Readers Respond: What do you wish your Web design clients understood about Web design?

Web design is a complicated business. But many Web design clients make what they feel are reasonable requests that turn out to be monstrous headaches for the Web designers involved. Learn what other Web designers wish you knew about their job, and avoid annoying the Web designers you work with.

If you are a Web designer, why not share your wishlist? What things do you wish your clients knew about Web design?

Annoying banner ads with sound

Please screen your advertisers! Extremely intrusive ads that appear on your banner, with non-optional, down-your-throat sound that cannot be stopped, and starts over and over with every screen refresh are extremely annoying, and hurt your hits.

—Guest Andreas Belivanakis

Clients should ask themselves...

What will it take to get someone to return to your "new" Website after they have seen it twice? The answer is reasonably obvious: Changing content! I try to empower my clients now my teaching them to become an active participant rather than a static observer. Many of my most recent designs are built with WordPress as a CMS or at least included as a WP installation under a subdirectory dedicated to news, blogging or an active journal. It's no longer sufficient to build just a Website. I think the worst client is someone who does not even use the Web, but expects to make an impact with a Website. Now, it is necessary to play an active role in the entire social media spectrum because, if nothing else, you need to at least listen to what is bieng said about your business or your field of focus. Applications like Google's new Sidewiki make it imperative that clients take up an active role in their Web marketing campaign...

—designwise_studios