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Balancing Travel with Client Check-Ins in Web Design
This week’s habit was all about sending end-of-year reminders to clients. I didn’t actually get to work on it because I was traveling, and my September newsletter focus was on taxes for my fellow Washingtonians. Even so, the point of these reminders still stands strong for solo web designers: reaching out ahead of the holiday rush helps clients hit their goals and keeps their sites ready for busy seasons like Black Friday.
What Worked Well
Even without executing the reminders, I stayed clear on my priorities. I kept my attention on September’s newsletter topic and didn’t force a second message into my correspondence. That kept my workload sane and prevented me from opening the floodgates of client questions while I was on the road.
Challenges
Launching a reminder campaign would have invited a wave of client replies I didn’t have time to handle, so I decided to hold it. I’m planning to do it in October when I can respond properly.
A Surprising Benefit
This week made one thing crystal clear for next year—I need to prepare this earlier. Building assets and a plan ahead of time means I can start outreach without scrambling.
Tools & Resources That Helped
I plan to use Flodesk to send my newsletter as the backbone of these reminders. I didn’t implement any supporting tools or workflows this week since I paused the effort until October.
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Lessons Learned
When life throws off your schedule, you can shift your focus and still make progress. A system that supports your success should flex—practice a daily habit you can keep, move your schedule around, and return to the task when you have the bandwidth.
Moving Forward
Here’s the plan I’ll use when I kick this off:
- Make a focused list of clients who are most likely to need updates or have Black Friday plans.
- Reach out to schedule short calls, emphasizing that timely updates help maximize holiday sales.
- Prepare a simple agenda template so each meeting is efficient and on point.
- Send a quick follow-up after each meeting with next steps and dates.
I’ll also keep my own guardrails in place: send invites in batches so I don’t overschedule, use a scheduling tool so clients can pick times easily, be direct about why timing matters, and rely on an email template to keep things consistent. And at the end of November, I’ll review how things went so I can improve next year.
How You Can Implement This Habit
Pick a start time that gives you enough runway to help clients before year-end—it might be July for you, or late October. Consider using a newsletter approach and reusing it with small variations yearly; you don’t have to send to every client each time. Target the ones most likely to need work so your inbox stays manageable and your effort drives results.
If your week goes sideways, don’t force it. Hold the outreach, keep a smaller daily habit moving, and come back when you can engage fully. The goal is a sustainable rhythm that supports your clients and your business.
Some links in this post are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I personally use and trust. See my full disclosure here.
about the author
Cami MacNamara is a web designer and owner of WebCami LLC, a Seattle-based agency since 2002. She created Web Designer Habits to help web designers build smarter systems, stay productive, and run a business that works for them.