It’s the end of a new client consultation. We’ve discussed your company and why you love what you do. We’ve talked about the features your new website will have. There’s just one question lingering: “How long will it take?”
The answer? “It depends.”
Not the most satisfying answer, we know! Timelines often vary at least a little, and it depends not only on the size and scope of the project, but also the flow of communication that you, the client, have with your creative team. While our creative team has internal milestones for our design and build process, there are also ways you can take an active role to help get your new website online on-time.
Communicate Your Timeline.
Have a desired timeline in mind? Let your creative team know up-front. Any good creative team will do its best to meet your timeline needs, especially if there’s a special event that corresponds with the launch of your website. Everyone would ideally like to have their website completed “ASAP”, so letting us know why ASAP is actually important to you helps us prioritize and plan. That way, we can ensure your project moves ahead at the right pace, and be certain that we’re all on the same page on launch day.
Make Time for Feedback.
When you embark on a major branding or web project, make sure you’re ready to set aside time to respond and give feedback. Your creative team wants you to go home happy at the end of the project, and that means you’ll need to let your team know what’s working for you and what needs refinement. The longer it takes for you to give feedback or sign off with your approval, the longer we’ll all have to wait before we can launch your new brand or web site.
Depending on what step of the process we’re on, you’ll want to reserve about an half an hour to an hour reviewing and responding to the work we send to you. And, if you’re the kind of person who likes to sleep on a decision before making a final call, build that into your timeline, too.
Don’t Forget About Content!
The minute you sign your creative project agreement, you should begin gathering and assessing what content you have to work with! Content is what drives any good creative project–especially when it’s a new web site design–and if you don’t already have strong photography, written copy, or content strategy, then you’ll have to create it. And, that can take way longer than you expect it to, so it’s good to start early.
Keep in mind that the content you create isn’t always set in stone–the web is a dynamic and ever-changing medium, and you can adjust content post-launch. But, if you’re able to make decisions about content early in the process, then your creative team can plan strategically to make the best use of your content. If content creation makes you feel stuck or overwhelmed, we offer copywriting, content strategy, and photography services to help you get it done right.
Going through a website redesign is a lot of work – for you and us. We know what it’s like to be a busy business owner, but ultimately, your new brand or website can’t help your business grow if it never goes live! It may take more of your effort than you’re expecting, but we’re always here to help guide you through the process. We want your business to look awesome, and we’ll be able to do that even better with your help!
Are you still struggling to get started? Share your struggle with us–we’d love to help you solve it:
What ideas do you have to help make a timeline stick?
Have you used other strategies to keep projects on track? How do you prepare for a new project? What have you learned from past projects? Leave us a comment below and share what’s worked for you (and what hasn’t!).
