Without a project owner, your envisioned web development and strategy is doomed to fail

Here’s a question for you: what causes most IT-related projects to fail?

A: Technical issues
B: Monetary issues (lack of budget)
C: Organisational issues

If you answered C to the above question, you’re correct! When you’ve been in the game as long as we have here at Pronto Woven, you’re likely to have seen many things. Unfortunately, we’ve witnessed our fair share of failed website design projects. We tend to be the bystanders who are later called in to work with clients, to guide them in the right direction and use our expertise in a collaborative manner in order to achieve the desired result.

Whenever we’ve witnessed a web development/strategy disaster, often, the culprit is not a technical or monetary issue as many might suspect. Most web development failures stem back to the organisational phase of the project - in other words, the people who are spearheading the project are not united in what they consider an effective solution and what they’re setting out to achieve.

It may seem like a bold statement, but with our many years’ worth of experience on-hand, we’re confident in saying this: without a project owner, an organisation’s envisioned web development and strategy is doomed to fail.

Regardless of what you may read on business Facebook pages or elsewhere online, building an effective website is no easy feat. A complex solution isn’t something that can be achieved by a novice watching a YouTube video and whipping up a website in a few days. So many ingredients go towards making an effective website that speaks to your ideal client: the web design itself, programming, user experience and interface design, business strategy, search engine optimisation (SEO), copywriting and so on. Each is a specific skill mastered by professionals over the course of many years.

Whichever company you enlist to develop your website, you need to take control as the project owner. What does this mean? In our case, we work alongside our clients to guide them towards the best web solution for them. We listen to their needs, concerns and anything else they have to put on the table, and then apply our extensive expertise and work with them collaboratively towards execution.

Part of this detailed process sees us taking however long is needed, to learn about the business, its challenges, its point of difference and of course, its long-term goals. Without this background information, we simply couldn’t produce the high quality, highly effective solutions Pronto Woven has become renowned for.

The worst thing any organisation or company can do, is hand over the reigns completely to a web development company. Even if you’re not used to dealing with any type of agency or external company, this makes complete sense when you think it through. We all have our strengths and weaknesses - without the core web development ingredients listed above working together, the desired solution isn’t going to be achieved. When you are the project owner of any website development project, you’re far more likely to end up with a website that actually helps to grow your business.

Over the years, we’ve seen way too many people get caught up in the look of their website. We’ve also encountered people who forget they’re building a website for their ideal customer - not for them. Whenever we work with clients, we make it clear that a website isn’t something you build or create once and then leave untouched for the next 5 years. With technology moving at a faster pace than ever before, to achieve real success, your website needs to be a constant work in progress, moving with new trends and how your customers are evolving in order to meet you business’ objectives.

Another common pitfall sees organisation involving too many people in website development (in other words, having too many cooks in the kitchen). Whoever is appointed project owner, needs to be aware of the business’ overall goals and understand web development on some level. Someone who can articulate the real objectives and speak accurately on behalf of the organisation.

We’re big believers in a collaborative approach here at Pronto - we know each team member has something valuable to contribute. Working alongside organisations, we know that our advice and expertise steers business towards web development success. Our clients trust us.

When looking for the ideal web developer for your build, here are 5 signs that should act as alarm bells:

1. Any company keen to rush you through the process and begin the project without a detailed plan.
2. Failing to have all necessary requirements documented as part of the Agreement.
3. Excessively low fees.
4. No mention of the need for both you and the developer to sign off on the Specification Document.
5. Unrealistic timelines.

Of course, going with a company that has been around for about 10 years or more, will also provide you with peace of mind. Ultimately, trust your gut instinct, be informed and ensure you’re involved in the website build.

Starting a new project and keen to collaborate with us? Contact us and let’s have an obligation-free chat as to how we can work together to build a solution that achieves the desired results and more.

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