Hi, I'd been doing web design on the side since last year. I believe in web standards, but I am not sure about potential clients who want to pay me do the job will believe it. For us who believed in web standards, it all sounds very beautiful and convincing, but for companies who provides services, they want web sites, they want their web sites looks nice and professional and they want it to be affordable. They simply want to know how much it will cost right, nothing behind the scene will interest them.
Hi,
Most of your clients will place an emphasis on startup costs, ROI, and TTM when considering an investment in any aspect of their business; embracing the Internet and other forms technology is no exception to this focus. As with any other business decision, your client's primary goals are to minimize risk, protect capital, and earn a return.
Some clients will be more savvy than others and may already be aware of the benefits of standards based development or at least be aware that this approach is an option they can explore further. You won't need to spend allot of time "selling" this type of client on the benefits of standards, but you will likely need to underline your ability to provide such services.
For those clients who aren't well informed but who are concerned with long term benefits and returns, a portion of your time should be spent helping them to understand how standards based development can help them achieve their goals. You will want to address the importance of standards in your initial presentation to the client and you may also want to leave with them additional information that will help them to make a more knowledgeable decision.
At the end of the day, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. Many of your potential clients, informed or not, will be primarily concerned with fast and cheap exposure that fosters even the most remote possibility short-term results. If you choose to work with this type of client, you may have to step outside of your usual methods to meet their needs.
What is the incentive for us to tell potential clients that web standards is
important and how many people in this group successfully using web standards
as selling point for their web design service.
I don't necessarily try to sell my clients on standards based development. I put more effort into presenting the overall approach I take to helping them achieve their goals; part of which includes Web standards. When I speak to a client I speak to them on a level they can relate to: cost versus benefit. When I'm delivering the standards portion of my presentation, I place an emphasis on the following benefits (some of which have already been mentioned in other responses):
Improved search engine ranking:
Higher search engine ranking provides more exposure, which leads to more visitors and potentially higher returns.
Simpler development and maintenance
Simpler development and maintenance results in a lower startup cost, quicker time to market, less resource drain, and lower long-term expenditures.
Faster downloading and bandwidth savings
Standards based development generally requires less markup and produces smaller files. As a result, pages download and render quickly and captures the visitors attention while engaging them with more responsive interaction and a better overall user experience. In addition to improving the user experience, smaller files also require less bandwidth. Lower bandwidth usage can significantly reduce operational expenses.
Improved accessibility
Improved accessibility benefits long-term returns on several fronts. A site that is more accessible can reach more people, be explored by more potential customers, and facilitates a greater potential for profitability. Improved accessibility also leads to improved usability, which can lead to higher traffic, more return visitors, and increased sales. Additionally, accessibility improves search engine optimization, which also leads to more traffic, opportunities, sales, and profits.
Future proofing
Sites built using standards today will be less likely to break in browsers made tomorrow. Reduced future browser and browsing device (PDAs, Mobile Phones, Screen Readers), compatibility issues reduces down time, maintenance expenses, committed resources, and loss of sales.
Do you increase your ballpark as a result?
I don't charge more for standards based development. Why should I? Simplified development reduces the time it takes to get a project to market and minimizes the time I spend on updates and changes. Standards are a part of my overall approach to development and aren't treated as a "service" my clients pay extra to receive. In most cases standards development reduces the overall costs and time associated with a project from both the client's and my own perspective.
To me, web standards is something I believe in, but I do not see any benefit when approaching potential clients.
Hopefully the contributions made to this thread will change your view and help you address these important issues with your clients.
-- Best regards, Michael Wilson
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