How Web Designers Can Show Clients the Site Is Working
You launch the site and the client is delighted. Then the silence starts. A few months later you get one of two messages. Either "Is the website actually doing anything?" or nothing at all, and the next you hear, someone else is looking after it.
Most of the time the site is fine. The client just can't see it. Here's how to close that gap.
Why clients drift away after launch
A logo or a brochure is there for the client to look at. A live website does its work out of sight, and unless someone shows them, the client has no idea what a good month looks like.
So they fall back on feelings. Did the phone ring more? Did anyone mention the site? If not, they start to wonder what they're paying for, even when the site is quietly bringing people in. And a slow month for their business looks exactly like a slow month for the website.
Pick three numbers, not thirty
Analytics tools show dozens of figures, and a busy client will read none of them. Choose a few that answer questions they already have.
Where do I show up on Google?
Rankings for the searches that matter to their business. It's the easiest number for a client to grasp, because "you were on page three and now you're on page one" needs no explaining. Duality checks down to position 30, on desktop and mobile, in the country or city you set for the site. When a keyword isn't in the top 30, it says so.
How many people clicked through?
Search Console shows how often the site appeared in Google and how often someone chose it. Google Analytics counts the visits that followed. The two never match exactly, and our post on why clicks and sessions never match is worth reading before a client asks you about it.
Are visitors doing anything?
Google Analytics also shows sessions, users and engagement. Keep this one light. "More people are staying and reading" is usually all a client needs.
Send a link, not a spreadsheet
Most designers who do report send a PDF or a screenshot pasted into an email. It's out of date the next day, and somebody has to remember to make the next one.
A shared report doesn't have that problem. In Duality you create one private link per site in Settings. The client opens it without signing in and sees the weekly and monthly reports, past periods and each keyword's history, all read-only. The site's own name is at the top, with no Duality branding and none of the app's menus, so it looks like something you've provided. You can see what a shared report looks like on the Features page, using demo data.
There are limits, and it's better to know them now. The link sits on a neutral address we run, not your own domain, though you can add your own logo and business details to the report. Anyone who has the link can open it, so treat it like a password. You can replace it or switch it off in Settings whenever you like. Each link shows one site only, so one client never sees another's numbers.
To connect a client's site you'll need to share its Search Console and Google Analytics 4 access with Duality. Ask for that when the project starts, not six months in when you need it.
Turn good numbers into the next job
A report that shows something moving is the easiest moment to bring up more work. Rankings up? Suggest a maintenance plan, a new page or a content refresh, because you can point at what changed. It's also a natural point to ask for a testimonial or an introduction to someone else.
When the numbers are flat, the report still earns its place. You can see whether the trouble is rankings, clicks or visits, and suggest a fix before the client has to ask.
Start with one client
- Ask for Search Console and Google Analytics 4 access on your next project.
- Pick the three numbers above and ignore the rest.
- Send the first link with two lines on what to look for.
If you look after several client sites, the pricing page shows how many sites each plan covers.