According to Customer Care, one of the most common reasons new Web site customers cancel is because they are promised more design work than was actually completed. 

It may seem like a trivial issue, but the quickest way to lose a prospect is by making them feel that they aren't getting what they paid for.

How can you avoid situations like this? 
Tech Support gives us two solutions:

1.) Do not do any work on your customer’s site.
2.) Draw up a contract specifying your exact design obligations.

Ideally, we want you to be in the Web site sales business, not the Web site design business.  Design work can be difficult because how well (or poorly) a site is designed is a matter of opinion, and some customers will never be completely satisfied.  Even professional Web designers may not be able to deliver a finished site that meets all of the customer’s expectations. 

Take into consideration that two of your WebCenter greatests features are:

1. The cutting-edge, user-friendly design platform.

2. Unlimited Customer Care support.

The customer has all the tools he needs to quickly and easily build and maintain his own Web site.

What about those prospects who do not want to do any work on their site?  What if the sale is contingent on you agreeing to do some design work? 

In situations like this, you may feel compelled to work on their site for them. Weigh the pros and cons carefully before you agree. Ask yourself if it's really worth your time? 

Take into considerations that for extensive site modifications, you’ll probably put in 15 to 20 hours of work. If you can get away with charging $50 an hour for design work, you can make an extra $1,000.  However, if you spend that same 20 hours prospecting, cultivating leads, and setting appointments; you could be well on your way to selling two or three more sites (and $2,000 to $3,000 in profit potential).

If you are going to work on your customers’ sites, make sure that you have a clear understanding of what they expect the site to look like and in what time frame. And make sure you complete contracted work within the dealine.

You should probably draw up a two-part, signed, Design Contract to protect you and your customer from any potential misunderstandings:

Part One
To acknowledge all changes to be made and the date they will be completed by.

Part Two
To acknowledge that you have fulfilled your design obligations.  Make sure that the informal contract explicitly states all modifications the customer is expecting—images, fonts, colors, text, Web pages, catalog pages, everything.

Hopefully, you will be able to help your prospects understand how empowering it is to modify and manage their own Web site. 

In the end, your customers will have spent less on their site, feel better about the entire experience, and be more likely to refer friends and business associates who are looking for a simple, inexpensive way to establish a Web presence.