Most disappointing website projects fail on the same five counts.
The biggest pitfalls are: no defined scope, which makes everything extra work, no agreement about ownership of the code, comparing on construction price instead of three-year costs, no clear decision-maker on your side, and texts that are only discussed once construction has already been completed.
STEP BY STEP
This is how you approach it
- Define the scope before you signNumber of pages, what functions, what is not included. A quotation without a scope description is the most expensive you can sign, because everything that later turns out to be missing is additional work.
- Arrange ownership on paperDo you get the source code, and does transfer cost extra? If it's not there, have it recorded. This is the most often missing sentence and the most expensive to miss.
- Compare three years, not the construction priceConstruction price plus hosting plus maintenance times 36 months. A cheap site with an expensive contract often ends up being higher.
- Appoint one decision makerProjects with three opinions and no knot take weeks to complete. That is rarely at the desk.
- Start writing earlyThe most common cause of run-out. Arrange in advance whether you will write or whether someone will co-write: not as you go along.
- Ask how things are going after deliveryWho does updates, what does a change cost, how quickly is the response. It is better to have that conversation now than at the first disruption.
PITFALLS
The pitfalls on our side
Agencies make their own mistakes, and it's fair to mention them. Overpromising in the sales phase is the best known: everything is possible, and later the budget turns out to be empty.
And not enough questions. A builder who immediately starts talking about technology without asking what your company needs is building something that is beautiful and yields nothing.
- No scope description — everything becomes extra work.
- No ownership agreement — you rent without knowing it.
- Compare on construction price — look at three years.
- Not a decision maker — the largest source of delay.
- Texts too late — the second largest.
- A builder who doesn't say no to anything — doesn't think along with you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
More about projects
What if the project runs late?
First look where it is standing still. In most cases, the builder waits for input. If this is not the case, ask for a concrete plan with dates and what is required of you per step.
Can I switch builders halfway through?
Technically often yes, if the code is yours and runs on standard technology. Financially rarely pleasant. This is exactly why the ownership question comes up front.
Do you also make these mistakes?
We've all made them, and that's why they're here. What we do about it: fixed price with defined scope, ownership in the quotation, and ask about your company in the first conversation before we start talking about technology.
CONTINUE READING
Of course, continue reading about this subject.
A project without surprises?
We determine scope, price and ownership in advance. That avoids most pitfalls.