Approaching the finish line of a web development project is an exciting time. Knowing that you\u2019re almost done is part of the excitement, but there\u2019s also a sort of rush you get as you tick off those last pieces before launch. As any good project manager will tell you, though, a live website is not where your project ends.<\/p>\n
As you work on improving your business and streamlining your processes, there\u2019s one more piece you\u2019ll want to incorporate into your workflow\u2014and it comes after<\/em> the site has gone live. You\u2019ve done so much planning up front<\/a>, so why would you rush the close of your project without giving it as much close attention or care as the rest of the job?<\/p>\n In today\u2019s article, I\u2019m going to talk about the various ways you can wrap up a development project so you, your team, and the client all walk away satisfied. Every time.<\/p>\n The last thing you want to do after wrapping up a project is say \u201cgood luck\u201d to a client and wipe your hands clean of it and them. I can tell you from personal experience that that\u2019s bound to get you into trouble at some point. Not only is it bad for the relationship you\u2019ve worked hard to build with your client, but it\u2019s also bad for your business. I\u2019ll explain why shortly.<\/p>\n Wrapping up a development project should go above and beyond just checking off \u201cI did this\u201d and \u201cI did that\u201d. In fact, it\u2019s about bringing it full circle with your client. You\u2019ve established a relationship with them, you\u2019ve served as their trusted developer and advisor, now you\u2019re going to be the consummate professional and close out this project in a way that respects what you\u2019ve created here. Oh, and it\u2019s going to give you an opportunity to plant the seeds for future work. That couldn\u2019t hurt, right?<\/p>\n Here are the 10 steps you need to build into your post-development process:<\/p>\n There\u2019s so<\/em> much that goes into web development projects that it\u2019s easy for things to fall through the cracks. It\u2019s really no one\u2019s fault, it\u2019s just what happens when you have indecisive clients, multiple project phases, and revision after revision to keep track of.<\/p>\n This is exactly why checklists are a web developer\u2019s best friend. You can create the most granular of checklists to ensure that you\u2019ve covered necessary pieces like SEO<\/a> and security<\/a>. You can also use checklists to cover a more expansive look at your project, like a pre-launch checklist<\/a>.<\/p>\n The goal in using checklists is to give your over-taxed brain a rest while still being able to effectively verify that every step, every requirement, every necessary piece has been completed. This is especially important at the end of your development project (and before reaching out to the client) so you have a record that proves you met all milestones and deliverables.<\/p>\n In terms of storing and creating these checklists, use your task or project management software. The digital record can be made available to your team and even your client (if you want them to see it). Digitizing your checklists also means you won\u2019t have to recreate them with each new project; simply create a template and reuse. Oh, and it\u2019s always good to save a record of what you did in case your client comes back later claiming you didn\u2019t fulfill part of the job specs.<\/p>\n Before you even think about reaching out to the client to let them know the project\u2019s complete, schedule a \u201cwrap up\u201d meeting with your team to ensure there aren\u2019t any loose ends. Checklists are going to do most of the work for you, but there\u2019s always the possibility that someone forgot to update something and preemptively completed a checklist item.<\/p>\n Be on the safe side and have this meeting to cover your bases. It\u2019s better to realize at the last minute that no one created a Thank You page than to receive an angry email about it because your client\u2019s customer was dissatisfied with the response they got after filling out a form on the site.<\/p>\n You know that, despite your best efforts to avoid it, some clients will email you after the bill is paid because they want your \u201cquick\u201d help doing something to their site. Usually, they\u2019ll hook you by sending a message like, \u201cOh, hey! Great job on the site! Our customers are so happy! Blah blah blah\u2026 So I was trying to figure out how to add pop-up deals, but can\u2019t figure it out.\u201d Don\u2019t let flattery blind you. Your time and expertise are worth money\u2014and they know that.<\/p>\n Clients who try to get free work out of you after the job is done suck. Plain and simple. But that doesn\u2019t mean that every client who needs<\/em> work done after the fact falls into that same bucket. If you can anticipate your client\u2019s potential needs in the future, you can craft a personalized maintenance pitch as you work on finalizing their website.<\/p>\n Maybe you know that they\u2019ll need help changing out the offers on their Deals page every month or that they won\u2019t want to take care of updating the core, plugins, or themes in WordPress. If you know your client well enough and can anticipate that future need, lay it out in a pitch. If you don\u2019t have to worry about random one-off, paid-hourly requests, you can sweeten the deal with a special offer to incentivize them to sign up for ongoing maintenance services.<\/p>\n In preparation for the close of your project, you should compile all the assets that belong to your client. While chances are good they won\u2019t know what to do with the custom Photoshop designs you created for their site or they won\u2019t care that you gave them the source photos you purchased and used, those assets still belong to them.<\/p>\n Also, think about how this small action will affect the impression you leave on your clients. By packaging up all their assets in one easy-to-access zipped folder, that may be the impetus that inspires them to reach out the next time they need assistance with a new website or rebrand project<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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10 Steps to Finishing a Project and Ensuring Everyone’s Happy<\/h2>\n
Step 1: Check Your Checklists<\/h3>\n
Step 2: Talk to Your Team<\/h3>\n
Step 3: Predict the Future<\/h3>\n
Step 4: Compile the Assets<\/h3>\n
Step 5: Leave Your Mark<\/h3>\n