Website development and design is part art and part science. Let me explain.

A website must be built not only for human consumption but also machine consumption. It needs to read one way to humans (i.e. be aesthetically pleasing, easy to read, accessible) but also needs to read another way to computers (i.e. properly structured, easy to navigate, good technical framework). Nowadays, not only does your website need to work on a computer but it actually needs to work on different types of operating systems, browsers, mobile devices, etc., depending on your target audience’s reach.

Unfortunately, to most small business owners’ chagrin, a comprehensive marketing plan doesn’t stop at hastily posting a website on the internet and leaving the core of content up to someone up to pen together. How does a small business owner overcome some the hurdles of a new website build without breaking the bank?

• Make sure that you get to know the person who is working on your new site. Do they understand basic design principles as well as the technical build itself? Be weary of commissioning someone who is a specialist in one and farms out the other aspect elsewhere. If you can find someone to integrate the process (ideally, one person or at least a two-person team) that would be ideal.
• Is your developer pulling their WAIT or pulling their WEIGHT? Sticking to the original proposed budget (both in money as well as timeline) will save you both headaches. If your designer/developer works odd hours (most do), make sure you give them all of the information they need beforehand so that they don’t have excuses!
• Never assume that the designer/developer is working on just one project at a time. Most of them juggle at least five or six simultaneously. If you expect exclusivity you will have to pay for it.
• Try not to get too involved. I know, I know, you’re paying for it and deserve to have your say. However, you have to understand that you have commissioned the help of an expert. So, let your expert do their work! If you have a question or concern, ASK. Designers/developers generally left to do the good work they are commissioned to do will naturally gravitate towards the projects that lack “helicopter” clients. If you give them room to breathe, they will generally do amazing work!
• Don’t assume that your designer/developer can read your mind. If you already getting a sense that they are not a good fit for either your aesthetic or work style, ask what the severance terms. Some may be happy to release the work for the price of a down payment, whereas others will try to keep working with you until you’re happy with your product.
• Send the shortest emails you can. If you can send your revision requests in a short, bulleted emails there will be less room for interpretation and more time for working! If designers/developers see an incredibly long email they generally shelve it until they finish their myriad of little tasks first so that they can focus their energy. Unless you want to be LAST in their priority list, I advise against sending epic emails.
• Unless you’ve enlisted the help of a communications or marketing agency, don’t assume that your designer/developer can do it all. Although Unicorn Press specializes in the design, marketing, and branding process, not every freelancer or company does. Screen their references and scrutinize their portfolio before asking.

The website design process can be tenuous. Hopefully these tips will help it be a little less stressful!

Success has always been a bit of an iffy subject. Not only is it difficult to define, it is definitely a personal subject.

Can one person’s definition of success be completely off from another?

What about in business?

For Unicorn Press, I always had one simple idea in mind: if we can help other small businesses and non-profit organizations reach their marketing and outreach goals, then we will have been successful.

I have had the privilege of personally working with some amazing organizations and businesses. All of the entrepreneurs I’ve worked with — from Lisa Gache, the CEO of Beverly Hills Manners, to Greg McKewen, CEO of Infinity Schools, Craig Huxford, the Executive Director for Hope4MentalHealth.org, and Heather Lounsbury, an amazing healer and licensed acupuncturist, among dozens of others — share an equal passion for what they do. Unicorn Press has been fortunate enough to help their process in packaging their public image for consumption and can only hope to further the continued success of many more clients in the future. With our two year anniversary on the horizon, I can only hope to welcome more people to our family of clientele and to lend the varied skills and talents of our staff members to their projects.

With this two-year anniversary, we will be be unleashing an upgraded range of services: integrated marketing strategies, social media and digital communications strategies, traditional graphic and web design, mobile website design, mobile app design, public relations support, and brand development. These services are available at a number of price ranges to ensure that cost is no barrier to entry for small businesses, solopreneurs, and non-profits. We are here to help them sustain success and achieve their goals, whatever it may be!

On that note, Social Media Day LA was a great success. To sustain its wide reception Unicorn Press will be hosting monthly Mashable/Social Media Day LA meetups all around Los Angeles in the coming months. We are also busily preparing a statewide Social Media Day college campus tour for the Fall semester. Sustaining success does not mean resting on your laurels but looking for ways to improve operations and ideas everyday. We are definitely practicing what we preach!

Web savvy local businesses will use social networking event to explore solutions for replacing programs lost to budget cutbacks.

When Mashable recently designated June 30^th to be Social Media Day, two LA business owners decided to seize it as a chance to “walk the talk”, making social media more than just a daily distraction but a chance to promote social responsibility.

With the thousands of young Angelenos struggling for education, career training, and to keep a roof over their head, The Rainmaker Network, which helps students prepare for life after school, and Unicorn Press, a boutique communications studio, are putting on a live event where businesses and individual social media butterflies can put their networks and media skills to good use by helping tackle these issues.

“This is a great opportunity to put the social tools of the web to work helping LA’s youth receive the support they need despite budget cuts and slashed programs.  We promote giving back through collaborative solutions that better prepare young adults for their transition into the workforce.” says Lance Stacy, CEO of The Rainmaker Network.

“I was fortunate to have been able to take advantage of the public school and university system here in California,” says Amara Poolswasdi, Studio Principal of Unicorn Press. “Starting from K-12 then eventually getting a BA through the CSU system, the state of California has been incredibly supportive of my creative endeavors. I want to pay that opportunity forward by drawing attention to the issues facing our youth today.”

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About Social Media Day 2010 Los Angeles

Social Media Day LA 2010 celebrates the integration of social media, education, and business in Los Angeles. The live event will take place on Wednesday June 30, 2010 at Choppe Choppe in Culver City. For more info go to:  http://www.socialmediadayla.com.

It doesn’t matter if you have the best product on the planet, a sizzling marketing & PR plan, or something that will change the course of [fill in extraordinary unfulfilled need here].

If you don’t have great customer service, you won’t get very far.

While you don’t have to spend your time mollycoddling your consumers or patrons, you do need to listen to them when they have something to say. Some people are expressive by nature. However, have you ever considered that your unhappiest customers don’t have to say anything at all — they just have to leave? How could you ever learn to improve your product or service offering if you never took the time to listen, let alone ask them?

Customer service is part of the user experience. It should be built in, designed, planned around, executed, and managed. It is as important as balancing the books and generating new business. When you plan for growth, also plan to maintain your service relationships! They’ll count on your reliability to get them to their next step.

The vendor-client relationship can be difficult and tumultuous, especially if the client does not understand the design process. It can be even more difficult and frustrating if they outright refuse to understand it or refuse to work in a linear fashion to complete projects.

I recently had the unfortunate duty to terminate a client relationship based on that problem. When I began the project it seemed like a great opportunity to work with this client. However, my great intentions were met with contention, waffling and an insatiable desire for change. There were multiple deviations from the originally agreed upon terms: from deadlines to CMS systems to back-end functionality. The continued delays were caused by a lack of commitment by my client to a design that was built, from scratch, per their specifications. It was not the work of Unicorn Press they were unhappy with, but rather the translations of their requests and the manifestations of the designs they requested. Now after 137 emails and 80+ hours worth of work, and one attempt to salvage the working relationship, I have had no choice but to terminate this project and forfeit my losses.

Here are a few things I have learned from horror stories and experiences like these:

1. Design your estimates and agreements from a “worse case” scenario perspective
2. Be open and honest every step of the way
3. Stay in regular communication with the client
4. Be strict in documenting all emails, phone calls, and hours worked
5. Be willing to walk away

Here is a smart video tidbit of what I’ve been experiencing with this client. If it weren’t so true it’d actually be funny.

Photo credit: http://blog.lib.umn.edu

Most problems in the design and development space revolve around communication…or lack thereof. Great communication is absolutely necessary to ensure the success of any project — online or off. It is difficult to get lost in the sea of emails, tweets, Facebook posts, text messages and voice mails. What will ensure that a finished project eventually sees the light of day is open and honest communication.

Here are some things I’ve learned along the way. I’ve either learned it the hard way or I’ve been lucky enough to have a mentor to help me pick up the pieces.

1. Document everything. Keep records of all requests, questions and even file versions. It is always a best practice to resolve conflicts BEFORE they arise, but keep in mind that if the conflict gets out of hand, the statute of limitations for businesses are six years. If you use a third-party contracting site like Elance.com, there are sometimes mandatory arbitration agreements built in. That will save a lot of headache.

2. Get as much in writing as possible. If you take meetings in person, telephone, or Skype like we do, it is important to reiterate any verbal agreements in writing to ensure parity. If there are revisions being requested on a project, have a client submit a work order to ensure that you have it in writing.

3. Make yourself available. I’ve made myself available via telephone, VOIP, Skype, Twitter, email, and through my Web site. When you make yourself available to open and honest communication it generally finds its way back to you. Giving your clients many options helps them feel in control and more willing to work with you. You don’t have to be available 24/7 or on weekends, but do be available during your normal business hours to follow up.

4. Be realistic about deadlines. If you are eager to truly help your clients achieve their goals you need to make sure that you have the time to dedicate to their project. Despite the inclination to overbook, be realistic about how many projects you can complete in a month and stick to that.

5. Highlight all roadblocks to success. If excessive revisions or repeated adjustments have thrown the project off the targeted launch date, make sure to communicate that as soon as possible. Better yet, let your client know if a revision or adjustment will extend the project or incur extra fees.

6. For clients: If you notice something wrong, bring attention to it immediately. Are there horizontal scrollbars creeping up where you least enjoy them? Don’t quite like that shade of gray on your business cards? Does the design stink and you’d prefer to go elsewhere? Air your grievances early on to avoid the snowball effect. (If you don’t you may be held liable for additional fees, an extended project deadline or even *gasp* get fired.)

Let me hear your thoughts: What are your tips for honest and open communication?