How to Build a Website: Project Management Tips

A website is a must-have nowadays but how do you go about getting one? Or if you have a website already but it's looking tired and needs a redesign, how to do it right?

Here are some tips we can recommend after working on hundreds of web projects over the years.

1. Understand your needs

Seems trivial, but this is really the most important step in your web project. Why do you want a website, or want to redesign your existing one? What do you want to achieve?

Are you looking to increase sales, improve positioning, or change the way people interact with your organisation? Each of these scenarios requires a different type of website. The clearer you are on your needs (and of the benefits to your users), the more likely you are to produce an effective website.

Do your research. Have a look at competitors, see what they are doing well and find out how you can fill a gap. But be mindful of implementing something just because everyone else does – your website’s objectives should be driven by YOUR business strategy.

2. Plan and prepare

We cannot stress enough the importance of planning. Many great ideas fail because there aren't enough resources or time allocated to the project – so a plan is essential.

A few things to consider include:

What is the time frame? Are you working to a specific deadline?
What human resources do you have dedicated to this project and what will be their roles?
Do you need to find a supplier? How will you do it?
What is the budget?
Who will be responsible for the content?
Will you do any user surveys or user testing?
Who needs to be involved in decision-making?
What are your plans for promoting the website?

3. Be clear on your requirements

Once you have your project plan ready, it's time to get into the detail.

Before looking for a supplier you'll need to clarify some specific requirements related to your needs:

Who is your audience?
What do you want visitors to do on the website?
Do you have a structure for the website in mind or are you looking for external advice?
What existing online systems you have and how they should be integrated?
How will you address Search Engine Optimisation?
Will you integrate social media into your website?
Do you have any particular usability requirements?
Are there any restrictions or requirements dictated by your content?
Should the website content management system be easy to use for non-technical staff or can you work with a more technical platform?
Do you have any existing brand guidelines that need to be followed?
Do you want a conservative solution or are you open to out-of-the-box ideas?
What do you NOT want on your website? (look and feel, content)
Do you need to set-up hosting, domain name and/or support services?

Sometimes a good way to illustrate what you need is to provide a list of websites that you like, explaining what it is that appeals.

The clearer you are on your requirements, the easier it is for a supplier to meet them.

4. Bring it all together in a good brief

It's one thing is to know your requirements; it's another to communicate them clearly to your supplier. To avoid misunderstandings it's best to provide a written brief that combines your requirements and the project plan. It's usually structured like this:

A background of your organisation and the reasons for (re)designing the site
Objectives of the website
Descriptions of your audiences
Scope of work (your detailed requirements)
Available materials (guidelines, examples)
Any specific considerations
Budget and schedule.

A good brief will help you to check if you are getting everything you need.

5. Find the right supplier

There are many web services providers around, so how to choose the right one for you?
It all depends on your needs.

Do you require a full range of services (analysis, design, build, maintenance, social media support, training, hosting) – or are you after a simple one-off implementation? Do you want to be able to work with the supplier face-to-face, or are you happy dealing with a remote service?

Your choice of supplier might also depend on your technical requirements. Are you satisfied with a proprietary solution, or do you want to use Open Source to avoid licence fees? Are there any systems to be integrated or accessibility requirements to comply with?

Some companies prefer to work with a small firm, while others like larger organisations with established processes. Whichever you select, reputation is important. It always pays to do your research, see examples of previous work and check customer references.

You can choose to conduct a tender or selectively contact a few companies for proposals, or a combination of both – it all depends on your organisational processes.

Know what you are looking for in a supplier and select them based on whether they can deliver your project. A good supplier will take time to understand your requirements and will ensure you get value for your spend.

6. Be realistic in your expectations

With more and more free and low-cost web solutions available, it's easy to start expecting everything for next to nothing. But the reality is that if you have a budget of $5,000, you can't get a fully-serviced website with plenty of custom options.

There are low-cost solutions around but they have a fixed set of features and might not deliver the flexibility, support or custom development you need. They also cannot be guaranteed to be there tomorrow.

It’s good to know what’s available to judge if you are getting value for money, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. So if you want specific features or require an ongoing reliable service it might be a good idea to engage a supplier who can deliver it for you.

7. Stay focused but be flexible

If you scoped your requirements well in the beginning, you will be able to run your project according to the plan. But if for any reason you find yourself out of time or budget – perhaps you've decided to add extra features – it's time to focus on what’s most important to you.

Is it more critical to have everything done as you’ve planned or to launch the website on time? It will depend on your particular business situation and whether there are any external factors influencing your project.

If one tiny feature is going to take ages to implement, think whether it's essential. If not, it might be better to go live first and add it in later. If something turns out to be more expensive to implement than you originally estimated, perhaps there is an alternative solution. It might be less sophisticated but still capable of delivering what you need. And if there is an important feature that definitely needs to be completed before the website goes live, consider pushing the launch to a later stage, if possible.

Always keep your eyes on the prize – be clear about what is most important in your project, and be flexible to allow for alternative options.

8. Monitor and adjust

Whether you launch a new website or redesign an existing one, it is important to measure its performance. By using Google analytics or a custom solution, you can track your visitors’ numbers, actions, popular content and much more. It will help you to see how effective your online strategy is, allowing you to adjust it if necessary.

It’s not enough to build a website and let it be – for the best results, monitor your online presence, use the information to evolve and grow your site, and make sure it helps you to achieve your business objectives.

Squiz can help with your web project

Whatever your online need, Squiz can deliver results. We are a full-service agency, delivering you a complete solution, and we can also work on one-off implementation, depending on your requirements.

Squiz software products are Open Source, which means you don’t have to pay licence fees. Our flagship solution Squiz Suite is an agile platform enabling you to create, manage and optimise your online presence.

For more information, contact us.

Contact:
Phone: