Know When to Get Help Managing Your Own Website Development Project
Would you feel comfortable managing your own new home construction project? The architecture, the planning, the permits, the plumbing and electrical. It’s complicated, it’s time consuming, and unless you’re Bob Vila, it could be better left to a professional – a general contractor or a project manager who has the experience and industry connections to get the job done right. As a business owner you should treat any important website development project the same way – if the project complexity warrants it, enlist the help of an expert to help understand your needs and requirements, and have that person recommend the appropriate designers and developers (which, contrary to what some designers and developers will tell you, are not synonymous). A project manager should also control your budget and project scope, and ultimately ensure a quality finished product that meets your business’ needs.
No Single Design Firm Can Be All Things To All People
Why are there so many poorly designed websites on the internet? Partly because website developers so frequently either convince their customers that they understand the customer’s needs and will design, build, and market the best website for their business, or those developers completely bypass important phases of design and development, like “gathering requirements” and “documentation.” Mny web design and development firms tout themselves as fully competent in all aspects of website development – pretending to be design professionals, expert programmers, search engine optimization gurus and marketing whiz’s all in one shop – but that’s like your electrician telling you he’s also the architect and the plumber. The bottom line is that the vast majority of design firms cannot fill all the shoes necessary to manage and execute a complex web development project. A particular firm’s expertise might cross over into more than one area (i.e.: a design and development firm), but “total solution” firms (offering expert services in all areas of website development) are exceedingly rare, and exceedingly expensive. Even total solution firms generally don’t offer dedicated project management to help you manage the project. When they do, you can bet that your project manager will have his/her sales hat on at all times.
What Is The Alternative?
For even moderately complex projects your first step should be to enlist the help of a project manager. Whether that means using some of your in-house talent, or hiring a project management contractor, this individual should work with you to identify the needs of your business, document the functional requirements of your website project, and plan the project according to time line and budget. With that knowledge your project manager should help identify the best service provider(s) for your project, and be your primary point of contact with those firms or individuals.
In some situations your project manager may propose the best approach is to hire independent specialists (i.e.: an independent development firm, a competent designer or design firm, and a separate SEO/SEM firm). In these cases, ensuring efficient communication between the members of this “virtual team” – a key responsibility of your project manager – is paramount. A good project manager should understand the full development lifecycle, the individuals responsible for each piece, and the dependencies each member of the team has. He/she should plan and manage progress accordingly – to stay on budget, within scope, and on schedule.
Many small-budget projects don’t require a team of specialists, but if you are aiming to create a strong presence online and create a flexible, scalable website for your business, it is, of course, important to work with reputable, talented, experienced service providers. A seasoned project manager should provide connections to those resources, or be able to sift through the crowd to find the best ones for your project.
Not only can website development be complicated, but managing the development project can also be extremely demanding. If you are building a business online a quality finished website product is a necessity. So, treat your website development project like you would any other significant investment – work with a professional who can help you from beginning to end. If the complexity or significance of your project warrants it, hire an expert to manage the project.
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Please contact us to inquire about R3R’s project management services.
