Web Design and Dev Calls for Its Own Project Management
Let’s say your personal or company website needs some TLC. It may be that hiring a freelance web designer or developer for a few fixes will cover what you need. However, if you’re looking for a full-fledged redesign, it’s important to remember you’re also looking for a project manager. Below we dig into some of the major reasons to always hire a web designer who has project management experience.
They Save You Time and Move Things Forward
All too often folks use multiple freelancers or a “website mill” to create or refresh their sites. In these scenarios, YOU end up serving as the project manager. This not only drags you away from other priorities, but ends up being an inefficient approach. A PM with actual web design expertise knows all the best practices for moving the project along, by virtue of their industry-specific experience. Rather than you putting out fires, an experienced project manager from a web firm is preventing those fires from cropping up in the first place.
They Are Outside Influencers That Create Internal Consensus
Like any major project, a website build or redesign has a budget, milestones, and deliverables to keep tabs on. We find that a lot of companies rely heavily on our project management to help create internal consensus on these elements. If you are essentially managing the project in-house, there is probably less pressure for deadlines, and constant discussion about deliverables. This mentality can significantly impede the pace and productivity of a website redesign. At Viv, we come in early, set objectives, define deliverables, and require our client’s team to sign-off on these standards in the beginning. This way, everyone stays on the same page throughout the process. It also prevents any conceptual or logistical tangent that can derail the entire process.
They’ve Done This Before
Companies and organizations alike tell us that when they tried to revamp their websites in-house, the project fizzled out because certain disagreements or misunderstandings could not be ironed out. Website design and development projects require their own specific management approaches, in addition to good, old-fashioned experience. In short: hire a web designer who is also a project manager. They are your budget watchdogs, timekeepers, and continual champions when it comes to conferring with your staff. At Viv, we know how to wrangle and propel projects as small as a logo design to a complete site rebuild (and rebranding plan) for your company.
If you’re still not sure what level of engagement you need to improve your site, call us! We’ll take a look at your site, and tell you how it is.