How to Get the Most Out of your Website Development Project – 8 Advices from a Project Manager

What do project managers think? With the help of an experienced project manager who has worked on a wide range of successful projects, we have compiled an extensive list of elements necessary to get the most out of your website development with an agency.

An appropriate budget is only a part of the equation for executing a successful website development project. Equally important is finding the right partner with the experience and track record to assure you that they can help you deliver on your vision. With enough thought and consideration put into the decision, working with the right web development agency can prove to be more than worth its weight in gold in providing you with the ideal end product for your company. But to get the best results, you must also consider the significance of your own role in the website development process.

In this article, we will address why exactly it is so important for you, as a marketing manager, to contribute to and collaborate with your website development agency. Additionally, we will go over a comprehensive list of approaches and best practices you can adopt to ensure that you are getting the most out of your agency for the sake of the quality and functionality of your project.

Why Your Involvement in the Project Matters from the Get-go

As a partner and client, getting involved in the planning process is essential as it helps us narrow down on a targeted approach to best help you achieve your primary and secondary goals. Realistic planning also includes taking the time to provide feedback and add content.

Realistic planning also includes taking the time to provide feedback and add content.

With your requirements and desires listed out comprehensively and a finish line in sight, our project managers can better allocate their time and resources to make the project as fruitful and cost-efficient for you as possible.

In addition to the monetary savings, you also end up saving a lot of time that otherwise would have been spent backtracking and reworking ideas that are not properly planned or executed.

Ultimately, with the right kind of involvement on your part, you can help direct the development process and end up with a product that is best suited to accomplish what you set out to do in the first place.

1. Build a Personal Rapport with Your Agency

While the internet has made it very easy to reach out to and connect with services digitally, many project managers prefer to meet in person. This is because a website development project is often a long-term collaboration between the two parties. Regular meetings can help each party get to know the other and their expectations better, leading to better communication and collaboration. The last two years have both really tested and underlined the importance of in-person relationship building and communication.

2. Involve Decision Makers as Often as Possible

Often times, the people communicating with the project managers are not the ones who are making the final decisions. This produces a discrepancy in the process where steps may need to be backtracked or completely changed once the stakeholders are made aware of them. Therefore, the best practice is to involve them in the communication from the get-go so that decisions can be made on the spot to save time and resources.

3. Help us Help You by Formulating Your Objectives Early

The most critical thing you can do to maximize the benefit you extract from your development agency is to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with the collaboration beforehand. What are your objectives? Do you want to generate more leads through your website? Do you want to increase sales? Is there something in your existing website that you wish to fix or modify? And what will happen after the website is delivered – Do you plan budget to maintain and improve the website?

4. Have a Basic Concept Proposal to Speed Up the Development of Your Website

Along with your team members, try to develop a basic proposal of your concept to present to the agency. Include your requirements and needs that the manager must adhere to so that they know where compromises can and cannot be made. This speeds up the process considerably.

5. Focus on the Goal

(and We’ll Show You How to Get There Fastest)

While you may have certain ideas for your website, the most important thing is to keep the consolidated picture in mind. Avoid getting attached to individual elements and view the project from a holistic perspective. We’ll help you take care of the details.

6. Remain Flexible and Open-Minded

Remember that it is okay for your short term goals to change during the process, which is why you should remain flexible. There is no way to absolutely guarantee you a certain degree of success before the solution is designed and implemented. A project manager is happiest with a client who is willing to test things out and make decisions based on real data.

7. Be Realistic About Time Frames

A lot of business owners come to agencies with complex concepts that they want to be implemented in very short time periods, which is simply not possible. Instead, it’s a good idea to do some research prior about what you want. This helps you have the right time frames in mind when submitting your brief. If you’re still not sure, just ask us during the consultation and we’ll be happy to let you know how much time you can expect to achieve your desired outcome.

8. Don’t Be Afraid to Give Constructive Criticism

Feedback is extremely important in collaborative projects like website development with an agency. However, it is equally important to remember that criticism only works when it is meant to inform and improve. In order to ensure that things keep moving and updates are made quickly and consistently, keep your feedback to the point and relevant to the changes you wish to make.

Demand updates from your agency, give feedback and share whatever is on your mind.

At the end of the day, there aren’t a lot of issues that cannot be resolved with a little bit of communication at the right time. Demand updates from your agency at regular intervals, give your feedback at the earliest possible convenience, and share whatever is on your mind so things can be discussed before they are implemented in the actual project.