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Lori Barber
Between Good and Great: Five Fundamentals for Web Project Success
Tags: web design process, web development process, website design, website development, website project success
This is a record-setting week for our agency. I don’t recall a time in our 14-year history when our pipeline was fuller, our launch schedule was more hectic, and our designers and developers were more focused. Assuming the necessary contracts are signed and client approvals are made in a timely fashion, we will complete and launch eight website initiatives by the end of the week. It is a great feeling to know that our web design and development work is search engine friendly, contains code that validates, and showcases designs that appeal to the appropriate target audiences.
Launching websites with great quality and volume causes me to reflect on a lot of websites. Sites that NetSuccess has: looked over, worked on, bid on, won awards for, consulted on, wished for, cursed at, fretted over, and read about throughout our history. Over the years, our clients have brought us sites with “Spaghetti” code. We’ve redeveloped sites that made me wonder whether the pages were held together with HTML or Duct Tape and baling wire. I’ve pleaded with clients to re-shoot and re-illustrate –not necessarily for quality purposes, but because their images were obviously stolen. Some sites were money machines, and some quite literally were works of art.
What is the difference between “good” and “great” when it comes to rolling out a new website initiative? At NetSuccess, we believe that making the jump from producing a good or adequately successful site to producing a great and widely successful website all comes down to the team. It’s about a cohesive team of developers actually working on a site, and how well that team follows a proven development process. I believe these two factors, along with our passion for serving our clients, is what allows us to produce a great deal of consistently effective websites.
Having lived through nearly every possible failure in the website design and development process, we’ve worked hard to craft our methodologies to prevent many of the unpleasant and costly mistakes that some of our industry peers seem to make over and over again. We’ve also become very selective of whom we let into our employee and contractor base. If you’re not an industry veteran or a rising star, you probably won’t survive as a team member for very long. We’ve learned to screen thoroughly on the front end and hold all team members to the highest standards on the back end.
I won’t bore you and list every step of the NetSuccess web development process to make my point. Besides, that would be a dream come true for my competitors. Instead, I’ll share a few of the fundamentals that have become a part of our culture. These are the ideals that bridge the gap between “good” and “great” quality sites for our clients and our employees alike.
Fundamental #1: Don’t skimp on the discovery phase.
Be sure to start every project off on the right foot. The Discovery Meeting sets the tone for the entire project. If you’re a client, you need to show up with all of your decision-makers and make sure they plug in! What is decided upon in this meeting can be very expensive to undo. If you’re a website designer, website developer, project manager, or Interactive Director, be sure to spend the time to write creative briefs and technical briefs. Documentation and due dates are the only way to control scope creep.
Fundamental #2: Learn to Listen Between the lines
Website development communication usually happens on three different levels; what is said, what is meant, and what is needed. For example: we often hear our clients say “I have all the content ready to go.” What they should really be saying is “I have an idea of where I might get some of the content for the website.” The best way to avoid a hassle early on is to manage the content inventory process. This will help the team think through the all forms of media content as it relates to the website architecture. Knowing how to listen, interpret, and respond is key.
Fundamental #3: There are excuses for delays and reasons for delays.
It’s easy to convince yourself that “I wasn’t able to complete x because I don’t have y and the “reason” is because z didn’t call me back!” Inside the walls of NetSuccess this scenario is not considered to be a “reason”, it’s considered an “excuse”. Unless you’ve left a couple of voice messages for z, IM’d him, sent a couple of emails to him, text-messaged him and his wife, then you are just making excuses. Am I suggesting you become a pest? Never! Am I suggesting you go the extra mile? Absolutely. This little bit of extra effort is the only thing that prevents projects from lingering on and on and on.
Fundamental #4: Think a step ahead.
So, you’ve just scheduled a review or a sign-off meeting with a client. Keep in mind that there is a lot that has to happen between now and the meeting. Has the project manager allowed the team enough time to actually produce work that is in accordance with internal standards? Is the next step realistic (in light of the current workload)? Not thinking a step ahead inevitably costs you more time and money. When you jump the gun and make presentations prematurely, it leads to redoing something that could have been done right the first time.
Fundamental #5: Communicate
Remember, clients and web developers work on the same team. Don’t be afraid to share bad news, good ideas, fears, concerns and frustrations. If delivered in a constructive and positive manor, most clients are receptive to the professional advice they’ve paid for.
While not really giving away any of our trade secrets, we hope this insight into our process will help you to understand why we continue to be a successful interactive marketing firm.
