What you should include in your client welcome guide

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Are you a designer? Or do you offer a service to clients? Creating a welcome guide for your clients is a good way to build a relationship with them. In this post, I’ll be sharing with you what you should include in your client welcome guide as a graphic/creative designer.

Welcome message

Besides of course a cover page for your welcome guide a welcome message is important to include. Your welcome message is just a quick one or two paragraphs welcoming your client and explaining to them what they can find within your welcome guide. You can decide to include a quick about you section but chances are the client already knows you well enough to pay for your service.

CRM Tools 

If you’re using client management software let your clients know what you’ll be using and give them a brief tutorial on how to use the service. For these, I do a quick video walk-through on how to use my ClickUp* dashboard are but it’s totally up to you. It’s important that your client knows and understands how to find certain things related to the project once you have sent for their feedback.

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Project Outline & Timeline

You can create one page that has all the design phases on it and the other pages that goes more in-depth on what they can expect from you and when. It’s hard putting set dates to design work but you can list it out weekly or bi-weekly. Within the project outline, you will list what will be accomplished within each week of the project. If your web design project is expected to take 7 weeks you will break down each of those weeks to the client.

This section is also a good time for you to list out any further requirements you’ll need from the client. If you’ll need to have the questionnaire completed before the start of week 2 you will state that within this section of your welcome guide.

Service & What they will receive

In this section, you will write about the service you’re offering to the client and quickly go over again what this service includes. Now is also a good time to list out the file types they will receive at the end of the project. You can also include any add-on services you offer that may relate to the client at the end of the project. 

Payment Plans

If you’re offering a payment plan it will be good to include this section in your welcome guide. You will include the total overall payment, how much they have paid so far and when their next payments are due. If you’re using Dubsado* or HoneyBook* the reminders are already there but it’s good to also include this information in your welcome guide. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Quickly list your most frequently asked questions with the answers in your welcome guide. Here, you can further explain your turnaround time, explain how the client can pay for the service, mention how many revisions are included in the project and if you have any late fees among other questions. List out questions that relate to your business and the project on hand. 

Communication Methods

You can include this at the beginning of your welcome guide but I like to include this at the end. This page is very important when it comes to setting boundaries with your clients. On this page, you will list out how the client can contact you and when. If you have office hours, list them out on this page. If you have a preferred method of communication for your client also mention that on this page. When doing this consider what is easier for you and not the client. It’s important to set boundaries and not stress yourself out assisting clients 24hrs. 

And there you have it, what to include in your client welcome guide. I once include these same sections in my PDF welcome guides. I’ve since moved on to having my welcome guides on ClickUp* and via video. If you have any further questions you’re free to send me a DM on Instagram @hellonextbrand.

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