Tomorrow I have the opportunity to speak at the Next BIG Nashville + Leadership Music Digital Summit event in Nashville. It's basically a conference and music festival rolled into one, like South by Southwest on a smaller scale.

I'll be talking for 20 minutes about making users happy, since that's what I'm most passionate about in our business. Please come check it out if you are around!

Venue: Curb Events Center, 2002 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212
Time: 12:10pm - 12:30pm
Panel Name: The Site Doctor is in
More Info: http://www.nbnsummit.com

I am currently on vacation in Greece, pondering customer service as I often do. It's fascinating to be in a foreign country observing how all the different hotels, restaurants and shops value customer service. No one does over-the-top customer service like many (certainly not all) companies in the United States, but still we've had great experiences almost everywhere we have been.

In my opinion, one single principle exists in every great service experience. Once mastered, it can have an extraordinary impact on your personal and professional life, no matter what business you are in. It consists of remembering four simple words: don't pass the buck.

Passing the buck comes in two important forms. Firstly, it is a lack of responsibility when something goes wrong. In these situations, you have a choice to own it or pass the buck. Owning it means not making any excuses, taking responsibility even when it's not your fault, giving a heartfelt apology and making the situation right to the best of your ability. Passing the buck usually involves blaming someone else and convincing yourself there was nothing you could do.

A few days ago I experienced a great example, when I passed the buck and our hotel manager owned it. We decided to walk to a nearby winery, a mere 2 kilometers away from our hotel. I took a map that was provided by the hotel and we were on our way. We ended up getting lost and ultimately found out the map was wrong.

With my male ego and directional pride fully in tact, I got really frustrated blaming the map for about 45 minutes. I was making excuses, when I could have devoted my energy to asking the hotel for directions before we left, calling the winery for directions or verifying the directions with another map. Even though the one map was wrong, I'm still responsible for choosing it and not double-checking. I had to eventually make it right with my wife for leading her in the wrong direction.

On the other hand, our hotel manager handled the situation beautifully. She apologized profusely for the map, even though she didn't create it or have anything do to with it. She said it was her fault for putting out the map and that she would call the people that made it immediately. She also made it right by giving us a ride in her own car down to the winery. I was humbled.

The second form of passing the buck is much more common, because something doesn't have to go wrong for it to happen. Many people do it several times per day without even noticing, by delegating to others. In some cases delegation is appropriate, but it's usually not necessary. If you choose to go out of your way and sometimes beyond your job description to help someone out, you can usually provide an outstanding experience without passing the buck.

A simple example we have all seen is when you are deciding on a place to eat with someone. "Where should we eat?", someone says to you. You respond with, "I don't know, what do you think?". Wrong answer. That answer passes the buck without providing any help at all. When someone asks that question, the right answer is to respond with a single restaurant or choice of restaurants. Own it.

One we typically see at Project83 is when a customer emails me saying that someone saw a problem on one of their website pages. The typical, pass the buck answer (I'm guilty of it) is to respond and ask for the browser name and version. It delegates the responsibility to someone else. Sometimes this information really is required, but in many cases you can check yourself. Test the page in every browser and version on your own. It takes more time, but in the end it provides the customer with a MUCH better experience, saving them time and resolving the situation in a single email.

These are simple examples, but I see people pass the buck every day and it's bad customer service, whether you think of it that way or not. Taking ownership means being responsible to make the very most of your interaction with someone, resolving the situation in the shortest amount of time possible. Anything less is passing the buck.

I encourage you to be mindful of passing the buck in your interactions over the next week. It's an awesome feeling for you and whomever you are dealing with when you own it.

I think about customer service all the time. It's become a legitimate obsession of mine over the years. I love hearing great stories of customer service, learning from companies that value it, criticizing companies that suck at it and trying to build businesses that stand out as a result of it.

The ultimate challenge for a customer service aficionado is running  a creative, client-based business. It's truly a marathon. Great customer service is defined not by one or two interactions, but by month after month of consistent communication, met deadlines and work that exceeds expectations.

Like many small web design companies, we depend solely on happy customers. We don't spend any dollars marketing our services; it's all based on referrals. The company literally sinks or swims based on the quality of our customer service. Despite innumerable mistakes and learning experiences, we're still quite successful today because our team spends a lot of time polishing our customer service skills.

Aside from every-day communication, here are 5 things we pro-actively work on to deliver a WOW experience to clients:

Proposals

I believe proposals are an awesome way to deliver WOW, which is why we constantly refine the copy and design of our proposals. The template goes through at least 2-3 major revisions per year. The biggest factor is working to make each proposal unique. Clients can smell a boilerplate proposal from a mile away, so be sure to personalize it.

Also keep in mind that the client will probably not read every word of the proposal. They will scan it and follow-up with questions. So don't get mixed up in creating an extremely detailed scope or including fine print that should be meant for the contract. Simply provide an overview, find creative ways to be memorable and leave them wanting more.

Handwritten Notes

I'm a big fan of handwritten notes and their ability to really create a WOW moment. Most every potential client we deal with gets a handwritten note at some point during the process; even the ones that say no. If the client uses someone else for the project, a handwritten note virtually guarantees they will consider you for work in the future.

Our notes are beautiful letterpress cards and envelopes. We think it's a true WOW to get one of these babies in the mail. Even if the client doesn't acknowledge or thank you for the note, it is still something they don't soon forget.

Professional Comps

Another WOW moment you can create with clients is in how you deliver design comps. Rather than simply attaching them in an email, putting them in a PDF or linking to straight JPGs, we've created a little PHP script that presents them in a really cool way.

Each page is branded with the company name and date. Each comp has a section for people to leave comments on the bottom. We like it so much that we're hoping to open-source the project at some point in the near future so others can use it as well. Until then, here's a little sample of our comp viewer ...

Do a Little Extra

Proper budgeting for a project means including enough padding to account for anything that may go wrong or drag out further than expected. In times when the project goes off without a hitch, it's an opportunity to do a little extra.

"Extra" simply means going over and above what you originally agreed to do. It could mean a couple hours of updates free of charge after launch or an extra round of design changes after the fact. Maybe it means adding a requested feature to their CMS that wasn't in the original scope.

Instead of getting greedy or stingy with a project budget, make sure you use padding to go the extra mile whenever possible. The client will clearly notice when you go over and above the call of duty. If they don't notice, make sure you let them know you are!

Celebrate

Some of our best memories have been celebrating with clients after a project. If they are local we often provide a pizza lunch or bring the whole team by for something fun. For out-of-town clients we have tried a variety of things, most recently sending Nashville's famous Christie Cookies their way.

Often times the method of celebration depends on the client, but it does require thought and planning. It's an awesome way to clear away any tensions that may have developed over the course of the project and express your gratitude in person for their business and continued partnership in the future.

So those are some things we're proud of. What's the coolest customer service interaction you have had in the last six months and why?

PS - I love customer service so much that we're even building a web app to help people manage customer service over email better. You can follow our progress on the app here.

Last week we launched a semi-new version of Project83.com, keeping the overall feel but re-working a few pages. As part of the process, we decided to be completely transparent about our pricing. Wow does it feel good to have it out there for people to see.

I've always been extremely frustrated by the fact that creative companies don't talk about pricing. Until recently, I thought everyone was merely too fearful and busy copying each other to actually consider it. While a bit of that still exists, I think the real reason is because of how bids and budgets are usually done.

For example, if a company budgets $20k for a project, they intend to spend it all. In organizations with more than a few people, the person leading the web project typically isn't the one paying for it. So it literally makes no difference to them whether they spend $10k or $20k. They just have to get the project done and might as well spend the entire budget making sure.

As a client, it's very difficult to assess the value of a creative service before it takes place. On paper, someone that charges $20k for a website looks like they provide a much higher quality service than someone that charges less. If I've already got $20k to spend, I'm going with the bid that is closest to $20k, thinking I'm getting the best possible service for my budget.

As someone that provides the service, why would I want to come in LESS than the budget if I'm only going to be penalized for it? If our bid is only $12k then the perception is that our work is not as good.

By not listing any of our prices, we can find out what the budget is for each project and come in right at that price. In the end, bidding right at the budgeted amount gives us the best shot to win the project.

We've lost at least two projects this year because our bid was too low. Since our pricing is available on the website, I can't fudge any numbers to match the budget. Even if we are a much better fit for the project, nine times out of ten we won't get it because the perceived value of our service is lower than the budget. How crazy is that?

Now that you know how the budgets work, why would a company want to show their prices? Here's why we do it:

1. Varying your prices based on a budget figure is dishonest. We choose to be honest, so we have no reason to hide our pricing.
2. A lot of organizations we work with truly appreciate upfront pricing. I believe we'll earn as many (or more) contracts as we lose by talking about money upfront. God forbid we save them thousands of dollars if our bid is lower than the budget.
3. Many of the fixed budget clients are organizations that probably aren't the best fit for us to do business with anyways. It's hard to relate with people that don't like to save money when it makes sense.
4. No one else lists prices, so we set ourselves apart right off the bat.

This is a tough decision all creative companies have to make. I know every project and client is unique, and with that comes customized pricing. However, there is no excuse for not providing general pricing guidelines in public at the very least. That's why I stand firmly on the side of transparency.

The only other company I know of that talks about pricing is Blue Flavor, so kudos to them for stepping out there as well. Is it time for you to re-consider your stance on pricing as well?

"Most of the best decisions in my life came after I realized I don't know everything ... the more something feels like something you don't need to know, the better the chances are that it's something you could really benefit from."

— Merlin Mann on The Pipeline

I heard this interview with Merlin Mann recently and his thoughts on curiosity were right on. I haven't experienced enough success in my own mind to start dishing out advice, but I think if successful people have one thing in common it is perpetual curiosity. They explore things they are interested in for the simple sake of learning; not because there's something in it for them. In many cases, their curiosity ends up having a profound impact on their life and/or their business.

Merlin Mann's interest in productivity eventually made him one of the first full-time bloggers on the internet and a very highly-respected geek in many circles. Gary Vaynerchuk's interest in wine made him one of the first and still one of the most successful video bloggers around.

Fact is, you never know where your curiosity will take you. It could mean a new product idea, a new philosophy, a new job or just a new hobby in the long run. The end game frankly doesn't matter. Just never stop learning, because it could be the start of something great down the line.

Apple does a lot of things right. Over the last several years they have made some unpopular decisions that turned out to be good ones. For instance, their refusal to support Flash on the iPhone OS is criticized by many, but it's the right call. Most people know Flash sucks, but up until now no one has had the balls to do something about it.

More recently Apple has been criticized for updating their terms of service to block applications created by 3rd-party frameworks that allow people to write code in another language, then compile it into Objective-C (Apple's native programming language). Again, it's the right call. It may be convenient for some to write Mac and Windows apps in Flash or ASP or Hebrew for that matter, but that's not how it works. Apps should be created in the language they were intended for. It's a ballsy move, but in my opinion it's absolutely the right one.

Now that Android phones outnumber iPhones and Apple has some legitimate competition, it's time Apple makes another bold move: fix the App Store.

What's the Problem?

Great developers have already ditched the iPhone OS by the boatload because of the App Store's flaws. Here are just a few:

1. Developers are 100% at Apple's mercy with regards to the approval process, which has been inconsistent at best. They can't release products, bug fixes or so much as a launch date for their apps because they are restricted to a vague approval timeline controlled by Apple.
2. Marketing efforts are limited because you can't give out promo codes or even 30-day trials
3. It's costly to have a customer refund policy because Apple keeps their 30% cut either way
4. App Store exposure is difficult to say the least and developers have little to no control over marketing their app from within the proprietary store
5. Forget the prospect of measuring conversion and analytics surrounding the sale of your application because you can't even sell it on your own website

Imagine buying OSX apps this way ... what a nightmare! Imagine having to drop by the Apple store just to check out an app you read about, then pay more than you normally would because Apple takes 30%. I believe this process stunts both application developer growth and Apple's growth of the iPhone OS. It may be profitable in the short term for Apple, but could be devastating in the long term.

Solution #1: Make Inclusion Optional

1. Selling your product in the App Store should be optional.
2. Developers need the means to distribute, promote and sell their application however they want. Apple only gets their 30% cut for products sold in their store.

The App Store would still exist as a formidable way to sell your app without having to worry about payment processing or a website. But if some developers prefer do it all on their own, they deserve that opportunity.

Solution #2: Make the Approval Process Optional

Apple's argument against this suggestion is all about security and performance. They want the ability to keep the iPhone OS as secure and bug-free as possible. I totally get that, which is why application approval/certification should still be available to all developers whether they sell their product in the App Store or not.

As a developer, even if I don't want to sell my product in the App Store I should be able to pay a flat fee structure for Apple to review and approve my product just like all the ones in the App Store. Developers that pay the fee get the exact same treatment as App Store products.

While I completely understand the approval process and why it exists, I still believe it should be optional. iPhone users don't lease the devices from Apple, they own them. Therefore it's my right to screw it up with applications Apple doesn't support or approve if I want. Apple could limit the APIs and access in the SDK for unapproved apps, or throw up a big warning before installation; either would be reasonable. I just don't see why this has to be any different from installing an application for OSX.

Solution #3: Ditch iTunes

iTunes was awesome 10 years ago. Since then it's progressively morphed into the slowest, most bloated app on the Mac platform. It makes no sense for iTunes to serve all the purposes it does today. It should be scaled back to the music player/organizer it was always meant to be. Here's how:

• Make the iTunes Store web-based. The irony of Steve's open letter blasting Flash is that he talks about Flash being a proprietary platform. Guess what iTunes is? Proprietary! Thanks to all the great technologies talked about in that letter (HTML5, web standards), the store would lose nothing if they transitioned to a web app. Hopefully that's the direction they are headed by acquiring LaLa.
• Re-work iSync. Apple's iSync used to be pretty good at syncing Macs with other devices. iPhone OS devices should use a dedicated application like iSync to keep all their data in check. Furthermore, developers should be granted access to sync their applications through iSync as well, instead of forcing users to do it over WIFI as a completely separate process.

I could learn to love iTunes again if it just did what it was intended to do and played/organized my music.

In the end I have no problem with the iPhone OS being proprietary. So are OSX and Windows. But I think developers must continue to publicly challenge Apple's unfair practices with regards to the App Store. The iPhone OS will not scale or perform at it's full potential as long as it's constrained by the App Store bubble. When Apple decides to put developers in a position to succeed, they in turn will achieve a greater level of success.

Have you ever had a really big idea? I live for big ideas! The excitement, the research and the speed with which things happen initially is invigorating. I feel like I have big ideas all the time; but in the end very few of them come to fruition, and for good reason.

You may be working on a big idea right now ... I know I am! However, it's important to understand and appreciate an idea for what it is: nothing but a spark. It's a glorified plan, where the benefits are crystal clear and the hurdles have yet to be realized in full if at all. Until executed with precision, an idea has no value at all.

So many people see an idea as a stroke of luck for one or a few individuals who somehow achieved overnight success as a result. Seeing an idea through takes incredible fight, faith and perseverance. Most importantly it takes execution, for which successful entrepreneurs deserve all the credit.

Successful companies like Amazon.com, 37signals, Google, Tesla and so many others win not because they were the first with a specific idea, but because they execute better than anyone else.

As an entrepreneur, understanding the value of solid execution has made a huge difference in how I approach ideas. Take our app called Feed My Inbox, for example. The idea is not new or sexy, but no one was doing RSS to email well. In a little over a year, 60k+ customers and not a dime spent on advertising yet proves that you can succeed on solid execution.

You don't have to be the first with a game-changing idea; you only have to be the best at executing it.

Ideas are awesome. They can bring about innovation in an industry or even turn one upside down. But never bank on an idea getting you anywhere. Execution is and always will be the game-changer.

What do your clients say about you when you are not around? Never mind the one-on-one communication ... what do your clients REALLY think of you? What are they telling others about your company?

Does the thought of this make you a little nervous? If you care about building a successful business on the web or anywhere else, this is the kind of feedback you need from clients on a regular basis. Our little company depends solely on referrals for our business, so if our clients are not raving, our phones aren't ringing!

Often times we think of surveys when doing website testing or helping a client implement new features. Just as they are effective at gathering feedback for those uses, surveys are also a powerful way to hear what your clients are thinking, but may not be willing to say. If you come up with good questions, it is also guaranteed to point out things you can do better.

So early this year, I swallowed my pride and got in touch with every person we worked with over the last two years. I asked them to participate in our first annual client survey. All responses were completely anonymous and confidential. The survey consisted of 34 total questions. Most of them were multiple choice (rate from 1-5), and some were open-ended requesting specific feedback.

After all was said and done, about 35% of our clients filled it out. Each of our 1-5 rating questions (5 being the best) got either a 4 or 5 over 85% of the time, which I was very pleased with. Some questions had too many 2's and 3's, and I am now much more aware that we have to do better on those things. Either way, the 1-5 rating questions were a great way to observe overall client satisfaction with a solid number.

I'm really glad each section of our survey also had a text box for specific comments or feedback. I went through and read every single comment. Some of them were encouraging, and some of them were downright mean. Read them with an open mind and "customer is always right" mindset, which means making excuses is a waste of time. Just do better! The best responses included helpful suggestions, which we immediately implemented as part of our business.

Overall, I am so glad we went through with the client survey. We found some things we can do better, and probably never would have known about without the survey. We also set a benchmark, which is something we can look to improve on in coming years.

For our survey we used http://www.survs.com. They just launched their service publicly, and I had an incredibly positive experience using it. I have also heard nice things about http://www.surveymonkey.com. It's ugly, but is the current industry leader and seems to have additional features.

To view a copy of our survey in full, check out this page: project83.com/survey.

In school I learned that 50% of marketing is effective, but marketers have no real way of knowing which 50%. Thankfully, this rule does not apply on the web. Not only can you track 100% of your online marketing and website activity, but you can also test multiple variations simultaneously and make changes on the fly.

The most successful websites aren't the ones with the best designs, although that would make our job much easier. The best websites have people behind-the-scenes that are obsessed with testing and analytics, constantly finding incremental ways to improve. So while educated guesses and "gut feelings" may be acceptable elsewhere, this approach is sheer laziness on the web.

A while back I was talking with a client about the importance of multi-variate testing when considering some major changes to their site, when I got the "gut" line. They said something like, "I've got a gut feeling this is the best way to go", thus dismissing my pitch for doing some testing.

This is a really great person and client, but I think they made the wrong decision. In this case, meeting an internal deadline, checking it off the to-do list and moving on to something else potentially cost the company thousands in lost revenues. When lots of dollars are involved, it's simply not worth leaving decisions up to one person's opinion. When you take the time to test properly, thousands of customers can definitively make a decision for you.

I believe that's the most unfortunate thing about being a web design/development agency. The project-oriented nature of our business inherently lacks the post-launch follow-up and ongoing relationship to make sure the client achieves their goals. Up to the launch we're making educated guesses, but after that is where serious ground can be gained.

The "set it and forget it" mentality may result in a pretty site, but it won't help you build a business online. Still so many people do it that way because testing takes time, money (not a lot) and the desire to learn new things. Regretfully, many people feel they are too busy to see the incredible long-term benefits of such effort.

For those that are interested, we are teachers and doers at Project83. We enjoy teaching others how to implement multi-variate testing on their own, analyze results and re-test. We also don't mind doing it for you! All it takes is an open mind and a strong will to get better results from your current website.

Seth Godin recently touched on this topic (of course more eloquently) in an article called, "Everyone Gets Paid on Commission." It is definitely worth a read. The web changes things, people!

Here are some tools that we use on a regular basis for testing:

• Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics/)
• Google Website Optimizer (http://www.google.com/websiteoptimizer/)
• ClickTale (http://www.clicktale.net)
• CrazyEgg (http://www.crazyegg.com)

The process of estimating time in our business is broken. At most, we typically have a document of basic requirements, alongside a few calls with the client to go over questions about a project. In turn, we are expected to provide a budget/timeline and stick to it for what can easily be 3-6 months or more.

For many projects this is enough, but for larger or more custom work, estimates in many ways are just a shot in the dark. The process is often inaccurate and risky. It's like remodeling a house. The project often takes longer and costs more than you originally planned. Since we're committed to meeting both the timeline and budget, there are times when an inaccurate estimate can present a bit of a pickle.

An incorrect estimate isn't good for anyone. Overestimating isn't in the client's best interest and can keep you from getting the project, but underestimating almost ensures that the project will not promise to be your best work and it can be very frustrating for both sides. Ick.

Recently we have begun suggesting a paid "exploratory" period (needs a cool name). We spend all the time necessary to define a clear project scope, write out written requirements and estimate the time needed to complete the project. An accurate quote can easily take at least a few days when done properly, and it is only fair to be compensated for that kind of time.

Since the client pays for the time, they own the work that we do to define the scope and create written requirements. That way, getting bids from other companies should not only be easier, but all the bids should be more realistic.

Another benefit of paid exploratory periods is being able to partner with a client/company before diving in head first. It is very important for both sides to get to know each other, and get a good feel for what it's like to communicate together. If it does not work out, you can look elsewhere without being empty handed.

We don't do this on many projects, but it is extremely helpful for some. Here is a list of questions I consider when deciding whether the project needs further exploration:

1. How well do I know the client? How quickly do they typically communicate and get things done? Do they trust our expertise or value the same things we do in a quality website?
2. How long will the project take?
3. Have I done this before? How much of the work is new for us or custom?
4. With what we know about the project now, is it enough to provide a very accurate quote or do we need more information?

I'm definitely most comfortable with this approach right now, but it took nearly 4 years to figure it out. I believe it is perfectly reasonable to ask for compensation if it will take a significant amount of time to provide an accurate bid on a project. If you can master the art of pricing and estimates in web development, you are on your way to building a very successful business.

For additional thoughts and ideas on estimating time as a web designer/developer, our friends at Smashing Magazine published a very informative article about it.