What I mean is have you ever did what you do at work every day but for yourself? It gives you a great perspective on what your client feels like in their dealings with you. I'm a marketing consultant and I just took on building my own website. It took me months and I found myself skipping important steps, not following my own process and then getting frustrated with the results. The website had to be a fantastic reflection of my work, after all it's part of what I do. Sooo much pressure.
Then I took a step back and treated it the way I would any other project. I asked myself the right questions, organized my goals and got to work. Reflecting on my experience I now understand the nervousness and vulnerability each of my clients must have felt when I worked on their logo or website, the key? Communicate everything and often.
Here's what I learned:
1. Processes are important, what's even more important is that you communnicate them so your client knows what to expect.
2. Stay true to your initial goals, and after each milestone check back to make sure what you jus`t did is still in sync with the goals you started out with.
3. Communicate regularly, at least once a week with your client to let them know what you've accomplished and what to expect next (basically remind htem of where you are in teh process).
4. If you get frustrated, take a breath and a step back for a day or two and come back to the project with fresh eyes, you'll do a better job in a good indsest and see alternative options I have a new found appreciation for the trust they put in me and work harder to consistently communicate what we're doing and the goals that they will accomplish by staying true to their brand.
Finally I have my website in a decent enough place to share and I am no longer the shoemaker with no shoes. Take a look, and if you are in need of a website refresh or new website let me know.