Developing a Project Plan For Your Website
At Primal Space we place a high importance on project management within design as we work through the process of building your new website. Developing a plan from the outset is extremely important. By creating a clear roadmap outlining the goals of your project and how we plan to achieve them we are able to remain on track. Always ensuring the website requirements that you have set out at the start of the process are at the forefront of the design.
When you choose Primal Space to proceed with building your website, we will issue you with website development terms. Documenting these requirements and what we will deliver to you, our client, as part of the project.
Creating a Project Plan For Your Website
There are six important areas of project planning and development which we will outline throughout this post. Allowing you to have a clear understanding of the various elements involved and how they can benefit your project going forward.
- Goals and Requirements
- Creating a Website Mock-Up
- Preparing & Organising Your Content
- Website Development Task List
- Timeline Creation
- Project Management
Goals and Requirements of the Project
Mapping out the action steps and having visualised clear goals the site will achieve for both the business and the user are an important part of the development process. For this reason, creating a project plan for your website before any design work is carried out is extremely important. As a result, ensuring that the agenda stays on track and that that none of the key requirements are missed along the way.
Furthermore, this allows you to track the progress of your site throughout the build. By this stage in the process we’ll have already gathered your website specifications and can collate these into action steps. Therefore seeing the project through to completion.
Creating a Website Mock-Up
If you haven’t already done so, a website mock-up is also a useful way to demonstrate your ideas for the build. Particularly if there are any key features that you’d like to be included within the final design. If you aren’t able to supply a mock-up or wire frame to us. An alternative option is to simply provide us with some website screenshots from existing sites where you like specific features or functions. We can the redevelop these in a way to work with your new design. Or recommend a better solution to achieve a similar result.
Preparing and Organising Your Content
Before we put together a project plan we’ll provide you with access to a shared access Google Drive folder. Here you’ll be able to upload all of the content for your new website including high resolution images and text content that you have created. Perhaps a sitemap and mock-ups as well as an SEO keyword mapping document will also be included. As well as anything else which needs to be included within the build.
We’ll use this folder ongoing to share content back and forth, as this allows everything you have provided us with to remain secure. While never getting lost in an email thread.
Website Development Task List
During the next phase of the project you will be issued with a website development task list. This will be created based on the goals we have gathered from you during various discussions ahead of getting started with designing your new website. The format of this document will be on a Google Sheet. Outlining every step of the process which will conclude with the launch of your website. As we believe it’s extremely important to document the action steps and for you the client to be able to see the progress being made. The timescales that we are working towards and where your money is being spent.
Within this document we’ll not only outline the tasks to be completed, but the estimated timescales of these tasks. Together with the actual completion time and the date completed. There is also space where notes can be added by both parties. Allowing us both to keep on top of tasks as we work through the project. The colour coded format makes it easy to keep track of work that has already been competed. Including the tasks that are underway or where discussion is required.
Timeline Creation
We advise that our clients keep an eye on the development task list throughout and after each development block. Not only will this allow them to track the work completed. Along with keeping an eye on the project costs and any areas where their input is perhaps required. These events often being time specific. Hence, if not provided in a timely manner, can therefore delay the next development block and ultimately the launch of the website.
The Importance of Project Management
Project management is an important part of any design process. Especially that of your new WordPress website. By tracking the build, our clients not only feel more involved in the process. While more in control of where their money is being spent to achieve the goal of launching their new site design.
By taking the time to map out the action steps required to launch. While keeping track of these throughout the design process we are able to keep an open dialogue with our clients. Being upfront about the costs and managing expectations on the time taken to complete each task. Along with keeping our clients happy and ensuring the project stays on track until completion.
What tools do you use to provide effective project management? We’d love to hear from you.
Read our recent post on effective project management software that can truly benefit your business.
Primal Space also provide managed website hosting for your website. With secure UK based servers and various different packages to choose from. Contact us to find out more.