Having interacted with hundreds of client project teams on new websites, we’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. If you’ve ever been through a website construction project, you probably know just how frustrating the process can be. To minimize your frustration, and more importantly maximize results, here are key things to keep in mind.
- Make sure Sales is well represented. Top-level executives, IT personnel and even marketing people can be detached from the sales process. Sales personnel understand what prospects are looking for and how to put across a persuasive message.
- Make the website’s purpose crystal clear. Various company departments lobby for their message to be included in the new website — messages that dilute the site’s effectiveness in generating sales or leads. If lead generation or sales leads is the purpose of your new site, put that fact front and center for your project team. A team with a unified purpose will prevent “content creep.”
- Be realistic about your internal capabilities. One common way project teams try to cut corners is to write their own website copy. However, it is only when the time comes to put pencil to paper that companies realize copywriting is harder than it looks. Result: lengthy delays and mediocre content. It’s less expensive, faster and easier to rely on your agency’s expert staff than trying to save money on writing, design or development tasks your team is neither experienced in nor has adequate time for.
- Set high standards, but don’t demand perfection. Another common cause of delays and budget overruns is the project team's demand for perfection before launching the new site. Perfection never happens in web development. In fact, your website plans should include ongoing testing, no matter what condition it’s in upon launch. Fight the urge to agonize over every color selection, every font and every image. All this will do is mire your team in exhausting conversations.
- Put the right person in charge. To make a project team effective, its leader must be competent, decisive, articulate and empowered. If you’re a company leader, don’t try to pull strings behind the scenes; it will only undercut the nominal team leader and cause communication gaffes among internal team members and with your web design agency. Worse yet is to empower a team leader who lacks the necessary skills. Choose wisely for a winning website.
Want to discuss your upcoming website project? Contact us now to discuss your objectives!