to problem-solving.

So if Jack Bauer was finally able to settle down without being dragged into another day-long chaotic adventure, and if he got a job at a web design agency, what would be some of the guiding principles he’d use to execute his first project?

Know when to question upper management

Sometimes management or some other superior or partner will give you an assignment that just doesn’t make sense. Instead of nodding your head in false acknowledgment of understanding, seek more information. Figure out the goals of the assignment and then offer recommendations if you see holes in the plan.

Go for the kill shot

Clients tend to poke sticks in the gears of our creative processes. However, their critiques are often useful and the web project can be improved from their input. But in those instances were the client’s feedback will hamper the project, gently warn them of the damage it will do. If they don’t listen, go for the kill and invoke your creative expertise to quell any doubts the client may have.

Move on after a defeat

Web design is a nerve-wracking business. You could spend hours on a design, attach it to an email, and then click send, not knowing what the next few hours will bring. The client could like your work or they could hate it. It never gets easy, and unfortunately, criticism is part of the game – even harsh criticism. If you do get unsavory feedback, spend a couple of minutes having a pity party if you must, and then get up, evaluate the feedback, learn, and apply.

Stand by your principles

Through the course of designing and creating sites, you’ve undoubtedly developed a core set of principles that you apply project after project. These principles enable you to stay true to the vision of the project, and they may include design conventions, project management methodologies, and relationship tactics. You should never compromise these principles or else you risk sacrificing the quality of your work. Of course you can and should evaluate your principles from time to time, but real principles rarely change.

Become a resource

In all of your projects, you should strive to maintain a reputation of getting things done. Clients will remember you for it – and they’ll reward you with repeat business and referrals. You’ll become a resource – a valuable one at that – and when there’s a critical assignment, you’ll be the first one called.

Never give up

You may have a fair bit of mud slung toward you during the web design process. Clients, vendors, bosses, and co-workers all like to throw it at times. And when you’re dripping from head to toe in the grime of criticism and negative feedback, it seems like the easiest way out is to quit the project. That’s why you can’t quit. Nothing is easy, especially quitting. You have to dust yourself off, grit your teeth, and keep pushing on. In most cases there is light at the end of the sometimes very dark tunnel.

Always have the right tools

You’ve probably noticed Jack Bauer tends to haul around a worn satchel, even during the most dangerous missions. Although it’s not really known what’s in this bag, you can surmise that Jack is carrying only the most essential tools to get the job done. Pick your tools with the same precision and discrimination. You should have a trusted toolset with you at all times while working that you can quickly turn to. These tools will become assets that the project wouldn’t be successful without.

Think creatively

Web design is obviously a creative line of work. You’re paid to think creatively. But sometimes you need to think beyond the norms of the creativity you’re used to. A problem might not have a good solution, and it may require that you seek out untapped sources of innovation. Always exercise your mind to search for many answers instead of just one.

So okay — maybe Jack Bauer is a bit of an exaggeration when it comes to describing web design and project management. But if you remove the Bauer element, these principles still stand on their own, and they’re principles worth defending.

Really. I would be lost without these tools.

Basecamp

Okay, we all know what Basecamp is, and we’ve all seen it on lists like these before. But Basecamp really has served me well. 37 Signals, Basecamp’s parent, has helped usher in the whole software as a service concept, but that’s not the real reason why I’m such a big fan. Basecamp has made it easy to manage the communication and file sharing needed for web design projects. The fairly simple interface is a snap for most clients, and the organized approach to messaging has allowed me to drain my email inbox of the many requests that would otherwise get lost.

There are a few things I wish Basecamp would do better, namely project templates and customizable weekly status updates, but as a tool, it does what I need it to do. The companion products, mainly Highrise, are also worth a look, especially with recent interface updates.

Wufoo

Creating contact forms for client projects used to be the biggest pain. I’m sure we’re all familiar with formmail and other scripts, and I’m equally sure we all remember the countless hours we used to spend diagnosing various server errors caused by these scripts. But fortunately those days are over. Wufoo has saved me countless hours in the form generation process. I can login, create a new form, and add fields within seconds. The tons of features for payments, integration, notification, and logic have also gone a long way in helping me to create some pretty advanced data gathering solutions for clients. The storing of data and the numerous export options are also a big plus for when clients lose data on their end.

The drawbacks to Wufoo are price and form organization. I can’t let clients go in and change their own forms, because I’m limited in the number of user accounts, and the next step up is quite hefty in terms of cost. The forms also aren’t organized very well. You can’t group different client forms. The only way to sort through what you’ve created is a very simple keyword filter. To a lesser extent, it’s somewhat irking that you can’t customize the @wufoo.com address that is sent out from the system, but that is an understandably difficult problem to overcome, and truthfully, I’ve never had anyone complain about it.

Harvest

Time. We all value it. We all claim not to have enough of it. But how many of us truly track what we spend this precious resource on? Harvest is the tool I use to help me track the time spent on different parts of my business from client projects to sales to technical support. The straightforward interface allows for the creation of clients and projects, and within those I can track time and expenses. The reporting tool is also useful in looking back on a project to see how long it took, where time was spent, and who did what.

LogMeIn

The ability to operate from multiple locations seamlessly is powerful. With laptops and other mobile devices, we can sit at home or in a coffee shop and knock out design work on the fly. But more than once I’ve needed to access that one file on my office desktop that wasn’t on my laptop. Work would grind to halt as I’d contemplate how to get this file – beyond driving to the office.

LogMeIn is a remote computer application that is one of the best I’ve seen in the field. The features allow for full screen viewing and file sharing, and it all operates from within the browser. The best part: the free version is really all you need for basic remote computing.

WordPress

It’s official. WordPress is more than a mere blogging platform. It’s a content management system. And it’s one of the easiest I have yet to use while still maintaining the flexibility and power needed to develop intelligent websites.

There are two things that stand out about WordPress which cause me to keep coming back to it project after project. The first is its enormous community of developers. These people work tirelessly to create awesome plugins that extend the versatility of WordPress. The second is the intuitive design of the control panel interface. I’ve had clients tell me what a relief it’s been to move from something like Dreamweaver or FrontPage to a real content management system like WordPress. Never have I had someone confused or angry with its functionality.

Of course there are drawbacks to WordPress, but for small to midrange projects, it will likely be my go-to content management system for the foreseeable future.

Zendesk

For post-project support, website maintenance, and hosting issues, Zendesk is the way to go. Clients simply email their requests to a support address and then Zendesk automatically converts it to a new ticket. The control panel provides numerous ticket views along with the capability of having multiple support people at the helm.

The best part about a tool like Zendesk is that it integrates with Harvest to let me track time spent on specific tickets. This goes a long way when I need to review the details of an issue and to determine what to bill.

iPad

Oh no, not the iPad. I’m sure it’s been talked about to death, but it’s an excellent tool for both handling low grade tasks and meeting with clients. I use my iPad to organize all of my tasks related to reading blogs, checking social media, and reviewing other secondary areas of my business. This enables me to de-clutter my primary computer. Most of the apps available can handle these tasks, and it’s nice to be able to toss the iPad out of the way when I need to get real work done. Even more, there’s an app for just about all of the other tools mentioned above.

The iPad is also great for onsite client meetings. Taking notes isn’t as difficult as it may seem at first, and the iPad can serve as a portable showcase if I need to present designs, concepts, or ideas to a client. Furthermore, the iPad makes you look professional. Compare that frayed old notebook to the sleek (and expensive) compactness of the iPad. You get the picture.

But yes – it is expensive for such a simple device.

Tools make our lives — and our businesses — easier to run. I use the seven above on a regular basis to manage and keep track of my web design projects, and while these tools have served a consistent role in my business, it’ll be interesting to see what I’ll add to (or remove from) this list in the months and years to come.

What about you? What tools do you use to get the project done?

Ha! You’re going to fail. Or maybe you already are failing. That’s because there’s a hidden barrier to entry; one that only few see and even fewer are able to actually overcome.

Community insertion.

That’s a barrier to entry? Yes – the ability to inject yourself irrevocably into a community is essential. The community could be online or it could be in your town. But it must be a circle of people with whom you can interact with, share your expertise with, and eventually become a leader of.

So many designers (and developers) fail because they have no community. Setting up shop and expecting a flow of business from the likes of Craigslist, Elance, and others is a pipedream. Very few make money from those sites, and those who do are usually dealing with the bottom feeders of the internet. That’s no way to operate a business – not if you want to succeed.

Finding a community is simple. It’s so simple you’ve probably already tried it but failed to insert yourself. Start with a local business association. This may be a chamber of commerce or a rotary club. It doesn’t matter. Wherever people who own businesses that have money aggregate is where you want to be. And no – you don’t want to be there so that you can be a sleazy salesman – you want to be there so that you can begin fitting in.

Fitting in means going to events, shaking hands, talking, and listening. You don’t bring up your business unless asked, and when answering, you never give a sales pitch. Sales and elevator pitches are a myth. No one makes a buying decision based on lame, rehearsed statements devoid of any personality. Buying decisions are made based on three things:

1. Connection.
2. Evidence.
3. Price.

First, you need to develop connections within your community. Drink beers with members from your community, talk about football, attend events in good spirit. These are all activities that help strengthen connections. It’s fun, too (for some people – I’m not one of them, but I know plenty of people who are good at this stuff). Taking time (and money) out to spend with non-profit is also a great way to bolster your value within a community. The higher you can increase this value, the more connections you’re able to develop.

There needs to be evidence that you are the master of your realm. So many people are great at talking but dismal at actually producing anything. Talk can get you far, but once prospects realize it’s all fluff, you’re done for. Web design is incredibly easy to provide evidence. A professional portfolio followed by testimonials (preferably video) that is then supported by a natural ability to speak intelligently about what you do is all it takes. Maybe this isn’t so easy, but for the passionate, it’s a cake walk.

Finally, price. Everyone knows what price is. It’s dollars. Bottom-lines. Sometimes it’s the most important consideration for a prospect, and sometimes it’s just a tertiary concern. That’s why I put it third. In most cases, prospects will pay a higher cost to work with people they’ve developed strong personal connections with – people who are active members of the community.

The problem with web designers who are struggling today is that they fail at connection. It doesn’t matter if evidence or price is pegged down; if your connections are weak, you stand very little chance against competitors who put forth the effort to insert themselves into a community. That’s why community insertion is the real barrier to entry. Or maybe it’s better to think of it not as a barrier to entry but as a guarantee of failure if not practiced.

Comments? Email me at podcast@theprojectweb.com.

Project Web Podcast – Episode 012 – The Client Hates Everything

Show Notes

These are the articles I discussed in the news and topic segments:

• Day Jobs vs. Side Projects (Scott H Young)
• Design Criticism and the Creative Process (A List Apart)
• Guidelines for Successful Communication With Clients (Smashing Magazine)
• 7 Common Project Management Problems (And How to Solve Them) (Six Revisions)
• Four Constants in the Ever-changing Web Design Industry (Six Revisions)
• The Design Matrix: A Powerful Tool For Guiding Client Input (Smashing Magazine)
• Measuring your successes and failures (Boagworld)
• The Hows and Whys of Educating a Client (Onextrapixel)

I don’t mean to rag on marketing companies, but I’ve encountered far too many that needle their way into web projects and then overcomplicate decisions by attempting to add their “unique” perspective to everything. And then I’ve encountered marketing companies that really know what they’re talking about – and they especially know when to stand back and let the designers and developers do their job.

In both types of encounters, I had to employ new relationship tactics separate from normal client communications.

Figure out the agendas

Marketing companies, IT vendors, web designers, and developers are all brought in to serve a specific function on a project. The marketing company may provide branding direction, while the IT vendor’s responsibility may entail provisioning a server. Regardless, there should be definable roles for each outside entity involved in a project.

People always have an agenda when it comes to projects. I don’t mean that in a bad way. We all have our own goals and objectives that we want to see through to the end. It’s when these goals become misaligned that conflict arises. The marketing company may be giving you a hard time on a homepage concept you designed. Or perhaps an outside developer doesn’t agree with your interface ideas. These situations could all easily spiral out of control – but they don’t have to.

The most powerful tool in your arsenal – and one which most people fail miserably to employ – is the telephone. Pick it up and have a candid conversation with that marketing company or developer. Determine what their goals are for the project and then dig deeper and find the answer to the ultimate question: Why? Why do they want to achieve a particular goal? Significant insight can be gathered by asking the simplest questions.

Draw a line between capabilities

Web designers create websites. Marketing companies perform higher level strategic consulting. Developers code. IT companies make sure the hardware is in place.

The problem: None of these definitions are true.

Web designers sometimes dabble in software development. Marketing companies employ graphic illustrators. Developers have their own design guys. IT companies try to do everything.

I know. It’s a mess. And that mess becomes even scarier when you try to get two or more of them to work together. I’ve had marketing companies scoff at my designs and insist on using someone from their network. When it comes to the web, it seems like everything is a free-for-all.

But the fact is, most successful people and companies have reached stellar status because they focused on a niche. Web designers don’t excel by trying to illustrate, code, and market. They excel because they create the best web presences.

I know this is a little preachy, but the point I’m trying to stress is that there must be a line between the capabilities that you and other parties have been tapped for. If a client brought you on to develop a new website, they don’t need the marketing company wasting time doing the same thing. This isn’t to say the marketing company can’t or shouldn’t have input on the design of the new site. Rather, it should be the opposite. You want their input. But you must remain in control of that piece of the overall project.

Right from the beginning of the project you need to sit down with all parties involved and lay out what your capabilities are. The other parties should also identify their capabilities. Some overlap will occur, but you’ll immediately know what you do and what they don’t do. For the overlapped items, you can compromise with the other party to determine who will have authority where, and you can use the client as an intermediary to establish final rule over how the project will progress.

The client is the decision maker

There’s only one person signing the checks: the customer. Any vendors participating in the project are there at the pleasure of that client, including you. Therefore, when you begin to hit a bit of turmoil with one or more of these third parties, your best bet is direct communication with the client.

Of course not all disagreements merit the client’s attention, but as with most aspects of working life, you must protect yourself from the politics of the project. A marketing company miffed at your design direction may secretly consult with the client to undermine your efforts. It’s petty and rude, and you’re deluding yourself if you think it doesn’t happen.

Regardless of disagreements, you should always be communicating with the client. If relationships with project partners are going well, let the client know. Singing the praise of others may not provide immediate dividends, but it will go a long way in building solid frameworks for long-term relationships.

Think with an open mind

We’re all protective of our work. Criticism is not easy to swallow. That’s why when another party in the project dismisses our designs or prototypes, it can be a painful experience. But instead of taking that pain personally, use it to your advantage.

Having an open mind is one of the most difficult feats to accomplish. It requires concentration beyond the limits of what you know and trust in the ideas of others. But sometimes this is what you have to do. Trust others. Trust that the criticism they flop toward you – whether it’s friendly or not – may actually be in the best interest of the project. Don’t sneer at the recommendations of others, even if you think their presence in the project is wholly unnecessary. Embrace their ideas as a potential means to deliver the best possible solution to the client.

Stand up for yourself

On the flip side, open mindedness does not mean you have to lie down and take a beating. You should stand up for your principles and defend your work as if it were your first-born – well, maybe not to those extremes – but you get the point. Your work is your work, and it deserves a strong defense, especially from its creator.

Cultivate partnerships

Whenever you collaborate with others, there’s always an opportunity to demonstrate the quality of your skills or services. Think of that marketing company you’re working with as a potential partner instead of as a hindrance.

I’ve managed projects where near completion the marketing firm involved wanted to talk about working on future deals. I didn’t aim to impress them. I just did the work at the level of quality that I demand from my projects. But a side benefit to this (a big one, I’ll admit) is that you attract people who in turn want to team up with you. People gravitate toward success, so work your projects as if it could open new doors – as if failure was not an option – and do everything to attain your best output.