Website Design Checklist

• Make your next
• web design
• project a
• success

Created for designers by designers. www.agencyfoundry.com

The most important part of any project is the start and the end. Yes, alright you hear a lot about of cliché’s such as “it’s not about the destination it’s about the journey” but that’s not how it’s going to work for a smooth project that keeps clients happy. How we start a project and establish a relationship, is generally how that project moves forward. It is very hard to change a clients behaviour and attitude once a project is in motion. The end of a project is also where long term connection and satisfaction, for the client, will come from.

So why do we need an established process for a project you might ask? Well, the answer is two fold. Not only will this benefit you in knowing where the project is at, it helps you re-assure the client that things are on their steps of progression. So let’s jump in...

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2 3 4 5 6 Pre Project

On Boarding

Project Kick-off

Production and Creation

Project Launch

Ongoing Commitments

Pre-Project.

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Once a connection has been established with a prospect

(either from the contacting you or you reaching out to them), you need to fully understand the problem the client is

having and find the most effective way to help them. Some clients will come to you with a detailed project enquiry, which you can review. Others may need more help.

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I’ve just sent across the high res logo It’s in Word, is that ok?

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Design is a journey of discovery* *clients are the points of interest along the way

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On Boarding

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As well as making the client feel valued and welcome

from the beginning, the on boarding stage is your chance to gather all the information required to keep the project running smoothly. You’ll want to gather page content, imagery, branding guidelines etc.

It’s important you have a point of contact and know

exactly who will be approving and signing off the project. It’s important to remember this part of the project is to get to know your client and their business. A client is going to want to know that you are the right choice for them, right from the very start. So, it is always a good idea to make the right impression at the earliest stage. By having a perfect on-boarding process you are showing them that you are taking them being your client seriously and value their custom.

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3

Project Kick-off

Most people will have their preferred method when

building websites, however we cant stress enough how

important it is to present the client with a written brief or

strategy. Clients may forget what they signed off on a few

weeks ago or maybe their needs changed in the meantime. Some clients get in a kick-off meeting and start talking

about new features they want that were never discussed before. Prepare for that possibility and have a process to deal with it.

Make sure to set expectations and most importantly follow through on them. If you or a member of your team say they will call the client every Monday to report on the project status, then they need to do it. Managing expectations is an important part of project management so when the project is completed they feel like they got what they were promised.

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By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

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Yeah, I should have it finished by yesterday for you!

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4

Production and Creation

Communication during the production stage is the most important way to make clients happy, and that’s on the shoulders of the account manager.

One of the biggest problems account managers make is

not communicating with the client. Even if you don’t have anything to tell the client, clients get nervous if they don’t

see anything being done, and then assume that nothing is.

Call or email them at the beginning of the week to let them know what the team is working on and what they’re aiming to accomplish. Lastly, it’s important to keep on track at all times with the task in hand and ensure nothing gets missed. If you’re not already doing so we recommend using a system such as Trello, Asana, Teamwork, Clickup or Podio to keep track of all tasks for you and your team. Freelancers may find it easier pen and paper, we still do this ourselves, however for a team based project its an absolute no-brainer.

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Project Launch

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How smoothly the website launch goes is a great testament of your team’s overall efficiency.

There are lots of things to take into consideration when

launching a website. The domain name, Google Analytics,

301 redirects, Search Engine Optimisation, and much more. We highly recommend creating a detailed checklist which covers all the tasks required to offer a complete service to your clients website.

The last thing you’ll want to do after producing a top of the range website, with superb content and stunning design, is apologise to the client that you forgot to add their Google analytics tracking code. Remember, there is no such thing as ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to launching a website. Take care to check all the tasks and make absolute sure the final brief has been met.

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Always deliver more than expected

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Give me a
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6

Ongoing Commitments

After a project launch, you or the person who sold the

project should schedule a call with the client to see how everything went.

There is no better way to improve your future projects than to know the thoughts of existing clients, tasks you may

have thought went smoothly, may have being stressful for the client. Don’t get defensive about this, learn to improve so that next time clients are much happier. Website maintenance is a crucial aspect to owning a website, but many clients are extremely lax about it. If you have some technical skills, you can offer website maintenance to your clients. Keep in mind that maintenance can be tricky, and you’ll need to do research to determine if it’s for you. Ask your clients what they need, and create recurring service packages to help them. You’ll be so happy you did once you get those income streams coming in!

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We’re Agency Foundry Agency Foundry is a group for designers by designers. Our aim is to support everyone no matter of what stage they are at in their design journey with advice, guides and insight to help you become more profitable and productive. If you are a freelancer or trying to grow your design business, you’re in the right space.

Our goal isn’t to be the biggest Facebook Group for designers, but we aim to be one of the most valuable. Along with building a fantastic community of like minded designers, you’ll gain access to our podcast series which tackles a number of topics, produced to help you learn, develop and grow your design business. You’ll also be first to hear about our guides and cheat-sheets created to help you learn, develop and thrive in business.

Agency Foundry is headed by Darren Webber (Owner of Whoop Creative), and Corey Dodd (Owner of Elk Creative). Between them they have over 40 years experience in the design industry!

It costs absolutely nothing to join our Facebook Group. We only ask for value in the form of supporting others. We look forward to welcoming you to the group soon. Head over to the group via the link below and tell us a little bit about yourself, we have a fantastic comunity who are always there to offer advice and support for your business.

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