After nearly two decades of building websites, I have seen projects go sideways in almost every way imaginable. The technical challenges are usually the easy part. The ones that really derail a project almost always trace back to something that wasn’t established clearly before the first file was ever created.
These things won’t guarantee a perfect project, but skipping any one of them almost guarantees a difficult one.
Budget
I know. Nobody wants to show their cards. There’s a common assumption that if you tell an agency what you have to spend, they’ll simply charge you that amount regardless of what the work actually costs.
That’s not how Steelhead works, and honestly it’s not how any good agency should.
When you share your comfort range upfront, it helps an honest developer figure out how to get the most out of it. We can prioritize the features that matter most and build you something solid within your budget.
Without at least a ballpark, you are likely to get an estimate that represents what the developer wants to build instead of what you actually need. This is the reason pre-priced packages don’t work well. Agencies will use packaged pricing to fit your project into what they want to build instead of the website your business actually needs.
Timeline
Do you have a hard launch date? A trade show, a product launch, a seasonal window that makes the timing matter? Tell us upfront.
A realistic timeline shapes everything from how we staff a project to how we sequence the work. It also gives us a chance to tell you honestly if your date is achievable before we get started. If the timeline is tight, we’d rather have that conversation on day one.
Project Stages
A website project isn’t a single event. It moves through distinct stages: discovery and research, design, development, content, testing, and launch. Each stage has dependencies. Design can’t be finalized without content direction. Development can’t begin without approved design. Testing can’t happen without a built site.
Understanding this sequence matters and having everyone on the same page makes it a much smoother process. At Steelhead we create and use a project management plan for every build we take on. We make sure key dates and approval milestones are set early and referenced often, to make sure your project launches on time.
Decision Makers and the Approval Process
This one can cause more project pain than any other item on this list.
Most businesses have a process for approving vendor work, and that process isn’t always obvious from the outside. Sometimes the contact person we’re working with day to day has full authority. Sometimes there’s a committee. Sometimes there’s a CEO who hasn’t been directly involved but will need to review and approve the site before going live.
Good developers will ask about key stakeholders before starting, and they will follow through on each approval cycle to make sure everyone on the client’s team is made aware.
Late stage changes can cause delays and extra costs. Before the project starts, make sure your development team knows who has final approval, how your internal review process works, and who needs to be in the room when decisions are made.
Ongoing Maintenance
A launched website isn’t the end of a website project. Knowledgeable site owners know that their site occasionally needs attention, updates, and additional work over time. Planning for ongoing maintenance before launch is always a good idea.
Are you planning to update content yourself? Do you need a developer on call for changes? Are you interested in a monthly maintenance plan that keeps everything current and supported? These aren’t upsell questions. They’re practical ones. A site built for a client who will manage it independently looks a little different than one built for a client who wants us to handle everything ongoing.
At Steelhead, we have multiple support options to help clients ranging from complete handoffs to fully managed for clients who never want to touch their website themselves.
Get Expert Advice
Having conversations about these aspects of the project aren’t obstacles. They’re the foundation that makes a good project. At Steelhead, our decades of experience have taught us to cover all of these as early as we can.
Good luck with your next project and reach out to us if you’d like some advice or a second opinion on a proposal you are considering.
