Dear Client:

Glad you're pleased with the copy. I'm a little confused though by you sending along these links. Are you requesting extra pages? The only thing I needed were the specific keyword phrases for each of the three pages I already submitted. Then, I can integrate them into the copy in the appropriate density.
 
FYI, I appreciate you explaining the concepts of duplicate content and keyword density; I'm well aware of all SEO rules and guidelines.
 
Can you please give me the exact keyword phrases you want for each page? Once I have those, I'll finish up the copy to your specifications, send them to you for final approval and then forward them to the web designer.   
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He responded:

Yuwanda,

The keywords are in process.  I'll soon have the final approved keywords from the customer then we can move on.

I just sent the links below as examples of pages at [competitor website] that are looking for [our type of consultants] - that is what we're doing here also.  I always look at what the competition is doing before I finalize any online efforts.

I'll be in touch soon with the keywords.
###

That was five days ago. I just received the final keywords today.

Oh, one more thing with this client, when he sent me the initial list of keywords, it was in an Excel sheet with about 40 other phrases. He asked me to sort, arrange and classify each keyword according to what I thought was important.

This was not part of the arrangement. THEY were supposed to provide the keywords.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for More Money

I emailed him the following:

Dear Client:  

Thanks for the keyword list.

To be straightforward, the complexity of the workflow and expectations of this project have grown beyond what we initially discussed. I was hired to: (i) write three pages of copy; (ii) insert applicable keyword phrases in a certain density; and (iii) format those keywords according to certain guidelines outlined by you.

I was expecting you to get back with me with said keywords so I could complete my writing, give it to your client for his final changes and turn in the final copy.

To complete the project as outlined in my proposal, I need your client to give me the exact keyword phrase(s) he wants to use on each page. As the word count on each page is very limited, realistically only one keyword phrase per page is all that can be incorporated in the density you want to keep the flow of the copy consistent.

After I receive your client’s keyword selection, I will incorporate them into the existing copy and submit it for review. If changes are requested, I will incorporate those and submit for one final review.

If you all want more than that, it’s going to cost more because it’s dragging, out, additional duties are being added and we seem to be on no set schedule. As you intimated in your email that we needed to discuss the keywords anyway, feel free to call me to discuss this.

Yuwanda
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Now keep in mind, I was expecting this project to take a week at most. Which means it would have been wrapped up and paid for last Friday (I do all my billing on Friday).

Now, it’s going to drag into next week because it has to go at least one more pass (go before the client at least one more time and get approval), before I can issue an invoice for it. That means the income I expected last Friday, won’t come in until possibly next Friday – a full two weeks later.

Not to mention, it throws your workflow off because most of the time, when clients send in their part, they expect you to turn your part around right away. That means you have to rearrange other projects in order to meet a quick deadline.

The rest of this week is booked and next week is already full. But somewhere, I’m going to have to squeeze in 3-4 hours to get this done (I’ll probably do it this weekend) and hope that it doesn’t require more than one more round of changes.

So, what can you learn from this?

Lessons to Be Learned from Clients Who Leave Projects Hanging in the Wind

(1) Project Parameters: Gently remind clients of project parameters when they try to tack on other duties. Many of them don’t do it on purpose; they just figure it’s something you’ll handle.

Usually, I don’t mind extra duties so much. But, when it takes up chunks of my time, I put the brakes on because how you begin with a client is how they’ll expect you to act moving forward. To this client’s credit, he was completely understanding, agreeing to pay extra or do those duties himself if it came down to it.

(2) Ask for More Money: Don’t be afraid to ask for more money. This is why I like dealing with business owners, as opposed to individuals because most understand that time is money.

As a side note, this is why your proposals should be thorough and detailed. That way, you can always refer back to it.

(3) Make Client Aware of Your Workload: I had to email this client a couple of times to ask when we could wrap the project up. I told him that I couldn’t guarantee a quick turnaround because my workload changed everyday.

While I assured him that I would do my very best to get it back to him as quick as possible, I told him that I was sure that he understood my dilemma. And, indeed he did. We spoke via phone, and he said it was his client that was the holdup. And most of the time, you’ll find that that’s the way it is.

Clients can’t stop running their business because they’re having a website built. And even though they’re paying for it, it’s not their top priority, unless they’re running a completely online enterprise.

I usually don’t request a deposit up front. But this client, who is an internet design and marketing firm, paid 50% up front without me even asking. It’s just the way they do business (now, who am I to tell them how to run their business, right J.

(4) Request a Deposit: Some clients I bill monthly (they have to ask for this); most of my SEO clients pay weekly. Other clients pay on project-as-completed-basis, without me even billing them (usually via PayPal).

Even though I usually don’t, I think I’m going to start requesting 50% up front on these types of projects. It felt nice getting money before I even started working. This hasn’t happened for a while and I liked the feeling.