PayPal Fees | Should You Charge Your Clients?
Written by Jacob Cass on Thursday, November 13, 2008 – 12:01 am
To charge or not to charge, that is the question.
When accepting payments via PayPal, PayPal takes a percentage of what ever you are paid and this fee usually ranges between 1.9% to 3.9% - think of this fee based over a year - if you are earning $50,000 a year, you are losing $1750 worth of your hard earned cash. Times that by 5 years… well you get the point.
At present, my opinion is that you should charge your clients PayPal fees however I would like to hear both sides of the story. I have listed some reasons for both sides below.
David Airey also posted an article on how designers charge their clients which outlines various alternative methods of payment along with further discussions on the subject.
Reasons To Charge Your Clients
- More profit - The most obvious reason to charge your clients PayPal fees would be to keep your cash rather than PayPal take it which in turn, improves your cash flow, profits, etc.
- It is an acceptable practice - many small businesses charge a fee to use their credit card services and for a good reason… it really does add up. As freelancers, we generally work as sole traders so we also classify as small business, thus making it acceptable.
- It is a small price to pay for a client - 1.9% - 3.5% is a very low fee to charge for a client in comparison to your earnings.
Reasons NOT To Charge Your Clients
- Higher fees for the client - Your services become more expensive which may lead to your clients going elsewhere. Generally, these small fees are not a huge problem unless you have large or repetitive projects.
- Poor cash flow - When clients pay by cheque it can take longer to receive your payment which decreases cash flow. You also have to take into consideration the 3-4 days it takes to withdraw your money from PayPal.
- Loss of clients - If you have recurring clients, the fees can add up over time and they may go elsewhere to find someone who does not charge PayPal fees.
- PayPal is risky - There has been instances where the client has claimed a dispute with PayPal saying that they never received what they paid for. This means your money can get held up for weeks on end.
- Can be seen as unprofessional - Some clients may consider charging fees unprofessional and possibly unethical.
- Against PayPal Terms Of Service - Someone mentioned that charging your clients PayPal fees is against PayPal’s terms of service however I have not seen any confirmation of this. Confirmed - it is against PayPal’s TOS.
Poll
I also ran a poll on Twitter (follow me) to see how many people charge clients PayPal fees and how many do not. Cast your vote to see the current results.
Update: Steven also did a great write up about PayPal fees here.
Comment Below
- What is your opinion?
- Have you got any more reasons for or against charging clients PayPal fees?
- Do you show that you have incorporated the PayPal fee into your price or not?
9 Of The Best Ways To Present A Website To A Client
Written by Jacob Cass on Monday, August 25, 2008 – 2:53 pm
The design phase of creating a website is fairly standard for most web designers however when it comes to presenting the mock up to a client before slicing / coding the design, some problems do arise so I went out and asked the community about how they present a web site design to a client.
After filtering through all the responses and summarising them I am now ready to present to you, 9 of the best ways to present a website design to a client, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each method.
The Problems
As web-savvy individuals, it’s quite easy to grasp and understand the concept that mock-ups are simply static images that depict what a site would look like. However, what many web designers have found is that this concept is incredibly difficult for clients to wrap their head around.
We, as designers and communicators, try to make it clear to clients that what they are looking at is a static and flat image of their potential site design. Still, many questions and comments come from the clients after you present the design, such as the ones Verne Ho of Creating Briefing and many others, have experienced below:
- Why don’t any of the links work?
- How do I edit the text on this?
- How come I can’t highlight text?
- The website is too small (occurs because the browser has shrunken the image by default)!
- I don’t like the white space that surrounds the site.
- Can we center the site?
To some extent, I can understand the confusion… they are looking at something that looks like a website that is inside a browser or picture viewer, however, oddly, it doesn’t act like a website… obviously this fact would raise questions.
To find out what various web designers do to get around these problems I went and asked my odd 1000+ friends on Twitter (Follow Me) and Facebook (Add Me) to see what they do when presenting a web design mock up to a client.
Methods of Presenting Web Design Mockups
After getting replies from my Twitter / Facebook friends (big thank you) I came to these 9 methods of how to present a web design mock up to a client. In no particular order:
Place the image on a web page and send them a link.
People can probably better identify an image when it appears as they normally see it, such as in a web browser however it does create many more questions as I previously outlined above.
If you choose this method try to personalise it by uploading it to your own server… use the directory/clients/clientname/index.htm. Another tip here was to use the free .tk domain provider so that you can send them a link such as http://clientsdomain.tk which also looks quite professional. Thank you for the .tk tip Herbert.
Send A JPEG or PNG via Email
Sending a mockup by email is probably the simplest way however it is not always the best… Some users have small screen resolutions which means the picture may shrink which means more questions along with the other ones that I outlined above.
Use some kind of web-based application
Using a web-based application to showcase mock-ups reinforces the idea that it’s something on ‘display’ and it is not a live example which may lead to less questions.
Use the website CodedPreview
CodedPreview allows you to create simple HTML preview pages, showing what a template should look like when coded. (Thanks liamuk7 for this one.) Again, try to personalise it as much as you can, tailored to your client.
Create A ‘Client Studio‘
Rather than using an online based application, you can set up your own ’studio’ on your own server where the client can log in and view mock ups (jpg’s on a html page) which they approve… You can put revisions on the same page (new jpg’s) and once approved you can add a link to view the functional site in progress.
Here is an example from IDesignStudios. “I email clients with the URL for the client studio, as well as their Client ID, Username and Password. You have to have a username/password to even get into the first screen (w/ disclaimer and dropdown of client ID’s). A client can only continue on to their own client area (as in, all clients can see the first page w/ dropdown, but you can only login to 1 client area after that).” You can view a screenshot of the log in screen and inside the client studio.
Export mock-ups in PDF
Rather than saving in jpeg or png format which is just an image that can be opened in the clients default image viewing software, having it in PDF format means, in most cases, that they must open the website in Adobe Reader. The advantage of this is that there’s less expectations for it to function like a website. The use of layer comps is also useful in PDFs to show variations of a design.
Skip photoshop and design in HTML
There are a few debates on this one and it usually comes down to whatever process best enables your creativity however this one is for you to decide.
Get The Client To Come Into Your Office
Although this is not always possible, it usually is the best way to present a web mock up to a client as it allows you to talk over the whole project together with the client. If you have this opportunity, always take it.
Send Them a JPEG or PNG & Ask Them To Print It
This was just an idea I came up with… if you send them a full scale JPEG mockup of the design and ask them to print it off, then they will not think that the website will function like it normally does which in turn will mean less questions. A disadvantage of this however is that the site will not be to scale.
Original Responses
Below are some of the original responses I got within 24 hours from my friends on Twitter and Facebook… once again thank you. Follow Me On Twitter and Add Me On Facebook and while your at it, Join The Just Creative Design Facebook Group.
marioOlckers @justcreative Stealth live install on server to illustrate proof-of-concept and then back to drawing board after input and consultation.
netbramha @justcreative PNG, How about you?
brianyerkes @justcreative Save it as a jpeg, upload it to a directory on your server called /clients/clientname. Make an index.html page. Add jpg image.
brownaddesign @justcreative I just post the design on my web server, in a directory I create for the client, and email them a link to view.
marnieb @justcreative In JPG format. 
metalgod @justcreative I put together a PDF with annotations and send it over to the client. Then I follow up with a call to walk them through it.
trisnadi @justcreative Has the client seen the draft before? I normally do a full walk through before letting them touch it or ask questions.
ClarkleSparkle @justcreative Email.
bradsherrill @justcreative Have the client come into your office and let them view in 1:1 scale preferably jpeg format. If you can’t do that email them.
jessjoyce @justcreative - We send/upload .pngs of the Photoshop/Illustrator docs
spinfly321 @justcreative - Design in photoshop and present as a jpg
biwerw @justcreative - Create a web page with the .jpgs of the concepts on it and send them the link. Hope this helps.
liamuk7 @justcreative - Just as a image or using http://www.codedpreview.com
idesignstudios @justcreative - I give clients access to their own “client studio” - they can login and view mockups (jpg’s on a html pg) as they approve…I put revisions on the same page (new jpg’s). Once approved I add a link to view the functional site in progress.
marcoslhc @justcreative - I generally deliver some physical sketches (paper and colour pencils) to the second meeting, and digital ones to the 3rd
stevemoseley @justcreative - Depends on 2 things: project size, and pickiness of the client. If either - photoshop mockup. If neither, first cut of html.
adellecharles @justcreative I usually save for web and insert into and html doc / upload to server just so the client can see
craftisan @justcreative What I do depends on the client… sometimes live web previews or pdf/jpg mockups… mostly jpgs.
randaclay @justcreative JPG file, or sometimes PDF
EliteByDesign @justcreative Usually just a JPG via email or uploaded to my site. Nothing fancy, after all, it’s only a first draft!
pointlessramble @justcreative Stick it in a HTML file with any backgrounds needed/etc.
RyanDownie @justcreative To present mock-ups I put the image in a directory on server /name and then add a backgound image to tile full browser
Herbert via FaceBook: I usually upload the website with a free domain www.yourdomain.tk, it’s easy you redirect the path from your hosting to the free domain.
Steve via Facebook: We have a web.yourcompany.com setup and give the client the URL web.yourcompany.com/client.
Patrick McColley via Facebook: I usually post it on my server or if they let me, theirs.
Further Discussions
Below are some further articles on this topic of mock ups and presentation.
- Photoshop Mockups vs Client Expectations
- Improve Your Creative Process, Better Design, Quicker Approvals
- Why Give Clients More Than Just One Mock Up?
- Live By The Mockup, Die By The Mock Up
- Client Web Site Mockups & Comps: Do you Bother?
- Design Mock Ups Don’t Work
Those already linked to in this article:
So I ask you, how do you present your web design mockups and after seeing the methods suggested, what do you believe is the best way?
And if deserved, a digg would be appreciated. Thank you.
How to Talk to Non-Tech-Savvy Clients
Written by Jacob Cass on Sunday, July 6, 2008 – 10:00 pm
I wrote this article originally for Freelance Switch (my first paid article ever) so go check out their post to read what other tips Freelance Switch readers have offered or you could just read on, the articles are the same - except mine has pretty pictures.
Learning how to carry out a compelling conversation with your non-tech-savvy client is a crucial skill that all freelancers must possess, especially if you want to keep a steady cash flow.
This article will go through some strategies on how to talk jargon with your clients so you can maintain their attention and give an accurate picture of what they really need to understand.
Fish for an estimate of their expertise
So you know how much explanation is needed for certain terms, you must first try to determine the clients starting knowledge. This can be done indirectly by using “fishing techniques”.
For example, you could bring up in an early conversation a generic question related to your industry. For example, if you worked in the web design industry you could ask your client in passing “Hey, what is your preferred web browser?” or “What operating system do you use?”.
What you are trying to find out is if they know the basic terms of the industry, if they have a knowledge of the industry, if they have any experience with it, their tech savvy-ness and how they relate with the topic at hand.
Some more questions could be:
- If you worked in the graphic design industry… “Do you use Adobe Photoshop or any other image editing software?
- If you worked in the programming industry…”Do you subscribe to any RSS feeds?”, “How familiar are you with the programming process?”
- If you worked in the writing industry…”What are some websites / authors you read regularly?”
- If you worked in the illustration industry…”Have you ever worked with an Illustrator before?”
Don’t Underestimate Their Knowledge
Let’s imagine that you are a blogger and you’ve just asked another blogger if they knew what RSS feeds were? They would most probably laugh in your face or worse, get offended and that is what you must avoid. You can do this by not underestimating their knowledge. Don’t patronise them.
As quoted in Freelance Switch’s 12 breeds of clients and how to work with them make sure you balance the playing field by asking for their input in the areas they know about – their business. This will keep them happy and stop them feeling the need to weigh in on your area of expertise – which can waste everybody’s time.
If you’re unsure of their grasp on a particular subject, don’t assume they don’t know anything, ask fishing questions and judge by their reactions whether or not you’ve explained enough. This is even easier if you are in a face to face interview.
Keep It Simple & Slow
Once you know their level of knowledge you’ll start to gather an understanding of how deeply you must explain the job at hand. Explain in plain English, use examples, keep it simple, keep it slow and don’t overwhelm your client with technical jargon or over-the-top explanations. There is no reason to explain how you are going to do something, you should be telling them why and what it will do for the client.
Just think about it when you visit a doctor and he speaks with unfamiliar medical terms, don’t you hate that? But when he slows down, provides a good explanation in plain English and shows you diagrams from a book, he accomplishes his task of communicating with you more effectively. This is what we need to do as freelancers, slow down, provide examples and talk in familiar terms.
Talk In Terms Of Results
As mentioned above, explain to them why and what you are doing for the client not how you are doing it. Talk in terms of results - this will keep them listening and they will be more appreciative of the job you are doing for them.
For an example, trying to describe the importance of standards-compliant XHTML, you could say: “Standards-compliant XHTML ensures that the website’s mark-up is valid and supported by most modern web browsers which in the end means less maintenance and fewer customer support enquiries due to browser-rendering issues“. It is still technical but it gives them the results of your efforts.
You could also go for a more simple approach and say “I will optimise the code so that you will get the best Google rankings possible and make your site viewable for as long as possible into the future, by the widest possible array of users.”
Pause or Ask for Questions
If you leave pauses in between your explanations this will encourage your client to clarify or ask a question. Behave as if that you’re always willing to answer any question, no matter how simple or stupid it may sound. If they ever seem confused or remain silent, ask them “Should I explain further?” or if you’re writing via email, tell them that you’re “happy to answer any question that you may have”. Never make your client sound stupid. Period.
Put Things In Writing & Share Resources
Non-Tech-Savvy people like things in writing as they can read and re-read it at their own pace and get familiar with the terminology and even research the topic themselves. This is a great time to share with your client any resources that may be relevant. For example, you could provide a link to the Wikipedia explanation of unfamiliar terms or even provide an eBook on the topic at hand.
Use Familiar References
A great way to relate information to clients is by using scenarios and situations that are pertinent to their background. Be creative, make analogies funny, and most of all, use analogies to relay complex concepts. To illustrate with a satirical example: if you were talking to a photography enthusiast, you could say “using tables instead of div’s for a page layout is as bad as a decision as using Photoshop filters on your photos.”
Be Honest
Being honest with your client is a no brainer so try to be honest, sincere and upfront with everything that you do. If they ask you a tricky question, don’t pretend you know everything. Your client will appreciate it if you tell them the truth and that you will “get back to them later with a full solution.”
Conclusion
You may want to impress your client with the vast amount of knowledge that you have, however, if they do not understand it, then all of your effort is lost. Try to think of the doctor analogy I mentioned earlier… when explaining a concept, slow down, provide examples and talk in familiar terms.
Have you got any other tips on how you effectively communicate with not-so-tech clients? You can also check out Freelance Switch’s post for more tips from Freelance Switch readers.
Dudes and Dolls and Design Decisions
Written by Jacob Cass on Monday, June 16, 2008 – 10:00 pm
In this unusually quirky and informative guest article Kelly Erickson* goes through some tips and examples on how to design for men and women - showing how to win them over and get referrals at the same time. A really unique article that I would highly recommend to read. - Jacob Cass.d
The Sticky Realisation That We Are Not All the Same
“I am not young enough to know everything.”
—Oscar Wilde
When I was younger, I never wanted to believe in gender differences. Okay, beyond the obvious. To think that women can’t play pro ball, that men can’t enjoy an art gallery, that men can’t be good listeners, that women can’t learn where their carburetor is? No, I did not like that idea at all. I’m firmly in the post-feminist generation, believing that when we start treating our kids as plain “kids” from birth, these differences will recede.
It pains me deeply, but the older I get the more I realise there are some differences in how men and women fundamentally see the world.
As designers, we’re going to have to deal with these differences if we want to get the most business from our clients. Who doesn’t want that?
Designing for the Ladies:
Stories, Details, Design
1. Women want visuals that remind them of themselves, on their best day.
Women want visuals that remind them of themselves, on their best day whether its a house, a car, or a model. Accept us: We buy from people who know how we live. We don’t have time for aspiring to future perfection we can never reach.
2. Women want stories that draw them in.
For the ladies you are going to need more content in that website or ad you’re designing. Give us concrete details we can related to: When we see or hear about Suzie’s problem that your product or service solved, we look for connections to our own issues. Connect and you’ve got a customer.
3. Women want value now and over time.
You’ve heard it a million times: “I got it for half what so-and-so paid, and I’ve had it for three years now with no problems at all!” Now and over time. It’s a tall order, but you must offer an answer for now that is also going to hold up over time. It’s not just for a product, either. That website you’re working on—if women don’t see the value on the first page they hit, they’re gone. They’re not looking for some interior page that may reward them (see #1), because you didn’t meet the value-now threshold. If the value’s there, however, they may just read it all (see #2).
4. Women love to share with others.
Remember this: Word-of-mouth is for helping the friend we’re talking to, not the business we’re talking about. Get personal with us, and we’ll chat about you. Remember our kids, our dog, our favorite charity. If you really want our help spreading the word, give us little touches that are worth discussing, and make sure we know that your business (or your client’s) can solve our friend’s problems, too.
Designing for the Gentlemen:
Proof, Immediacy, Ambition
1. Men want visuals they can aspire to.
Why do think sex sells? The house they’re not in yet, the hobby or the vehicle they can’t afford, the model who’d never blink in their direction. Men are looking to the future, and in that future she’ll be winking his way. Show that you understand their unique ambitions. And that website? If they’re half-convinced and half-intrigued, men will click through, looking for the payoff. Appeal to their sense of adventure and exploration in real life and online.
2. Men want proof, pure and simple.
Detailed stories are going to be skimmed for evidence that the herd has been this way. If you can say that 100,000 people per year use your product or service, great. If 52 people a day give you a call, you might not mention that they don’t all end up buying. If numbers are not in your favor, then go for testimonials. Prove that others like what you’ve got, whether on a package design, an ad, a website, or a brochure.
3. Men make purchases now, for their now needs.
Itch=scratch. Sell to a man quickly, visually, with awesome benefits that provide the Ideal Solution. Don’t worry men about future value, which they are not thinking about at the time of their purchase. Men are just as busy as the ladies, and the future is just so… future.
4. Men love bragging.
Word-of-mouth is for discussing the elephant they bagged. Make yours remarkable, because men don’t give recommendations as easily as women. Here’s a secret: Get personal with men, too. They love being engaged, singled out, and surprised. Remember their family, their hometown team, or their hobby. Exceeding their expectations is part of what makes your elephant stand out from the others.
But I’m Designing for Everybody!
Okay, first of all, maybe you’re not. Take some time with this. Carefully imagine that one Ideal Customer. Flesh him or her out, and you may discover you should not be designing for both sexes, after all. Trying to please everybody is not always the best idea.
Well, lets’ say you’ve narrowed it down to young, hip graphic designers (for instance ), and you aren’t going for a male or female audience. How do you keep everyone’s attention? Editor’s note: Write about all three?
1. Keep your visuals strong, positive, and make emotional connections.
Don’t go too over-the-top, you’re going to turn some people off. Keep the visuals clean. We are all easily distracted for our own reasons, and if your package or your page is too cluttered to read and make sense of, we’ll move on in a hurry. Focus the visual message.
2. Write the story in an active voice.
Describe the kinds of situations where the product or service is essential, and provide proof that other buyers agree. A well-chosen picture is worth a thousand words. Either the story or the proof may be more memorable in a photo.
3. We all want benefits.
From visuals to headlines to body copy, tell me what’s in it for me. Remember men and women want different benefits, so include appeals to both immediate and long-term needs. As the designer you may not be writing this copy but only arranging it. First, make sure the copy you’re given covers these needs. Then break things up: Use of subheads, bullet points, numbered lists, callouts, and bold type within the story. Maybe not all at once; that violates Everybody #1.
4. Call it sharing, call it bragging.
We all want to spread the word. Be remarkable. Be valuable. Demonstrate it in your graphic design. Exceed our expectations. When it comes to personal interactions, especially after the sale, delight us.
If this is work for a client, you may think that’s outside your field. Now is the time for you to exceed expectations—if you’ve thought of clever ways for your client to remain engaged with customers after your incredible work gets them the sale, talk about tie-ins with them. From thank-you notes to member websites to gifts for the wife of a top customer, if you’ve got an idea, share it. That idea may be where your next job comes from.
What are your thoughts after reading this article? Do you design differently when designing for men or women?
*About Kelly Erickson: Kelly is the owner of VisionPoints, The Experience Designers and she is “obsessed with your success.” You can read more writings about Experience Design at the Maximum Customer Experience Blog.
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