For professional web designers, effective client onboarding is not just a preliminary step of a web design project but a crucial foundation for successful collaborations. How you guide clients through the onboarding process sets the tone for your entire project. From the initial consultation to project kickoffs and beyond, every interaction shapes the client-designer relationship. 

What is web design client onboarding?

Onboarding your web design clients starts with your initial contact and continues through the website build kickoff. If a potential client finds you through your website, that is the first step in client onboarding. If a potential client reaches out via email, your first reply is the beginning of client onboarding, setting the foundation for your service and process.

At either point of entry, you'll want to collect information about your potential clients to ensure you are a good fit for the project and that they are a good fit for your service. This is often followed by, or in conjunction with, a consultation (or fit) call.

During this time, you'll provide detailed information about how to work with you, including a proposal outlining the project scope and timeline, an agreement or contract, and any other information your potential client needs to know before hiring you.

Verifying that you and the client are a good fit, providing the client with the key information they need, and detailing your process are all vital aspects of web design client onboarding.

What do you need to get started?

Before you onboard a client, you’ll need to be crystal clear about your service and processes. The following are aspects of your business you should consider ahead of working with new clients. 

• The scope of your web design offering

  Do you do custom builds, template build-outs, or something else? Are branding, copywriting, or email marketing part of your web design services, or are these considered add-ons?

• The timeline

  When can you begin a new website build? How long will it take and how much support do you offer after a build? Learn more about managing project timelines. 

• Client interactions

  How often will you interact with your clients? Will you offer a joint strategy session? Do you appreciate calls during the website build? What about an offboarding call?

• Client communication

  Are you available during certain business hours or also on weekends? Should the client reach you through a portal, email, or text? What type of boundaries will you set? Learn more about setting boundaries with clients.

• The investment

  Do you have a productized service with a flat rate, or do you provide a custom quote for each project? Can you provide a starting cost or range to potential clients? Learn more about pricing your services.

Once you have a strong idea of what you offer and your process, share the information on your website. This will help potential clients understand if you are a good fit and reduce the number of calls or emails you may receive from those who aren’t.

1. Your initial email response

If your potential client reaches out via email from a referral or through a form on your website, it can be helpful to have a templated email response that provides some additional information about your services. It can also help you save time. In this email, include typical project costs, your current timeline, and a link to the services page of your website. You can also use this email to invite your potential client to schedule a consultation call if they’d like to move forward with you.

2. The consultation call

After you receive an inquiry (or as a next step on your website), your potential client will schedule a consultation call, also known as a “discovery” or “fit” call. Let them know the format of this call (a virtual meeting or a phone call), as well as how long they should expect the call to last. You can send them a link to your Acuity Scheduling page so they can find a time that works for both of you. 

In advance of the consultation call, consider sending a questionnaire that screens your potential client. Some common questions include asking what they offer, who they serve, and the goal(s) of the website. You can also ask for inspiration websites so you can understand the style they are looking for, as well as links to their competitors to see what can make them stand out. 

Other inquiries that might be helpful are how many decision-makers there are for the project and whether they will be providing branding and content themselves, or if they are working with other professionals. During the consultation call, you can review these questions together and ask for clarification or additional details you might need to verify that you're the right fit for the project.

The consultation call is also an opportunity for you to describe your web design process, scope, and support. It's important to over communicate expectations and boundaries. In addition to covering it here on the call, you'll want to include this information in future calls, emails, and as part of your proposal and contract. Some designers provide a beautifully designed PDF with onboarding information so clients can refer to it in the future.

3. Proposals and agreements/contracts

Once you feel like the project is a good fit for you and you are a good fit for the project, the next step is to send out a formal proposal and agreement (contract). The proposal and agreement reiterate your services, project scope, client responsibilities, and how often and in what manner you'll connect during and after the project.

Be clear about what you offer, as well as what you do not provide. For example, if you don't offer copywriting services, your client will either need to write their own copy or hire a copywriter for the project. Your client needs to understand and agree to the deliverables.

Provide a timeline and include when the client will provide previously agreed upon content and branding, any meetings you'll schedule during the project, the launch time frame, and the support period. 

Here is an example:

• [4] weeks before build: 1-hour live strategy call 

• [1] week before build: Client provides all content (banding, copy, and images) 

• Website build begins

• [First] week of website build: 1-hour live website walkthrough of the home page and 1 to 2 additional pages and any initial revisions to website design

• [Second] week of website build: Completion of the remainder of website pages with links provided via email or portal for review

• [Second] week of website build: 1-hour live revisions call 

• Website launch: 1-hour launch and offboarding call

• After launch: 30 days of email support

The proposal is also a great opportunity to include testimonials from past clients and links to past projects of similar scope or niche. This can help your client understand what outcome to expect when working with you.

The proposal is also where you'll lay out payment terms and timelines. Many designers require a retainer to start the project. Then, depending on the overall cost and scope of the project, they’ll invoice between one and three additional payments across different milestones. Learn more about packaging your web design services (and see how much web designers are charging in the Squarespace Circle: State of the Web Design Industry Report).

You may also want to include a formal contract. Before the project kicks off, both you and your client should sign the proposal and agreement/contract. Although it can be tempting, it's a good idea to hold off on doing any work until agreements are signed and you receive initial payment.

4. Collaboration tools and communication

Be straightforward about how and when you'll be communicating with your client during the web design project. Some designers set up a virtual portal and require that all communication go through the portal. Other designers use a combination of Google Docs and emails. Some even welcome calls or texts. You can decide which process works best for you–as long as you communicate clearly and honestly with your clients.

During the project, you can work asynchronously with clients by recording screen shares and voice memos, or you can schedule live calls with your clients. You can also do a combination of the two.

Remember that you get to set the type and style of collaboration. If you are upfront with your client about methods of communication and timelines for your responses, it can help alleviate stress and foster a better relationship. For example, let’s suppose your office hours are stated as Monday through Thursday 9 AM to 4 PM and Friday 9 AM to 12 PM, but your client sends you an email Friday at 1 PM. If you’ve clearly communicated your office hours, the client should expect your earliest reply to be Monday morning, rather than getting frustrated that you didn’t reply Friday afternoon or over the weekend.

5. Client education

As part of your onboarding, you'll want to educate your client on the web design process and their role in it. It's important to set yourself up as the expert so the client doesn't feel they need to take on any role in the web design itself. That said, you'll want your clients to feel heard when they have concerns or questions, and give space for that in the process. That being said, solidify your role as the expert and guide them to provide as much information as they can for you to do your best work.

Oftentimes, clients have concerns about responsive design and revisions. They may believe a website should work like a piece of paper so that the arrangement and spacing of elements look the same no matter what device they're viewing it on. It's good to set a precedent of explaining responsive design and how Squarespace takes care of this automatically so that their website works well on all screen sizes.

Another common inquiry is when clients want to reword text or change out images after they see them on the website. You can decide if this is something you'll do for them within the scope of the project, at an additional cost, or something you can show them how to do once the website launches. Set these expectations during the consultation call, the strategy call, and the agreement.

Finally, explain to clients that their website is not set in stone. Squarespace is user-friendly enough for them to make updates in the future. This notion often alleviates a lot of stress around the launch of the website, especially if you provide a bit of training in your offboarding process.

6. The kickoff call

The kickoff call, also known as a strategy call, is where you and the client realign on everything discussed so far and make any necessary changes. This is when you will remind the client of scope and boundaries, and review the project details and expectations. You’ll also define the timeline and next steps. 

This call is also a great opportunity to show your client how to communicate with you with a screenshare. Frequently remind your client of these collaboration tools and communication boundaries during the project.

Before ending the kickoff call, ask your client if they have any questions. Be patient during this step and be prepared to answer directly and transparently. You may design websites every day, but there’s a good chance this is a whole new world for your client.

After the kickoff call, the project begins in earnest with your client providing copy and assets and you beginning the website build. A solid onboarding process will help the project run smoothly with clear expectations, timelines, and boundaries.

Encouraging continuous improvement and client satisfaction

During and after every project, keep notes about any sticky or difficult client situations. Frequently refer to them, asking yourself if there’s anything you can do during your next client onboarding to make those go smoother. As you refine your process based on client feedback and your own experiences, your client onboarding will start to feel like a well-oiled machine, helping you create a positive experience for both you and your clients.

Want more?

Check out Squarespace Circle, Squarespace’s program for professional designers. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from all across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.