As an Online Marketing Consultant, one of the tasks that I carry out most times at the end of the year is the complete management of a web project, from start to finish. At first I used to do it naturally, as common sense guided me, but as I have carried out the projects (and I have already carried out more than 250), I have standardized or professionalized the methodology.
In this post I propose to make a brief summary of each point, to share with all those professionals who may be interested, and by the way for my future clients, so they know where they are getting into;). There it goes:
Catchment
We could say that recruitment is the longest process, since it never ends. Basically it refers to all those actions that are carried out to achieve get a business contact. From an AdWords or Facebook campaign, to an ad in a magazine, through a post (like this one) or even go to a congress to . Everything can be an action that generates a contact. It is about constantly planting seeds, because you never know which one will germinate. So this point is constantly realized, to infinity and beyond.
Presale
Pre-sale is the initial dialogue with the contact. It is an initial feedback in which the possibility of doing a project is tested. More than 90% of my contacts are through mail. The rest is usually due to various coincidences, and being in the right place at the right time. So normally the pre-sale is done through mail or with a phone call. The objective of the pre-sale is to know if what the client requests can be done, and if the client is willing to accept your services.
Speaking in silver, it comes to be something like this:
-I’m interested in doing a project that blah, blah, and blah. You could?
-Well of course! I make you a proposal?
-Okay then.
-Pos malegro.
So I get down to work, to move on to the next point, essential and vital. The proposal.
Proposal
As I say, the proposal is a very important point. In fact, it is one of the key points to carry out the project successfully. The truth is that it deserves a separate post (I will do it shortly and as soon as I have it I will link it here). But to get an idea, the most important thing that a proposal should include is the following:
Requirements analysis
A complete, exhaustive and detailed list of everything that the web should have. Static pages, blog, contact form, user registration, control panel, functionalities, languages, scalability, technology used, compatibility for tablets or phones, etc. As I say, this can be very extensive, but the most important thing is to make a list to avoid confusion. This is important for developer peace of mind (so that the client does not demand new things within the agreed budget) and the client’s (who may fear that he will be charged for things that he understood already included).
Timing
Essential. The client must be informed of the time necessary for the development of the project. Attention! That does not mean that specific dates have to be set. You should never put absolute specific dates (eg August 6) but relative dates (two months). I recommend this this way, because in case the start date of the project is delayed or it is interrupted due to external causes (for example that the client does not deliver the content)then no breach of the proposal is claimed.
Price
It is clear. The price of the project. I like to break it down into several items, since for the customer the reason for that amount is more justified. Nor is it necessary to break down to atomic levels, but at least the most basic items, namely: Design, programming, project management and online marketing. Sometimes if there is any special requirement (payment gateways, forums, intranets, and others) I also break them down, to indicate the importance they have within the global calculation.
Billing (first payment 50%):
This is already an industry standard (and many others). The client places his trust in you, and advances you 50% of the payment. And at the end of the project, you place your trust in him and deliver the entire project, so that he pays the rest.
Although it is true that in most projects this is the case, there are some cases (very complex projects, which can take several months) in which it is worth establishing several phases and liquidating each one as they are fulfilled. They could even be those indicated in the proposal. For example design, programming, testing phase and launch. Four phases in which 25% could be liquidated in each one.
Design
The design is carried out in two phases:
Sketches or wireframes
It consists of a quick sketch of the web structure. Where the logo goes, the header, the footer, the main content divisions, etc. An outline is made for each “model” page. For example, the home page will have its appearance, the blog page another, the internal pages another, and surely the categories or the contact page, another. A draft is submitted for each “template” page for client approval.
It is important to note that there is no turning back. Once the wireframe has been approved and you are working with the PSD (next point) you cannot go back and change the wireframe again. In the event that this happens, something outside the project should be considered and should not be calculated based on budget or timing. What I usually do to make the client aware of this is to make them sign the sketches. In this way, with the simple fact of making him sign something, he “wakes up” and realizes that he is making a decision. Decision made, there is no turning back.
PSD design
Once the wireframe is approved, we move on to “filling in the squares”. What we will do is make a PSD with a final simulation of the web. In other words, a kind of “static photo”, as if it were a screenshot, so that the client knows how the web will look when viewed in the browser. Once approved (and obviously signed)We move on to development.
Developing
We now come to the funniest part. It consists of programming all the HTML and CSS for bring the approved design to life. There are a couple of options for this phase. Can be done on a local server (on the programmer’s own computer), or on a test server accessible only by username and password, so that only the client can see it. This is how we make sure that Google does not index anything.
I personally prefer to work on a test server, since it makes feedback much easier with the client, since they can see it from their office, from home or even from their tablet or phone. But for tastes, the colors.
As we are programming the web, we have to put “filler” content. There is the option of using any “Lorem Ipsum”, but I prefer to start working at this point with the client’s content. That is precisely the next point.
Contents
This point is very delicate, controversial, and sometimes it is the one that usually delays the project the longest. Why? Well, because it requires work on the part of the client, since they must provide us with the content. Your texts, images, videos, PDFs, etc. In short, everything you want to appear on the web.
If it is a redesign project, there is not that much of a problem, since we can access the content of the previous website, and we will “migrate” it little by little, adding a point if necessary. But if it is a new project, and they have not drafted it, this may be the birth of the donkey.
It is the client who must provide the content. In no case the designer or programmer. After all, who better than the customer can describe your company, its products, or its mission? How will the designer know that?
In the event that the client does not have a sad document, or what they have is not usable, and they do not know where to start, what I usually do is offer them a professional editor to write all the content for them. I know several with whom I usually work, and depending on the client and the content, I advise the most appropriate. This one is in charge of speaking with the client, interviewing him, and writing the appropriate texts. Even if it is necessary, he will search for the corresponding archive images or take the necessary photos.
Test phase
Well, we already have the web designed, programmed and full of content. We can now open the testing phase. It basically consists of giving access to the web to a small group of trusted people (usually employees of the company itself, family members, special clients, etc.) so that they can test it and tinker, in search of bugs, incompatibilities or possible improvements.
During the testing phase, many new ideas and proposals usually come out, which were not reflected in any of the previous points. That usually happens because beta testers give their opinion and make suggestions. We must be strong and not be tempted to change anything. The testing phase is just a hunt for possible bugs, errors, incompatibilities with browsers, etc. At no time is it to add new features or modify functional or design features.
What if we can (and we should) to do is a list of all these suggestions, in case in a second phase of subsequent modifications, or maintenance (last point), the client is interested in carrying out. If it is essential, it can be incorporated with a separate budget and timing.
Billing (second payment 50%)
Well, simple and easy, the client pays the rest of the project. As I have already indicated before, this payment can be 50%, or the remaining value depending on the payments already made previously, in the case of large projects proposed in phases.
Launch
A day of joy, nerves and bottles of cava smashed against the bow of the ship! The project is open to the public, as well as all possible commercial actions linked to it. Advertising campaigns, social networks and media. Everyone to celebrate that it is now accessible!
It is important not to make these launches on a Friday afternoon if we are not going to be “on call” over the weekend, in case something goes wrong. In the case that we have a 24×7 service, there is no problem, but it is better to make sure.
If the release requires a migration from the test server to the production server, this must be done beforehand, to avoid technical problems. It is best to have the project running on the final server a couple of days before, to heal in health. And more in the case that there is DNS involved, which we all know is a pain in the ass.
Maintenance
Optionally, the client may be interested in contracting a post-launch maintenance service. It is very important to differentiate it from technical support which is offered as an after-sales service already included in the project. In other words, it is not the same thing that a bug is discovered that had not been detected in the testing phase, that the client wants to add a new functionality. This point must be made very clear in the proposal, so as not to have any misunderstanding.
final considerations
This is how I develop my projects from start to finish. It is just my way of working, the result of my experience. As I said…
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