Strategy & Planning

Once we have a signed proposal/contract, our Strategy team is ready to start gathering requirements. The project strategy and planning phases is the information gathering process designed to dig deep into the details of what is important to a client’s business, target audience, industry, and the project proposed. This phase sets the momentum for the project life cycle of your new WordPress website.

Through a series of phone calls, our team outlines features, user stories, and technical requirements. Scope and depth of research will differ from project to project based on the proposal, but the results are the same: valuable information that will help to define the final project plan and budget.

Design

At WDS, the design phase is the process of envisioning and defining solutions for our clients via a sequence of steps to enable our digital designer to describe all aspects of the project/website. We partner with our clients to plan their products’ information architecture and user experience from the ground up through user flows, user personas, and wire framing.

The design phase of the project life cycle of your new WordPress website is thorough and will consider accessibility, scalability and performance when creating the style guide and mock-ups. Every client is unique and the digital designer will help to define the design phase per project based on client requirements and information gathered during strategy and planning.

Data Migration

If you are moving from another content management system, or want a fresh WordPress install, your website will require data migration. The data migration phase typically starts by providing WDS access to your database or your database files. With access to your database, our development team pulls together a data mapping document, writes a data migration script, and starts the import process.

Once we complete the initial import into our development environment, we do a quality assurance review against the data mapping document to ensure all content imported correctly. Our development team will be working with your actual data during the development process to ensure the launch process goes seamless.

Development

Once we have the final approved designs and project plan, our engineering team is ready to start programming your website. This phase for the project life cycle of your new WordPress website focuses on building all global elements, content modules, and/or page templates using WordPress coding standards. Our team will code custom features and functionality based on your project requirements using custom code and plugins. Additionally, throughout the development phase, our lead engineers perform code reviews on all features to ensure proper sanitization, caching, and security are in place.

Quality Assurance (QA) / User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Review

Once all development tasks are complete, our development team performs cross browser and device testing to ensure responsiveness and accessibility are in place. We run your new custom theme through our WDS theme check plugin. Our development team also runs a query monitor and report to ensure that the website is performant prior to launch.

Launch

Each new website project that we work on has a unique launch plan. Typically, the following steps are taken during this phase to move the site from our development environment to your staging and production environment:

• The lead engineer sets up staging and production environments on your host and sets up deployments.
• We will then request a content freeze in order to start the final data migration process.
• Once the site has been moved over to your environment and a quality assurance test has been completed, you will be ready to switch the domain DNS/cpanel.
• And… your new WordPress website is now live for your company and users!

Support

At WDS, we guarantee our development work by providing a support phase after project completion. We use this time to squash any minor bugs or issues that came up during launch and make certain that your company is happy with your new website. We also offer extended or ongoing support and maintenance options for our clients.

Overall, WDS has set the standard for managing website design and development projects. Our goal is to partner with your team and provide a quality WordPress website based on your goals and requirements. If you’re ready to start your project, contact us today!

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Missing Data

Oftentimes, our clients wish to migrate the data from their current site to their new site. At the beginning of the life cycle of the project, we conduct a data discovery phase. We examine the data on your current site and complete a data mapping document which is handed off to our clients for final review and approval. Sometimes, it is not desired that all data be brought over. Other times, it is, but the data mapping document should outline explicitly what will be brought over.

Then, development kicks off and data is often not something that comes to our clients’ minds when we are demoing the brand new frontend of their site site. Once the site is handed off for QA review, the initial elation of actually having the site subsides, and the realization that a few key pieces of content are missing hits. Is it possible that something is missing in our scripts? Yes, that’s what the QA process is for—to identify any issues. More often than not, however, the data was not included in the data mapping document originally.

To avoid this typical website project problem, we encourage our clients to closely review the data mapping document before signing off. As a slightly less technical individual, I understand how daunting of a task it is to review that. So, I encourage our clients to ask questions, as many as you need, to fully understand what exactly you are agreeing to have migrated.

Image Issues

Another issue that comes up frequently is image sizing. When you review mock-ups, you are looking at a static image. Although we all like mobile responsive sites, it can be confusing when content management comes up.

Images don’t just shrink or expand based on the size of a screen; they respond and scale accordingly. Oftentimes, the images that our clients are using on their current sites do not match the recommended sizes for the modules we have built for their new site.

As this is an issue that frequently comes up, we recommend asking as many questions around this subject matter as early as the design phase of the project. This way you have ample time to prepare the appropriate graphics.

We have a few tips, though, to help you handle this challenge.

• Keep your graphics center-focused. Here’s why: graphics that have text or important details that run to the edges of the image can be problematic. As the image responds to the size of the screen, the edges will cut off. This is our number-one issue reported by clients. By selecting a graphic where the key content is towards the center, you will ensure that on all screens the graphic looks stellar.
• Let your site handle the call-to-actions. We create text fields and buttons for information that you are trying to convey. If you add text to a graphic, it can interfere with the elements of the block, as the site responds to different screen sizes. Let your images be just that, an image.

QA Phase

Another issue that often comes up during website projects, is around the QA phase. This is the first time our clients really get their hands on their sites. There’s that excitement again! But this can quickly turn into a potential issue if the QA phase is not used to report bugs and issues, but rather, used to create new requests and suggest nice-to-haves.

I like to think of a website projects as building a house. You wouldn’t think about installing a shiny new chandelier without first checking that the electrical outlets work properly. Similarly, it is surely fun to think about impressive future features, and we encourage you documenting those requests, but it is important to use the QA phase to thoroughly test your site specifically for the purpose of uncovering any bugs or issues.

Redirects

So now you are at the point where your site is about to launch. Everybody has been working towards this exciting, yet nerve-wracking, moment in your project. Then another issue may creep up, maybe a few links on the old site have been forgotten about, which will result in pages displaying a 404 error on your new site.

This issue is totally avoidable, if redirects are discussed early on. We can assist in setting up 301 redirects for those pesky old links. Remember, you know your current site better than we do, and it is helpful when you raise this topic and point those out to us.

I can pretty much guarantee that you will ride the roller coaster from the moment you begin discovery for your website till the site is live. Will website project problems come up? Yes, they will. That’s the nature of the beast, but these tips will help you feel the rush of the ride instead of any sinking feelings.

Looking for a partner to ride the roller coaster with you for your upcoming website project? Contact us!

The post Website Project Problems You Might Encounter appeared first on WebDevStudios.

The target date is almost always important and firm. In managing website design and development projects for over half of my career, I have become very familiar with timelines that clients desire, especially tight timelines. As an agency, we’re always doing our best to hit and exceed client goals, but there are times when it’s a bad idea to rush your website project.

A website design and development project typically takes 12 weeks (or more) from initiation to completion. There are various phases throughout a project life cycle that are critical in ensuring a performant and secure website that delivers what the client is expecting. When you rush a website project to hit a particular goal date, you risk a lot.

Discovery is so important.

Rushing a website project typically means starting the development phase ASAP. This is a huge mistake.

The discovery phase of a project provides time for the Engineering Team to explore requirements with the client, research and plan. Planning is crucial to a successful project. We typically dedicate one to two weeks for the discovery phase a project.

The first week involves discovery calls with the client to gather information and requirements, as well as reviewing the scope and researching. The second week involves defining a development path, planning tasks and outlining a project plan for the client to review. Without a solid plan, you risk issues with development, confusion around client expectations, and ultimately not hitting the rushed timeline. Take time for discovery and planning, even when there is a hard deliverable date.

Processes (like code reviews) are in place for a reason.

Tight timelines on website projects usually force Project Managers and Engineers to look at the project life cycle, processes, etc., and see where they can cut corners in order to hit a date. Again, this is a huge mistake. Would you purchase a house that was built with steps skipped and corners cut? Of course, you would not. Why would you do that with your website?

The project life cycle is what it is. You have to plan, build, review the quality and prep in order to be successful with a website project. Similarly, the development phase standard processes are in place for a reason, and chances are they are well-thought through to make certain that the product produced for the client is successful. Cutting corners, like skipping code reviews, is not an option.

For example, we ensure every of line of code written at WebDevStudios follows the WordPress coding standards as well as our own internal standards, and we wouldn’t want our name on a product that wasn’t superb. We have a code review process in place that allows a Lead Engineer time to review the code and test features.

Every project timeline that we set, or agree to, guarantees that we allow time for this step. It’s important to verify the development work being done meets standards. Processes are meant to be followed even with tight timelines, and if there isn’t time to do things like plan or review code, then the timeline should shift to account for these key steps.

Quality assurance and testing cannot be eliminated in order to hit a target launch date.

It may sound crazy, but I have managed a few projects where the client wanted to wave the quality assurance and user experience testing in order to get a site launched for an important target date. If at all possible, please avoid this.

QA and UAT are extremely important. The QA phase gives the Engineering Team an opportunity to discover any design issues and development errors, while cross browser testing on a variety of devices. Additionally, it’s important to take time to run performance testing on the clients hosting environment before deploying to production. Without these quality assurance tests, you risk running into bugs post-production that can be costly.

We understand that project timelines are important. Consider the target date no different than a goal. When discussing the goals and target dates, be flexible. The Project Manager will always provide the best project timeline that works toward the goal, and if it doesn’t quite hit it that target date, they will have a valid reason why. Avoid rushing your next website project if possible, and I assure you, it will be more successful!

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Once your project is ready to kick off, you will be introduced to your project team, which includes a dedicated Project Manager. The Project Manager will be communicating introductions, status updates, deliverables, requirements, and more. Communication is very important during a website project. The ultimate goal is for the Project Manager to ensure the client is fully aware of the project life cycle, timeline and status. The Project Manager will be asking various questions throughout the project discovery, development, QA and launch phase, but there are three key questions that you should always ask your Project Manager.

“How will we be communicating throughout the project?”

Typically, a Project Manager will plan how communications will take place between the project team and client well in advance of the project kick-off. Whether it’s via email, Slack, or a weekly status call, there is a primary way communication is delivered. At the initial kick-off call, you should ask the Project Manager to provide information on how communications will be managed. This will give you the opportunity to clarify the preferred communication method.

For instance, if the Project Manager outlines a plan to provide status updates every Wednesday via email, but you prefer a status call on Mondays, asking this question allows for the Project Manager to adjust the communication plan to accommodate your needs. Communication is extremely critical during the project. Both the client and project team must be aligned on communication to ensure that all of the client’s goals are met.

“What do you need from our team to help support the project?”

At various phases of a project, there are deliverables that are required from the client. Occasionally, clients will have a pretty good idea of things they need to provide (i.e., access to their current CMS), but every project is so different. Based on the scope of the project, there will absolutely be deliverables that the project team will need from the client.

Asking your Project Manager to provide you with a list of client deliverables to help support the project and providing those in a timely manner will help keep your project on time and on budget. In the early stages of a project, the Project Manager may ask for things like brand guidelines, database dump, login credentials, analytic embed codes, etc. When a site is closer to launching, the team will require hosting access.

Additionally, asking this question will help get the Project Manager thinking further about what might be helpful for the project aside from just deliverables. If you are a non-technical marketing lead assigned to manage the project, this question may give the Project Manager an opportunity to ask who will be the best technical point of contact for our Engineering team during the development phase.

It’s beneficial to build a relationship with the Project Manager and provide any support necessary. Support will ultimately benefit your project!

“What are the project milestones, and how will our team know if we are on track?”

This is a great question to ask your Project Manager once the Discovery phase is complete and a solid project development plan is outlined. The Project Manager will take the project development plan and set clear milestones for the development phase of the project, as well as the full project life cycle including QA and site launch.

These milestones will be clearly outlined in the project management tool, as well as the project timeline. You will have access to the project management tool which will make it easy to see where deliverables are in the development process and if they are on track. Occasionally, project timelines will shift because of scope, resources, etc. The Project Manager will update you along the project life cycle. This typically will happen via status update emails or weekly status calls.

Every update you receive should indicate if the project is on track or not. If not, you should have received details as to why, and an updated project timeline. Tools like Basecamp, Github, Trello or Jira are excellent in providing a clear picture of milestones and timing.

Conclusion

The role of a Project Manager is an essential one, and that person will be your main point of contact throughout your website development project. There are tons of questions that will come up throughout the project, but these three will help to establish a great relationship with your Project Manager and engineering team, making for a successful project!

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As a Project Manager, I cringe at the thought of scope creep! However, as a former WebDevStudios client, I know I am guilty of it. I’ve learned I am not the exception to the rule on both accounts. So, here are a few things I’ve learned about scope creep and how you can manage it.

What is scope creep?

After a website project has started, and the scope of the project grows beyond the original plan, that is considered scope creep. This can happen for a number of different reasons. If a project’s requirements are not well defined and outlined at the start, new requirements are likely going to come up throughout the life cycle of the project. Similarly, a lack of transparency and poor communication during the project can result in additional work impacting the original scope.

A surprising reason for scope creep…

I have found that there is another reason why scope creep happens: excitement. Nothing can prepare our clients for the way their new website looks and how it functions. There is a big difference between the mock-up they approve during the design phase of the project, and the functioning site they see on our status calls. At the beginning of a project, it can be difficult for a client to imagine how things will turn out. Once they start seeing demos, they start to see the potential. With this potential, comes new requests and expectations—thus, scope creep.

Scope creep management

And there’s the rub. As a Project Manager, you don’t want to crush your clients’ dreams, but you have to manage timelines, budgets and expectations. Our goal, then, is to minimize the risk of scope creep throughout the website project. This starts even before the discovery phase. By sharing with our clients sites in our portfolio, they are able to envision what their site could also do. This empowers them to ask for certain functionality before the scope has been established. During our extensive discovery process, we are able to flesh out what the requirements are.

Accepting the reality of scope creep

Finally, it is as important to have a plan to deal with scope creep when it happens (since it is inevitable, like the common cold) as it is to have plans in place to minimize the risk in the first place. We cannot accommodate every new request or change that comes up during every website project for every client. What we can do is explain their options through change requests and appreciate where the client is coming from—a place of excitement.

What methods or strategies do you use to manage scope creep? Tell us your tips in the comments below.

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Project Managers are typically thought of as overhead to the website project. False. Project Managers are key in organizing the project, communicating between various stakeholders, overseeing the project from initiation to completion, and ensuring budgetary and quality compliance.

Let’s break this down even further. Here’s what our Project Managers accomplish at WDS:

• Initiate and organize the project up front
• Based on the proposal, define a plan and deliverables
• Organize all deliverables into milestones
• Outline a project timeline based on milestones
• Create tasks within the project management tool for the engineering team
• Manage standard outlines of time, delivery, user story and acceptance testing per task

Project Managers are the main point of communication between the customer and development team. They also provide thorough oversight throughout the project life cycle, including:

• Scheduling any necessary meetings with stakeholders, team members, etc.
• Creating agendas for meeting agenda and managing minutes
• Coordinating and staying on top of all milestones and tasks throughout the project life cycle
• Handling communication among team members, such as executives, developers, etc.
• Managing timeline throughout project development

Project Managers are responsible for budgetary compliance and supporting quality control compliance. We achieve this by:

• Managing the client’s budget from initiation to completion
• Planning resources based on budgetary expectations
• Managing change requests that fall outside of project budget and scope
• Scheduling and overseeing the quality assurance process, reviewing the completion of milestones against the defined project scope

Having a strong skill set is important for a Project Manager and key to the success of your website project. At WDS, we have a team of Project Managers who are highly-skilled leaders, communicators, and problem solvers. We are motivated by our team of engineers and clients to achieve success on each unique website project that we manage.

Does your organization have project management? If so, what do you value most about your Project Managers? We invite you to leave a comment below. We’d love to know your thoughts on project management.

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