Web Presence Critical Path Raising the Barr Weekly Memo: Issue 315

When starting new clients’ projects, I am often asked to describe the process from start to completion. I use the visual and this process, when we first launch a new web presence project. I review the steps necessary to take the project for beginning to successful completion. I found that using this visual saves me the time of explaining it verbally. I encourage you to also consider doing something similar with your clients when launching new projects. Here is our path:

1. Strategy Formulation: In this phase we dive deeper to discuss the details of our client’s business. We then gain greater understanding of the various components of their business. We examine how they paint success, the essence of their business, their brand and messaging, and also understanding their buyers and their preferences and the immense value they provide thorough their products and services.
2. Creative Exploration: In this phase we dive into the creative discussions by brainstorming, sharing and exchanging site examples, determining colors, design, and navigation styles and preferences.
3. Site Outline Creation: Some refer to this phase as the website wireframe or schematic blueprint, we simply call it the site outline. It contains the logical components and navigation options that will appear on every page of the website. It does not reflect colors or design style which comes later.
4. Content Development: In this phase the objective is to develop the content and web copy that will appear on the site. This contains the text or web copy for the various pages, images, articles, videos, podcasts and such.
5. Design Phase: This is when our design team creates the look and feel and the overall creative direction of every page of the site.
6. Coding Phase: This is the exciting phase when the magic happens, and the site comes to life. It’s when the concepts, design and content all come together into a fully functional website.
7. Testing: In this phase, we get to test the functionality of the site and make sure all is working as we prepare it for a successful launch. We also train our clients on certain functions they rather do.
8. Live: All the hard work is finally paying off. This is when we launch the site, announce it to the world and start leveraging its value.

So, what is your critical path to execute a project from ideation to fruition?

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