Client expectations are a funny thing when it comes to creating a new website. I remember a client once who wanted a website completed on 1st January so she could start taking telephone bookings the next day - we never actually finished that one after that comment.

I tend to be quite pessimistic with a new website. Firstly, from to my experiences, and more so now because the web is getting more competitive everyday, thus, it’s getting harder. It sets expectation at an appropriate level and, of course, no one wants to hear that.

No one wants to hear that it may take six months to start getting decent levels of organic traffic and it may also take hard work adding new content and gaining attention.

Yes, you get the odd ’story of success’ and ‘how I built 10,000 users in 20 days’ kind of thing and those guys work tirelessly to make that happen - usually only once. You also have to ask yourself - how long does that last? How real and sustainable is that traffic, and how relevant?

With billions of web pages out there - what makes you so special? And, how relevant are you?

By focusing on adding value to your website audience you are starting a mating ritual, you are showing that you give a damn and that you may well be the company to solve their problem in exchange for cash. But, if it’s all just sell, sell, sell… it will be bye, bye, bye.