Build for the clients you want, not the clients you have
This might sound daft, but stay with me. You’ll always make sure you serve the clients you have. But when you look in to the great unknown of 2009, you have to make sure your offerings are in line with what you want your company to be in the next year and what the market wants. Never ever let your current clients “hold you back”.

Don’t hold back
When the proverbial four-letter word hits the fan, you need to stand out (mixing metaphors!). Differentiate, explore, do something that will get you noticed. If not now when you have time on your hands, when?

Build for mobility
Content wants and needs to travel. Make sure that what ever you build, for whatever client you build it, can travel. Sharing it from a web page via Twitter to Posterous, plopping it on Tumblr or catching it via FriendFeed or even Facebook – it’s up to your audience, not the publisher. Give content license to travel.

Build for mobile
With few exceptions, everything you build should be easily, and functionally, accessible from mobile devices, especially the iPhone. Like it or not, it’s a fact.

Appreciate your freelance network
You may have to, or want to, cut the number of people on your payroll. If you do, make sure you have a rock solid network of freelancers you can rely on, and that want to work with you. Freelancers and Noded teams are already in high demand, and many are getting signed up on retainers, which will keep them off the market.

Tweak generously
You and your clients are probably equally worried about 2009. Be generous like never before. Help clients by tweaking and improving what they have, show them that you care about them even when they don’t have money to throw around. When they once again do, they’ll likely throw a lot of it your way.

Talk to the companies that are suffering the most
What businesses are cutting and slashing? Find them, pitch them, and help them! Just because a company had to lay off people or close stores doesn’t mean they don’t need to run a business. Help them do so. You may be their savior.

Focus
Now more than ever, is the time to focus on content, UX and really, really good design. This is what makes or breaks a web experience from a users POV. Everything else – including technology, SEO and whatever – is much less important.

As I am taking a break from compiling my notes for this post I notice that Jeffrey Zeldman says something similar in the February issue of .net magazine, page 52. So if you don’t believe me, believe him, or vice versa.

Be flawless
Everything that ships from your agency should be flawless. I mean f**king immaculate! You have time on your hands, and so do your clients. Everything will be scrutinized more than ever. Make it perfect. Come out with a clean bill of health and you’ll be golden!

Standards go mainstream thanks to Microsoft
This is not news in any way, but still key for a successful 2009: With IE8 web standards are finally hitting the mainstream. This is a very good time – or rather the last opportunity – to put a “=” between yourself and standards based web design.

These are my personal opinions, based on experience, analysis and by talking to and learning from great people around me. What are your thoughts? Let us know on Twitter @orvet and @jonmoss.

Spending time with friends and family, there can be a sudden realisation that you are not like them.

What do you mean you don’t know what twitter is?

You DON’T use a feed reader?!

Spending time online, or working with fellow web-orientated people, means that you can become very blase in terms of technology.

Most people don’t use twitter. Most people don’t blog. Most people don’t have mulitple websites, and most people think that twitter is something Bill Oddie does.

This scenario is exactly the same with most clients. But, we need to be honest – that is why they are employing us in the first place! However, it is easy to assume that they are up to speed on technology and web applications that we take for granted.

Working with clients in 2009

Something we are very concious of, having started working with a new client recently is ways of working, and using web applications with them. We’ve come up with a few guidelines for helping the working relationship start smoothly, and improve over time: (this should help other web workers / consultants and also help clients)

1. Important! – Assume nothing – they are often paying me to help them with their online activities, including social media, and possibly business practices like contact management systems
2. Understand what level they are at, from an online virgin to a web app ninja. You should consider sending out some simple and quick online surveys to ascertain where they are on the scale
3. Ask them how they currently work with providers and also internally
4. Gently introduce them to any new forms of working, and make sure you point out that this is not a deal breaker / compulsory
5. Show the BENEFITS to them, not just the features – talk about time saving, clarity of communication and ease of access for example if explaining about Basecamp
6. Offer to provide a little training
7. Be patient!
8. If you don’t get immediate buy in, leave it and perhaps try again a little bit further into the project
9. If it is going to really hamper your working style, then consider telling the client in a friendly manner with proper reasoning
10. Don’t be afraid to listen to their point of view, as you could potentially learn something from them!

The only thing you need be completely firm about is with proposals and contracts. If a client is not happy signing something or giving written approval, this is something to take seriously, and you could be opening yourself up to risk. Just be tactful and always consider the option of walking away.

If you have any thoughts about this or anything you recommend, then please get typing in the comments!