In this short article we discuss how things go when we work remotely on a website project. I’ve worked on hundreds of projects without meeting face to face, yet some of my best work has come from face to face meetings. Here I discuss pros and cons of both.
Here are the top things to consider:
- Communication
How well can we communicate over Zoom video chat or the phone?
2. On Location
If I haven’t walked your restaurant, how can I observe the ambience?
3. Photography/Videography/Imagery
How can I do a photoshoot if I’m not on location?
So, let’s go over them, 1 by 1.
Communication: I like to look someone in the eyes and shake their hands. Sometimes I’m not afforded that ability. With things like Telemedicine, even Dr’s are going virtual these days. I think if a Doctor can diagnose and evaluate minor issues, and prescribe medicine, then I can do my job virtually as well.
The reality is, 98 accounts, 9 years in, probably over 75% of my company’s labor has been guided by remote communication.
On location: Funny story here, I spent all day in a beautiful restaurant in Pigeon Forge, TN. We had meetings, and I oversaw a food photography shoot (I was a ton of help, I’m not sure the professional photographer could have done it without me, lol:). When I finished, I called my designer for the project, and I said hey, it’s all blue, sky blue, beautiful, keep that in mind for the design colors. He said no it’s not, it’s green. A soft green, like you’d find in a peacock feather, almost a sea foam green. I argued back that it was DEFINITELY, 100% BLUE! He said look at the pictures. So I did. Wow. I was dead wrong. It FELT blue, gigantic windows letting in a clear blue sky, servers wearing blue long sleeve dress shirts, and blue stripes in the napkins. The art on the wall was blue. Blue and white large paintings, blue and white pottery hung on the wall. Blue was the accent color. I didn’t even notice. So yeah, we go by the pics taken on a phone, because they tell the REAL story.
Photo/video shoot: Food photographers are a special type of photographer, and they need specific instruction, a booth, and a power supply. They don’t need me, all I do is just eat the food after it’s been photographed, that’s IF they haven’t sprayed it for gloss, or modified it in any way.
Remote work works fine, 99% of the time. On projects that are longer than 6 months, I fly or drive to location, and stay for a week, mostly because I want to talk to staff that I might not otherwise have a chance to meet and interview.
Chuck Peters
From 2011 until 2014, Chuck developed 714Web as a freelancer, making websites for local non-profits, churches, and various small businesses. In 2014, 714Web grew into an agency with staff and larger projects, branching out across the country. With a focus on sales and account management growth, he has helped 714Web grow to a 7 figure Digital Marketing Agency with over 250 websites hosted, and over 300 accounts as of 2023. Read more...