In reading Timothy Ferriss'The 4-Hour Workweek, I have learned and/or reinforced a number of great productivity principles. One of them that has really made a profound impact on my thinking relates to customer service.

Spending more time building your business, and less time answering customer emails and phone calls can all be summed up in one word: Simplicity. The following is a small excerpt from The 4-Hour Workweek, and brings up a new perspective on making customers happy.

Henry Ford once said, referring to his Model-T, the bestselling car of all time, "The customer can have any color he wants as long as it's black." He understood something that businesspeople seem to have forgotten: Serving the customer ("customer service") is not becoming a personal concierge and catering to their every whim and want. Customer service is providing an excellent product at an acceptable price and solving legitimate problems (lost packages, replacements, refunds, etc.) in the fastest manner possible. That's it.

The more options you offer the customer, the more indecision you create and the fewer orders you receive—it is a disservice all around. Furthermore, the more options you offer the customer, the more manufacturing and customer service burden you create for yourself.

Tim makes a great point here and goes on to share a couple other great illustrations regarding the same principle. Serving the customer has always been the backbone of our business, and it will continue to be. BUT, that does not mean there are not significant steps we can take to simplify customer decisions.

Is there any way you could simplify your product or service? If it cannot be simplified, then how could you simplify the process behind that product or service. Tim suggests that you could offer ONE shipping method instead of multiple ones including overnight that can create headaches. Or eliminate phone orders, even eliminate international shipments.

"What if I lose customers by simplifying the process?"

The customers that you do lose, if any, will be the high-maintenance ones that cause headaches for your customer service department or staff anyways. That also works out in your favor.

I believe life is just too short to get bogged down with customer service, so do everything YOU can to simplify your product/process, and everyone ends up better off.

In the previous post we discussed characteristics of the ideal client for your business, and how they can lead to less stress and a more enjoyable work environment. Being able to identify great projects versus bad ones upfront is equally as important. We will explore 3 questions today that can help any consulting business choose projects that are both challenging and rewarding for everyone involved.

The first time I thought about this was at South By Southwest in March of 2006. The opening keynote was a GREAT dialogue between Jason Fried of 37signals and Jim Coudal of Coudal Partners. Jim Coudal touched on these questions as things they considered before taking on a project. If they could answer "YES" to each one, then the project was potentially worth their time and effort. These questions have made a profound impact on our business and strategy ever since.

1. Can We Do Great Work?

Being capable of great work on a particular project is only half of the battle. If you can bring knowledge, expertise and talent to a project in order to make it great, that's definitely a start.

The other half is about whether you can get excited about the doing the work. Let's face it-a quality product has a great deal of time, effort and passion behind it. Are you dedicated to bringing passion and excitement every day to a project for 2, 3, 6 months or however long it may be? If not, you have to then ask yourself if that is fair to the client.

2. Can We Make Money?

While it's not talked about as much, making money is part of running a successful business, and it's what gives our team the opportunity to do what we love for a living. It has to be a major consideration in taking on a project. Don't let money ever become an excuse to give less effort later in the process. Be smart enough to charge an amount that you are more than pleased with upfront.

Giving "bargains" in exchange for what the client calls "exposure" will hardly ever work in your favor, so be careful. Exposure does not pay the bills, and it is seldom worth coming down on price. Doing cheap work for friends/family, and also non-profit organizations can be a scary thing. You will often find that those projects tend to drag out longer than expected and involve more high-maintenance clients. We give a small discount to non-profits and friends/family across the board as a rule so that we don't ever end up unhappy later on because of money.

It's a great practice to charge an amount that allows you to make money, no matter who the client is. That guarantees the client's investment in the project, as well as your dedication to see it through to the end. It ends up working out best for both sides.

3. Can We Learn Something?

Any great company is always looking for opportunities to get better and learn from experience. Under no circumstances should a project allow you to simply go through the motions without learning or improving something. Every time we do an eCommerce site, we get better with shopping carts and checkout processes. Every time we install our content management system Springboard we optimize the code or make it easier to use in some way. Ideal projects will present challenging problems and opportunities for you to get better, so don't be afraid to seek them out.

I hesitate saying this publicly, but I have bid on projects where I was not completely sure HOW we were going to do what was requested. As long as I knew we could find a way to do great work and learn something along the way, I still submitted the bid. And never once have I come to regret it. Learning experience for me is something that happens every hour of the day, and that makes for really exciting work.

I want to end this two-article series with a disclaimer. I am not telling you to be picky or say no to any project/client that is not "ideal". Each situation is unique. I am just asking you to consider these things upfront, rather than when it is too late. These are simply questions and guidelines that will hopefully lead to work that's fun and truly fulfilling. As an added bonus, it's guaranteed to grow your business exponentially along the way.

Everyone wants to have a job where they can wake up each morning and get excited about work. The great thing about being an entrepreneur is that YOU are in complete control of doing work that is not only worth getting excited about, but it's something you can be proud of.

In any business, the key to great work starts with people. Not only do you want great people on your team, but you want to work for great clients that share some of the same vision and ideals as you. Learning how to identify and seek out your ideal client is the key to making your job easier, less stressful, and it also brings out your very best work.

One person that gave me great insight and perspective on this very subject is John Jantsch, and his book Duct Tape Marketing.

In the beginning of his book, he stresses the importance of identifying your ideal client. He encourages you to ask three important questions:

1. Do they want what I have?

In our business, we offer web design that's completely focused on being user-friendly first, then looks great and represents the brand well second. We value things like web standards and clean markup so that users can enjoy their browsing experience and clients can achieve their desired results.

If a company comes to us wanting a new site with a big splash page and lots of flash animations, it is probably not the best fit for either party. Even if the money is great, it's not worth pulling my hair out trying to convince this client of doing things the way we think they should be done. Jantsch says that "people rarely act to their own benefit unless they want to", and he is right. Working with clients that don't want what you have is simply a waste of your time, and it can be incredibly frustrating.

2. Do they value what I do?

I believe this question is the most important of the three that Jantsch asks. Our ideal client understands the time and effort that goes into each project we work on. Believe it or not, building a site does not take 2-4 months because we work slowly. Anyone that values our process can understand why it takes that long and is willing to work within whatever timeframe they are given.

Every so often we get an inquiry for a website that has to be done on a ridiculous schedule, like 1-2 weeks. These people might be very nice human beings, but they have absolutely no value for the service we provide. Taking on a project like this involves unnecessary stress and an end result that no one is proud of. Life is simply too short to work with people that don't value your service, and those projects are never fun to be a part of.

3. Are they willing to pay a premium for what I do?

Web development is a very creative business, and companies can charge a premium because each company's services are unique. I feel that our team brings a great deal of talent and expertise to each project, and we charge a fee that is absolutely fair considering the time and effort involved. If potential clients are not able to work with your fee, it is simply not worth bargaining.

Since many companies offer unique services, there's no reason to feel like you have to compete with others. You will find in ANY business that ideal clients are willing to pay what you charge without questions. Those that try to bargain or haggle over every nickel and dime for your service will be more high-maintenance and will take advantage of you. Charge what is fair to all clients and the process is much easier for everyone involved.

So this may be great advice, but how do you deal with "non-ideal" clients that you already have? Jantsch suggests that, "you should consider firing about 20 percent of your past customers simply on the basis that they no longer fit into the picture of your current business." This figure is, of course, unique to your particular situation. If neither party is getting what they should from the relationship, then it is best to move in a different direction. Try to recommend another provider and help them transition so that you can both move forward.

Just think: there are only 24 hours in a day, and your time is worth a great deal. Spending time with ideal clients is more fun and profitable for everyone involved, and it ensures that you continue loving your job.

After a great deal of thought and consideration with my own business in mind, I believe Jantsch is absolutely right with these three questions. It really gave me some much-needed perspective. I understand it may be more difficult for those that are starting out and just trying to pay the bills. But you should always consider this advice, and work towards client relationships that can maximize the benefits for you AND them.

Long term this will enable you or your company to do great work, have less stress and definitely wake up psyched to do it over and over again each day!

Customer service is something I can always get excited about, and is something I try to emphasize a great deal at Project83. Maybe it's from the years of waiting tables throughout college, or maybe because I know how great it feels to experience great service as a customer. Joel Spolsky has just written a fantastic article on customer service, and I consider it a must-read for anyone in a service industry. Those of you looking for practical ways to build a great company can start with these seven principles.

Most people that have built a web application would probably tell you that great design and development are the last things you should worry about. They are absolutely correct. It has much more to do with the process and mentality through which you create your application. Each person involved must possess a great deal of passion, optimism and foresight to see a project of that magnitude through to the end. If you have read this far and are still fired up, I would like to share 5 things our team learned so far in developing our new web application called Dayscape.

1. Find a Niche

While listening to a podcast from the Web 2.0 Show recently, I heard a great comment from their guest Richard White. Richard was on the team that developed Kiko, an online calendar that ultimately did not pan out and was sold on eBay, so I was very intrigued to hear what he had to say. When asked why he felt the application failed, he said it was because they were trying to be all things to all people. In a market where few have the capability to reach the masses like Google can with their products, it only makes sense to find the right niche. One of the first things you do when building a web app should be to define your audience. Who would benefit from this product the most and why do they need it? For example, our team knew about Google Calendar while in the planning stages of Dayscape, and it never shook our desire to build the application simply because we are going for a different niche of people. Our product's primary use is within businesses, so we decided to focus on personalization, communication options and using a more elegant, professional user interface.

2. Celebrate Small Victories

If a brochure web site is a sprint, a web application is surely a marathon. Your team will get easily burned out if you don't take the time to sit back and celebrate progress along the way. There will be moments of frustration and doubt, but make sure to use every excuse to encourage and praise the accomplishments of those you are working with along the way. Every 2-3 weeks our team would go out to eat, have a great time and cast a vision for where things are headed next. Those times really provide an opportunity to not only look back on progress over time, but also to get motivated for the next phase of development. By turning a huge project into small, bite-sized projects it is easier to swallow and gives you a lot more opportunities to pat yourself on the back.

3. Set Deadlines

Most people start developing a web application as a side project in their free time, which is great. The downfall in that situation is that people are often too casual in their planning. "As soon as possible" just is not good enough, it is easy to become lazy and lose interest in the project at that point. At all costs, establish deadlines and do everything in your power to meet them. It creates not only a sense of urgency, but accountability within your team. If you promise to finish a project by a certain date and know that someone is waiting on your work, somehow you do what it takes to get it done.

4. Keep in Touch with the Real World

Those that work within the web community can easily get stuck in a bubble along with everyone else that spends all day in front of a computer and get out of touch with casual users with relatively casual needs. Before spending a significant amount of time on your web app, conduct whatever research is necessary to find out whether there is a real demand for your product with normal consumers. The results could tell you to refine your idea or drop it all together, thus saving a great deal of time and effort. The community of web developers is a relatively small one. If your product only appeals to developers, chances are that there is not much of a business model for it. The bottom line is to make a product that fills a widespread NEED, not just a "oh, that would be cool". People don't pay for cool applications; they pay for a service that makes their lives easier. One sobering statistic that can help you figure our whether your application can create enough income to succeed is that only about 2% of your customers will actually sign up for a "paying" account. So if you have 200 customers, plan on around 4 of them actually choosing to pay for the service being provided.

5. Have a Unique Selling Proposition

A similar term was used in a previous article about writing a winning proposal, and the same principle applies here. Do everything possible to separate yourself from competition by outlining unique benefits your application has over other services. Once you find a niche market for your product, setting yourself apart from competition should be easy. One thing that really bothers me is that so many companies have blatantly ripped off Digg and their model for displaying content. Digg came up with a great idea and providers like Netscape just made a crappier version of the same thing. Unless you can make your product better and set it apart in some way, don't waste your time. Honestly, no one likes a copycat.

Recommended Reading

I hope this article has shed some light on the fact that there are so many important elements to consider in building a web app other than the code. The eBook Getting Real (from 37signals) imparts a great deal of wisdom to support the principles just mentioned. Anyone thinking about creating a web application must read this book and reinforce its principles each day. Getting Real helped our team zone in a minimal feature set to start off, keep things simple, and most importantly keep our users the number one priority.

An Update on Dayscape

We have been working very hard to meet our self-imposed deadlines on Dayscape, thus the lack of posts lately. Currently we are doing some private testing among our team here, but if you would like to be among the first to try it out, make sure to sign up on MyDayscape.com.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your sales pitch? Let's face it, there are a lot of companies out there doing phenomenal work, writing beautiful code, and building functional, standards-based layouts. One way to set yourself apart has nothing to do with semantic markup, it has to do with your sales pitch, meaning your proposal. Numerous elements come together to create a winning website proposal that can help you land that big client or project; I found four of them that I consider to be high priorities in my own experience.

Provide a Value Proposition

Most any web developer or company feels there are certain qualities that set them apart from all the rest. This quality, whatever it may be, is your unique value proposition. In writing your web proposals, make sure you spend some time exploiting the number one reason you should get the project. In writing proposals, our value proposition is the first thing I talk about. Right off the bat, the potential client knows how we are different than most any other company they might choose for the job. I find that this sets the tone for your entire sales pitch.

Use a Copy Editor

At Project83, we send all of our public copy through a copy editor. Getting your proposal edited by a professional already sets you apart from most other companies, and fixing common grammar and spelling mistakes is only the beginning of what they can add to your proposals. Not only does an editor bring an English degree to the table, but also the opinion of a real person that understands simple terminology instead of the latest industry-specific jargon we are all used to. A good editor is exceptional at putting complicated terms in words that people can easily understand, which is key in this line of work. Anyone can benefit by communicating clearly to potential clients, and a proposal that is in very simple, understandable terms is a great start. If anyone knows of a good resource to find online copy editing, please leave it in the comments for others to see.

Add a Personal Touch

People can always appreciate something that has been personalized specifically for them. While you might use the same general "template" for proposals, be sure to add a personal touches throughout that grab your potential client. For instance, make sure the cover page is decorated with the client's logo, something they can immediately connect with. Revise the copy throughout the entire proposal to make sure it all applies specifically to the potential client and their specific needs. Finally, we try to write a personal note at the end of each proposal to assure them that a great deal of time was put into creating this document. If a client sees how much work you put into a free proposal, imagine what that says of your work ethic once you start working on their project.

Keep it Simple

This principle can apply to most anything relating to web development, and is absolutely true in a proposal. This is not the place to layout every single specific about the project. Save specifics for the contract and for writing out technical specifications down the line. A proposal is simply not the place to do anything but sell your services. Make sure that you provide a clear description of the services you would like to perform, and a clear description of what those services will cost. Doing this will probably give your proposal the ideal length as well. These are definitely principles that have helped our team to write proposals we take a great deal of pride in. Another nice resource for writing proposals can be found on the Blue Flavor Blog.

Recently, I have been quite fascinated by a story I heard yesterday about Best Buy, and their ROWE (results oriented work environment) program. Beginning in 2002, the company tried an experiment with about 2,000 employees in their Minnesota corporate headquarters. They decided that employees would get paid for getting the job done, no strings attached.

Best Buy employees could come and go as they please, work whenever and wherever they wanted. As long as their responsibilities were taken care of, they do not have to step one foot in the office. Work from home, work at the beach, work at 3am, just get the job done. An amazing thing happened . . . it worked!

Thanks to the company's ability to see the "big picture", they have reported an increase in productivity of up to 20%. Not only that, but employee morale and entrepreneurial spirit has gone up greatly as well thanks to the ROWE program.

I don't know where the disconnect has been all of these years, but building a great business is based on happy employees. When did corporate America lose sight of that? You can imagine that not many Best Buy employees are leaving their flexible hours because they enjoy the feel of a 9-5 in a cubicle a little better. I for one am happy to see that companies like Best Buy and Google are innovating the way employees are managed, and that they have experienced immeasurable benefits thanks to their efforts.

I feel that trends such as this are only the beginning in the evolution of the workplace, and the "9-5 employee". Those of us that are part of younger generations won't work for a company that bombards us with guidelines and restrictions that suck the fun out of having a job. We care more about working for a cause, something we are truly passionate about, not just a lifeless excuse for a paycheck.

Companies large and small must find ways to give their employees significance on a daily basis. The ROWE program is simply a strategy that empowers people, get's them to "drink the koolaid" in a sense and know that what they do matters. That is the true path to better productivity and a healthier bottom line.

Best Buy is now talking about taking the ROWE program to another level. They have discussed the idea of bringing it to ALL of their employees, even in the retail stores. There are obvious red flags involved with a plan like that, but I admire their spirit and ambition. I look forward to seeing how it all turns out.

If you would like to hear more on Best Buy's ROWE program, check out the audio segment from npr.org.

Everyone is looking for ways to increase website traffic these days, and for a good reason. But what are you doing to make the most of the traffic that's already there? Optimizing your checkout process is definitely one of the most efficient ways to make more money from your existing site traffic. Let's take a look at 5 of the most important changes you could make to give your customers more certainty making a purchase

1. Are We There Yet?

Optimizing your checkout process is all about reassuring the customer, in a sense you need to hold their hand until the purchase is made. One simple way to reassure your customers that they are almost there is a progress bar. Find out how many steps there are in your checkout process and make sure to let your customers know. They are much more likely to make the purchase if they know how many steps are involved in the process. Spelling it out is also effective, like Step 2 of 5- Checkout.

2. Respect Your Guests' Anonymity

With new visitors on your site, the object is to keep things as simple as possible. One way to do this is to NOT require them to create an account. A powerful feature of some carts is that you can give the customer an option to proceed as a "guest". This means they can fill out the bare minimum of information and make their purchase quickly. The guest technique works especially in stores that don't have many repeat customers. One of our clients, AndyAndrews.comhas a sign-in page that looks like this . . .

3. Be Available by Phone

Not only should you have your contact information and store policies visible to the user at all times, but a phone number is still most important. Many of us in the web development world just assume that everyone has come around to making purchases online, and there is no need for other ways of ordering. If you think that, then you should get out more. Tons of people still feel insecure punching their personal information in a machine regardless of how secure your site is. We suggest having a phone number that people can call and speak with a real person. If you are a smaller merchant and are unable to have staff available to help customers, simply setup a voicemail line. Do whatever it takes to assure the customer they can order through other means if they wish. Ordering by fax and mail is also worth making available. It also gives your customers a sense of security in knowing they can make a phone call if they have an issue.

4. Make Changes Easy

Most of us are quite methodical and indecisive in our checkout process, myself included. In light of this, give the user every opportunity to edit their shopping cart, and to edit their information before confirming their order. If a customer has to go back five steps in order to add something to their cart or change the shipping address, they are likely to just leave. So one thing you can do is to make sure the product name in the cart ALWAYS links back to the product. Do the same for the shipping address, give them the opportunity to change it up until the order is confirmed.

5. Study Your Customers

Once you have taken the time to optimize your shopping cart to the best of your knowledge and ability, make sure to keep an eye on stats. Free programs like Google Analytics are an incredible resource that will tell you exactly where you are losing customers in the checkout process. If you seem to be losing most customers on the shipping page, then that is where you try to make some changes and simplify your process. I would recommend coming back to check your analytics once a month and finding ways you can constantly make your checkout easier for the customer. In case you were wondering, an abandonment rate of 20-30% is superb. Depending on the cost of your store products and other factors, it could vary, but that is certainly a great target. Thanks to Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg and their MUST-READ book on this subject, Call to Action. I highly recommend it for further study, and you can always contact us if interested in shopping cart optimization services.

A couple years ago I came to a shocking realization about business in general. Whatever you are passionate about, wherever your career takes you, it all hinges on one single thing. One skill can single-handedly take you where you want to go. It is true in every field of expertise that I know of, especially in developing websites. Your business succeeds based on relationships.

This principle is not profound, but it is proven. We can all stand to be reminded that everything we do revolves around our interaction with others. The science of mastering those relationships creates success in whatever form we choose.

Those of us in the web development field can easily lose touch of this key principle while tucked away in front of a screen for 14 hours per day answering emails and writing code until our fingers cramp up. While email and instant messaging makes our lives infinitely easier, it is not the answer to how we master our relationships with clients and team members. Being a closet introvert myself, I would much rather send a mindless email than go out of my way to be nice to someone, or heaven forbid leave my office and meet them for coffee. That kind of attitude is a great way to tread water for the next five years and never grow your business. Find a way to communicate better.

Clients and customers that you work with just so happen to be your biggest marketing tool. So find a reason to pick up the phone and call your client to discuss the project you are working on or work out a support issue with them if they need help. Find time to meet people you are working with and just bounce ideas off each other. Whatever it is, find excuses every day NOT to send email.

I also find that miscommunication often occurs through an email or instant messages. So if nothing else, give your clients absolute clarity by calling to give them an update. People are often times unintentionally rude and create a great deal of tension in a working relationship through an email. I find that the things people would say in an email (or on a blog), they would most likely not have the nerve to say to anyone's face. In those situations, have the integrity to call them up and walk through whatever is going on. 9 times out of 10 you will both leave the conversation feeling better about where you stand.

Lastly, not everyone works like we do. We love technology and email because it enables us to get things done, but many of our clients don't care as much about it. Taking the time to call and give your undivided attention to a client will make a world of difference. In the end it just creates future business for your company.

I would like to challenge you to try and make five work-related verbal connections per day. Just five. Whether it is calling a potential client to talk with them about their new website, or meeting a co-worker for pizza to discuss your current projects and the web application idea you have, these five connections will help you to create the business you always dreamed of.

This very article has inspired me to meet early with a client tomorrow for coffee, and then to fly to New York for the weekend and hang out with someone I have worked with for two years and never met before. I hope that it inspires similar action in your own business.