Quicker Client Billing for Web Design Agencies
Published: 01/05/2022
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We are writing this article for payroll employees of web design agencies who are weary of the stress surrounding invoicing. Our goal is to demonstrate that it doesn’t have to be as challenging and time-consuming, and ultimately to assist you in discovering a method for quicker client billing and shorter payroll periods.
Since the company’s website serves as its storefront in our modern technological age, businesses have moved away from free self-hosting services and are now eager to collaborate with professionals. The demand for sleek, modern-looking, flawlessly functional, and intuitive websites has created a vast market for creative web design agencies offering their services across every imaginable industry. Of course, specialists' labour is not free of charge. Their time and the quality of deliverables are often reflected in their fees, which can vary depending on the project's complexity, unique requirements, and many other factors.
With that said, unless the agency is strictly package-based, no invoice will be identical. This means the payroll team of the agency is under constant pressure to ensure that clients are billed the correct amounts in a timely manner. This also represents their greatest concern when a client fails to settle invoices on time. In this article, we will endeavour to alleviate some of the stress faced by the payroll staff in creative agencies.
Everyone enjoys being paid, particularly in the agency environment where the work is tangible. However, the level of satisfaction regarding billing and invoicing—the processes needed to receive correct payment—is significantly lower. Errors in these processes result in uncomfortable interactions, loss of trust, and ultimately, delayed payments.
In other words, although this is not a step that can be skipped, it involves many stress-inducing aspects with severe consequences. However, here’s something you need to hear us out on - it needn’t be stressful. In fact, it can be transformed into a powerful strategic element of your approach, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction by creating a seamless client experience.
If you belong to the group of individuals who recoil at the mere thought of invoicing-related procedures, that’s a sign. As described above, this is a vital component of business and should not cause you problems. If it does, that indicates your process is outdated and requires both reviewing and refreshing. Fortunately, today’s technology is fully equipped to assist you in this regard.
Anything to do with invoicing is typically regarded as bothersome, time-consuming, and yet crucial. From ensuring that invoices are assembled correctly and branded appropriately to delivering them at the right time to the right client, these repetitive tasks are unavoidable. It can become particularly time-consuming and error-prone when dealing with large volumes of invoices. Fortunately, the right invoicing software can alleviate this burden by both generating and distributing invoices on your behalf. Not only will it save you a considerable amount of time, but it will also provide clients with peace of mind, knowing what to expect in their invoice.
If the payment is recurring, you can set it up accordingly without needing to trouble your client; they will only have to enter their details once, and the money will be transferred from their account to yours automatically on the specified date. As a bonus, you can also automate a confirmation or receipt indicating that the payment has been received, allowing clients to rest easy, knowing there are no outstanding fees.
Automation significantly aids in addressing other common issues that can result in slower payroll procedures. For instance, rather than having to sift through your spreadsheets and then rummage through emails to determine which client hasn’t settled their invoices, you can command the software to send automatic follow-ups specifically to the accounts that haven’t paid yet. Depending on the software, you can even select the platform on which these reminders are sent.
While there isn’t much to do when trying to retrieve a late payment, you can expedite client billing by preventing it from occurring in the first place. For example, you can configure your automation software to send the client a reminder a week prior to the payment. Additionally, as long as you inform them of this before signing the contract, you can use the software to implement late fees. For instance, if such are your conditions, when the invoice is settled a week beyond its due date, the client will be automatically charged an additional 25% of the total cost.
The essential component of any project is communication. Most agencies make the grave mistake of putting in full effort to win the client but ease their approach once the contract is signed. This leads to various problems, ranging from missed deadlines (on both sides) to having to redo work as it wouldn’t meet expectations. If you want to ensure quicker client billing on your projects, you must consistently maintain open communication with eagerness.
Client onboarding is your opportunity to communicate and manage client expectations. However, it is also where you establish your expectations for them - and that includes billing. Nothing diminishes the experience more than financial issues, whether it be charging an incorrect amount, not receiving payment on time, or any other related problem.
We strongly recommend automating the onboarding steps that are primarily bureaucratic in nature, such as contracts, non-disclosure agreements, and any other relevant documentation. For this purpose, you would need centralised document storage with an e-signing integration (Timesheet Portal, hint hint) to ensure a seamless and smooth experience for both parties, free from lengthy email exchanges. The time typically spent on this process should instead be dedicated to discussing what both parties expect to achieve from the project: agreeing on timeframes, scope, communication, delivery, and other factors that will establish the tone for future collaboration.
Most miscommunication occurs due to excessive back-and-forth. Emails get lost, forgotten, and misinterpreted, leading to delays in payments and potentially damaged relationships. Let’s face it - it is very frustrating when you’ve completed the job within the agreed timeframe but have not been compensated in a timely manner. It is human to feel a bit irritated, which may reflect in how you communicate with the client - never a good thing, especially if the client picks up on it.
When you employ invoicing software as a hypothetical intermediary between you and the client, you reduce the risk of an emotionally-driven response. Automated invoices and follow-ups are devoid of emotional undertones; they are straightforward and matter-of-fact, thus cannot be misinterpreted. Additionally, if the client has questions regarding the invoice, you can easily export all the relevant data used to generate it, such as timesheets or expense claims, as they will be stored within the invoicing software.
The methods described above for expediting client billing may seem almost utopian for agencies that often struggle to collect payments from clients. However, process automation can be easily attained by utilising cloud-based software. There is a solution available in the market that is tailored to meet the unique needs of any web design agency - you simply need to begin your search with a specific list of features in mind. Since you are here, why not start with us?
Our Project solution is not limited to a single market - in fact, how and for what purpose you use it will depend on your goals and creativity. Specifically for creative agencies, we offer ways to enhance the speed of client billing through features such as an invoice generator, built-in invoice email distribution, and automated reminders when clients are late with their payments. Naturally, we provide plenty of other features for agencies to benefit from.
If you work on a retainer basis, you will find our highly customisable and flexible timesheet system invaluable. You can adjust it to suit your agency’s unique needs, such as differentiating rates based on tasks, hours, or days. We also offer a module for expense claims, complete with a bulk receipt upload system, as well as shared document storage with e-signing features for improved legal document management. You will also appreciate our customisable reporting tool, which eliminates yet another tedious manual task from your workload.
Client billing is one of the core processes for web design agencies. It represents a pillar of trust with your clients, as well as an assurance of revenue generation to guarantee that employees and business expenses are covered. With so much at stake, mistakes can be extremely costly, leading many to dread the process. The element of human error, along with the necessity of repeating a series of tasks, can be very off-putting, making invoicing one of the most stressful payroll procedures.
However, it doesn’t have to be. In the era of technological advancement, we are now able to entrust these processes to machines, which will not only perform them more quickly but also minimise the likelihood of errors. In other words, if you are seeking faster client billing, you should embrace automation - from actual financial transactions to enhanced client communication, this could bring your company more fortune than you ever imagined.
Ready to alleviate some stress? We're all ears.