What to do when your client has a bad idea

One thing I can tell you after 16 years in business is that not everyone has a good sense of design.  Many people just have no idea where to start with page layouts or know what proper white space and color balance is.  A great client is one that is going to share their opinions but rely on you for your expertise in web design.  While being firm on your opinions is important, you get more bees with honey when dealing with a client with no design skills.  Here's what to do when your client has a bad idea for their website:

• First of all, acknowledge that they have a problem they are trying to solve.  Compliment them on noticing the issue (hopefully, there is one).  This simple openness to listen can go a very long way.  Refrain from feeling defensive over anything the client is saying.  After all, they don't know what they don't know.
• Educate the client on why you designed something a certain way.  Send links to outside articles that help explain your method.  Ideally, this is a blog post on your own site, or if  you don't have one, a link to a reputable website that shares your view.
• Remind them about user experience.  If they want to organize something the way they view it, point out that others may not think of the same terms or organization that the client is using.
• Ask them what they expect their idea to do on mobile.  This is usually a big eye opener to the client.  They never think of mobile.  Remind them that you have been designing with all screens in mind.  This can be a great way to get them to let go of a bad idea.  Pointing out that it's bad for mobile can do the trick.
• If they hold firm and hang onto their bad idea, let them know you will implement it on a test page and encourage them to send a link to the changes to their friends and clients upon completion to get feedback.
• If they decide to keep it, remove your byline from their footer if you use one to promote your design.

Guiding your clients can be tough sometimes, but with these tips you can win the battle most of the time.

How to do manage bad design requests?

RESOURCES: Forbes - When The Customer Is Wrong: How To Tactfully School Your Clients