I enjoy trying to understand why people do what they do. It\u2019s a good thing, as I\u2019ve found myself digging into client behavior a lot.<\/p>\n
Part of the role is figuring out what motivates people. It\u2019s a helpful strategy when projects stall, or someone keeps changing their mind. Motivating someone results in getting things done \u2013 which is always a positive.<\/p>\n
You can also use these skills to get people to hold up their end of the bargain. Sometimes, clients don\u2019t do what they say they will (like paying an invoice). <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not that they are being cheap or stubborn. I\u2019ve found that it happens with people who are being pulled in too many directions. Their website-related tasks get put on the back burner.<\/p>\n
The trick is to know when and how to approach them with a task. Reaching them at a certain time of day, for instance, may make it easier to get their attention. It doesn\u2019t always work \u2013 but I like a challenge!<\/p>\n
Teacher\/Motivational Speaker<\/span><\/h2>\nWebsite owners often face a learning curve. Most aren\u2019t familiar with the technologies that go into building and maintaining a site. That\u2019s still true today.<\/p>\n
However, it was even more pronounced when I started in the 1990s. Some people knew nothing about computers \u2013 even checking their email was an ordeal. Couple that with buggy hardware and slow internet connections, and you had a tech support nightmare.<\/p>\n
Working with small businesses made this situation harder. These folks didn\u2019t have the resources to hire an IT specialist. So, much of the technical work was passed on to the person building their website.<\/p>\n
That led to a lot of teaching and pep talks. I helped clients set up their hardware and software and learn how to use them. I even tried to install broadband for somebody (it didn\u2019t go well). The boundaries of web design were shattered.<\/p>\n
The biggest hurdle is getting people to believe in themselves. I still run into that issue when training people to update their websites. The unfamiliarity with a tool leads to nervousness, which leads to doubt.<\/p>\n
Regardless of the technological era, the goal is to simplify things. Show someone how to do a task and allow them space to ask questions. Provide a quick reference they can look at when you\u2019re not around.<\/p>\n
![\"You](\"https:\/\/speckyboy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/unexpected-roles-02.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Researcher & Fact Checker<\/span><\/h2>\nLet\u2019s face it: the online world is a playground for scammers. It\u2019s amazing our society functions at all, given the constant stream of people trying to take advantage of us.<\/p>\n
A lot of scams seem to target website owners. Those domain registration letters US residents get in the mail are but one example. There are also emails about a site\u2019s purported SEO troubles and payment gateway phishing attempts.<\/p>\n
Some scammers are more skilled than others. Their work is harder to detect as a ruse. Thus, clients send these items to me looking for clarity. Is this a real message? Do I owe them money?<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve learned to spot likely scams. Knowing who each client purchases web-related services from helps. But there are cases when I need to do some detective work.<\/p>\n
I believe things will only get worse. Artificial intelligence (AI) will make scams harder to identify. For instance, poor grammar is a telltale sign of a phishing scam. AI tools can help crooks improve their language and more easily fool victims.<\/p>\n
![\"Web](\"https:\/\/speckyboy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/unexpected-roles-03.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Digital Forensic Scientist<\/span><\/h2>\nTroubleshooting problems on the web is nothing new. However, the way we build websites has become more complex. And the technologies that make up our digital lives are vast. <\/p>\n
That means retracing the footsteps of a task gone wrong. In practice, it\u2019s pouring over access logs to track the source of a malware attack. Or determining how an email was rejected by an ambitious spam filter. There\u2019s also examining WordPress post revisions to see how a page layout was broken. And I can\u2019t forget checking an obscure web browser to see why a client\u2019s site won\u2019t display correctly.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a tedious role that seems well above my pay grade. One can spend hours looking for the source of a problem, and there\u2019s no guarantee that you\u2019ll find it.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, there are often several links in a given chain. It could be the hosting company, the email provider, or a WordPress plugin. Maybe a client had their password stolen. There are so many places to look and so many things it could be. Determining the culprit is often a wild goose chase.<\/p>\n
These tasks are becoming a bigger part of my day. Sometimes they span multiple days or even weeks. Much like internet scams, I don\u2019t see it slowing down anytime soon.<\/p>\n
![\"Finding](\"https:\/\/speckyboy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/unexpected-roles-04.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Design and a Whole Lot More<\/span><\/h2>\nWeb designers tend to be a catch-all when working with clients. They\u2019re as likely to ask us about an email delivery issue as they are about their website. <\/p>\n
On the bright side, it keeps our days interesting. There is no shortage of problems to troubleshoot or technologies to teach. But it also takes precious time away from our core tasks.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a reflection of the industry and of the difficulties facing small organizations. Clients need a team of experts to manage these disparate areas. That\u2019s not realistic, though. The result is that things get passed over to web designers \u2013 the one expert they do have on hand.<\/p>\n
It has always felt like a part of the job \u2013 one no one tells you about. The title certainly doesn\u2019t do it justice.<\/p>\n
Top<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
Web design involves a diverse set of responsibilities beyond just design work. From psychoanalyst to digital forensic scientist, web designers take on unexpected roles to ensure the success of their projects.<\/p>\n
FAQ<\/h2>\n1. How do web designers motivate clients?<\/h3>\n
Web designers motivate clients by understanding their behavior, identifying their motivations, and approaching tasks at the right time.<\/p>\n
2. How do web designers help clients gain confidence with technology?<\/h3>\n
Web designers help clients gain confidence with technology by simplifying tasks, providing guidance, and offering support through training and resources.<\/p>\n
3. How do web designers spot and handle online scams?<\/h3>\n
Web designers spot and handle online scams by staying informed, conducting research, and leveraging tools to detect and protect clients from potential threats.<\/p>\n
4. What are some common troubleshooting tasks for web designers?<\/h3>\n
Common troubleshooting tasks for web designers include tracking malware attacks, resolving email rejections, fixing page layout issues, and ensuring website compatibility across different browsers.<\/p>\n
5. How do web designers balance their diverse roles?<\/h3>\n
Web designers balance their diverse roles by prioritizing tasks, staying organized, and being adaptable to meet the evolving needs of clients and the industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Custom Web Design: Unexpected Roles of a Web Designer Job titles aren\u2019t always accurate. They don\u2019t tell you the little details of what goes into a day\u2019s work. And they can\u2019t predict the odd situations you\u2019ll get pulled into. Web design is a great example. Sure, I\u2019ve done plenty of \u201cdesign\u201d during the past three […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7787,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/speckyboy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/not-alone-thumb.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-custom-web-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7786"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7788,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7786\/revisions\/7788"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/p>\nLet\u2019s face it: the online world is a playground for scammers. It\u2019s amazing our society functions at all, given the constant stream of people trying to take advantage of us.<\/p>\n
A lot of scams seem to target website owners. Those domain registration letters US residents get in the mail are but one example. There are also emails about a site\u2019s purported SEO troubles and payment gateway phishing attempts.<\/p>\n
Some scammers are more skilled than others. Their work is harder to detect as a ruse. Thus, clients send these items to me looking for clarity. Is this a real message? Do I owe them money?<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve learned to spot likely scams. Knowing who each client purchases web-related services from helps. But there are cases when I need to do some detective work.<\/p>\n
I believe things will only get worse. Artificial intelligence (AI) will make scams harder to identify. For instance, poor grammar is a telltale sign of a phishing scam. AI tools can help crooks improve their language and more easily fool victims.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Digital Forensic Scientist<\/span><\/h2>\nTroubleshooting problems on the web is nothing new. However, the way we build websites has become more complex. And the technologies that make up our digital lives are vast. <\/p>\n
That means retracing the footsteps of a task gone wrong. In practice, it\u2019s pouring over access logs to track the source of a malware attack. Or determining how an email was rejected by an ambitious spam filter. There\u2019s also examining WordPress post revisions to see how a page layout was broken. And I can\u2019t forget checking an obscure web browser to see why a client\u2019s site won\u2019t display correctly.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a tedious role that seems well above my pay grade. One can spend hours looking for the source of a problem, and there\u2019s no guarantee that you\u2019ll find it.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, there are often several links in a given chain. It could be the hosting company, the email provider, or a WordPress plugin. Maybe a client had their password stolen. There are so many places to look and so many things it could be. Determining the culprit is often a wild goose chase.<\/p>\n
These tasks are becoming a bigger part of my day. Sometimes they span multiple days or even weeks. Much like internet scams, I don\u2019t see it slowing down anytime soon.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Design and a Whole Lot More<\/span><\/h2>\nWeb designers tend to be a catch-all when working with clients. They\u2019re as likely to ask us about an email delivery issue as they are about their website. <\/p>\n
On the bright side, it keeps our days interesting. There is no shortage of problems to troubleshoot or technologies to teach. But it also takes precious time away from our core tasks.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a reflection of the industry and of the difficulties facing small organizations. Clients need a team of experts to manage these disparate areas. That\u2019s not realistic, though. The result is that things get passed over to web designers \u2013 the one expert they do have on hand.<\/p>\n
It has always felt like a part of the job \u2013 one no one tells you about. The title certainly doesn\u2019t do it justice.<\/p>\n
Top<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
Web design involves a diverse set of responsibilities beyond just design work. From psychoanalyst to digital forensic scientist, web designers take on unexpected roles to ensure the success of their projects.<\/p>\n
FAQ<\/h2>\n1. How do web designers motivate clients?<\/h3>\n
Web designers motivate clients by understanding their behavior, identifying their motivations, and approaching tasks at the right time.<\/p>\n
2. How do web designers help clients gain confidence with technology?<\/h3>\n
Web designers help clients gain confidence with technology by simplifying tasks, providing guidance, and offering support through training and resources.<\/p>\n
3. How do web designers spot and handle online scams?<\/h3>\n
Web designers spot and handle online scams by staying informed, conducting research, and leveraging tools to detect and protect clients from potential threats.<\/p>\n
4. What are some common troubleshooting tasks for web designers?<\/h3>\n
Common troubleshooting tasks for web designers include tracking malware attacks, resolving email rejections, fixing page layout issues, and ensuring website compatibility across different browsers.<\/p>\n
5. How do web designers balance their diverse roles?<\/h3>\n
Web designers balance their diverse roles by prioritizing tasks, staying organized, and being adaptable to meet the evolving needs of clients and the industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Custom Web Design: Unexpected Roles of a Web Designer Job titles aren\u2019t always accurate. They don\u2019t tell you the little details of what goes into a day\u2019s work. And they can\u2019t predict the odd situations you\u2019ll get pulled into. Web design is a great example. Sure, I\u2019ve done plenty of \u201cdesign\u201d during the past three […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7787,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/speckyboy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/not-alone-thumb.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-custom-web-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7786"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7788,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7786\/revisions\/7788"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/p>\nWeb designers tend to be a catch-all when working with clients. They\u2019re as likely to ask us about an email delivery issue as they are about their website. <\/p>\n
On the bright side, it keeps our days interesting. There is no shortage of problems to troubleshoot or technologies to teach. But it also takes precious time away from our core tasks.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a reflection of the industry and of the difficulties facing small organizations. Clients need a team of experts to manage these disparate areas. That\u2019s not realistic, though. The result is that things get passed over to web designers \u2013 the one expert they do have on hand.<\/p>\n
It has always felt like a part of the job \u2013 one no one tells you about. The title certainly doesn\u2019t do it justice.<\/p>\n
Top<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
Web design involves a diverse set of responsibilities beyond just design work. From psychoanalyst to digital forensic scientist, web designers take on unexpected roles to ensure the success of their projects.<\/p>\n
FAQ<\/h2>\n1. How do web designers motivate clients?<\/h3>\n
Web designers motivate clients by understanding their behavior, identifying their motivations, and approaching tasks at the right time.<\/p>\n
2. How do web designers help clients gain confidence with technology?<\/h3>\n
Web designers help clients gain confidence with technology by simplifying tasks, providing guidance, and offering support through training and resources.<\/p>\n
3. How do web designers spot and handle online scams?<\/h3>\n
Web designers spot and handle online scams by staying informed, conducting research, and leveraging tools to detect and protect clients from potential threats.<\/p>\n
4. What are some common troubleshooting tasks for web designers?<\/h3>\n
Common troubleshooting tasks for web designers include tracking malware attacks, resolving email rejections, fixing page layout issues, and ensuring website compatibility across different browsers.<\/p>\n
5. How do web designers balance their diverse roles?<\/h3>\n
Web designers balance their diverse roles by prioritizing tasks, staying organized, and being adaptable to meet the evolving needs of clients and the industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Custom Web Design: Unexpected Roles of a Web Designer Job titles aren\u2019t always accurate. They don\u2019t tell you the little details of what goes into a day\u2019s work. And they can\u2019t predict the odd situations you\u2019ll get pulled into. Web design is a great example. Sure, I\u2019ve done plenty of \u201cdesign\u201d during the past three […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7787,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/speckyboy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/not-alone-thumb.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-custom-web-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7786"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7788,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7786\/revisions\/7788"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmfinfotech.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}