Before Web Design: Education and Trust

Let’s start at the beginning.

It’s that moment after the lunch break when you check your inbox and see a few new emails.

We’ve spent the morning fully immersed in the web design for a long-standing client—one who already knows that when they have a project, we’re the web design studio they trust to deliver exactly what they need. In short, a client who shares our work philosophy and is happy with the results we achieve at our Barcelona studio.

As always, some emails are just pure advertising—offering this, giving away that—always supposedly for our benefit. It doesn’t take years of experience to know it’s suspicious when someone reaches out claiming it’s for your own good.

As my father, a postwar wellspring of wisdom, likes to say, “No one’s ever come to my house just to give me money…”

“Do the right things”

So, after deleting the junk mail and replying to current clients, I’m left with a message from a potential new client. That’s what I want to talk about today: client communication and the importance of showing gratitude.

It doesn’t matter where you include it in your reply, but what’s essential is that you do it—say thank you.

It’s a matter of courtesy, of building a genuine dialogue. It shouldn’t feel forced; it should come naturally. It’s part of our way of working, our savoir faire, and there are a few key reasons why this matters.

We’ve already discussed the importance of many factors when starting and managing a successful project.

But let’s not forget: a great project begins long before the client chooses us for their web design and website development.

…first, I want to thank you for reaching out to us…

A thank-you email is a fundamental part of Inbound Marketing.

Inbound Marketing is all about delivering value to the user, which helps us build loyalty and turn them into long-term clients.

The client relationship must be built on trust—that’s the key.

We send and receive these kinds of emails automatically, and like anything we do routinely, we might not always be fully aware of their impact. But just like breathing, if we stop, we’ll notice the difference.

When a client expresses interest, they share their email and contact details with us. That’s great!

A thank-you email is more than just a formality—it’s a reflection of who we are.

What’s the value of saying thank you?

• It’s a great opportunity to validate the user and their email address.
• It demonstrates our organic, people-first approach—showing we value their input and actions.
• It builds rapport between client and agency.

How should you do it?

• Anywhere in the email—body, subject line, wherever it fits.
• Include a link to any information they requested.
• Keep the conversation open, so they feel they’re engaging with us, not just receiving a canned response.
• Avoid automation—make it personal.
• Sign it. It shouldn’t just seem like a real person is responding—it should actually be a real person, and the client should know who they’re talking to.

You can hit send with confidence. The job isn’t done yet, but this is a crucial step in the successful development of a website.