Deadlines: how to influence the timing of web projects

First of all, we want to note: this article will be equally useful for you, no matter what team you play for (we mean, you are a representative of the Customer or Contractor). Let's try to figure out why

Why deadlines are important for both sides of the deal

The timing of the project implementation is one of the key factors that affects the success of cooperation between the client and the contractor. For a business, the timely launch of a website or web product can mean:

• Entering the market at the right time.
• Attract new customers or partners.
• Successful conduct of marketing campaigns tied to the launch.

Delays in deadlines can lead to loss of opportunities, reduced trust in the contractor, or even financial losses. But why deadlines are no less important for the Contractor. It may seem counterintuitive, right? After all, it seems quite the opposite: the lack of clearly defined terms is a reduction in the responsibility of the contractor, and with it - risks. However, in fact, the lack of approved deadlines is also:

• impossibility of quality planningWorkflow Team
• uncertainty of specific termscalculation for work in accordance with the stages of project implementation (read in detail about “Fair formulas of financial relations between the client and the contractor” in our article (link))
• subconscious slowing down of all processes.The same volume of work with clearly defined deadlines and without them will be implemented in fundamentally different terms
• loss of focus on the project.Because of this - a deterioration in quality, as a consequence. After all, the lack of planning, to one degree or another, leads to interruptions/failings/expectations in work. And this, in turn, leads to the loss of the team's sense of the integrity of the “picture” (features of the architecture, the use of selected methodologies, the general requirements of the technical task, the general vision of the project, etc.). Or the loss of extra time in order to re-enter the course of affairs after each such break.
• Stretching the lead time, in turn, increases risk of changing the composition of the project team and re-onboardingits new members. And also - changes in external conditions (for example, the performance of the performer), which can become a point of tension in relations between counterparties. {{2rem}}

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Average execution times for different types of projects

Let's divide the implementation terms into 2 types: theoretical and factual. Theoretical are those that are theoretically necessary to realize the problem without the influence of any extraneous “frictional forces”. That is, if the specialist/team takes the task as a priority, and the Customer provides for its part with all the necessary materials/resources and providing timely feedback.

Actual - based on the experience of our studio and our colleagues.

Below are the approximate theoretical deadlines for the implementation of projects, requests for which we regularly receive:

• Landing page (one-page marketing site):2-3 weeks.
  Includes design, layout, basic integrations (forms, analytics), QA.
• Multi-page website (corporate website):7-10 weeks.
  Includes prototyping, multi-page design, layout, CMS design, basic SEO optimization and integration, QA
• Festival (competition) website: 7-10 weeks.
  Includes prototyping, design concept creation, design, layout, complex animation scenarios, working with graphic objects, motion design, basic integrations (forms, analytics), QA, etc. (depending on client's wishes).
• Simple web application:2-4 months.
  Includes prototyping, design, layout, client-server interaction, third-party service integration, more complex logic, testing, etc. (depending on the application's PRD). 1.5rem}}

What affects the timing:

• The number of pages and the complexity of the design.
• Availability of integrations (CRM, analytics, payment systems).
• Clarity and complexity of the technical assignment (TC).

Now we are ready to provide you with insider information regarding the actual timing of the implementation of the same projects

• Landing page (one-page marketing site):6-8 weeks.
• Multi-page website (corporate website):12-20 weeks.
• Festival (competition) website: 12-18 weeks.
• Simple web application:4-7 months.

Surely, if we have such a disagreement, there must be objective prerequisites for this? That's right, and let's figure out which ones. {{ 3.25rem}}

Stages of the project

Each project consists of a certain number of stages. Let's list them for a weighted average project:

1. Briefing and collection of requirements(1-3 days)
2. The Discovery Phase(3-4 days)
3. UX Prototype(3-5 days)
4. Design concept(5-7 days)
5. UI Design(2-3 weeks)
6. Development on Webflow (2-6 weeks)
7. Custom solutions and integrations
8. Testing(1-2 weeks)
9. Startup and Support (1-3 days)

At each of the stages, communication takes place between the contractor and the client. Therefore, everyone may experience a delay. {{ 3.25rem}}

External and internal factors affecting the timing of implementation

External factors:

• Delays on the part of the client. For example, a long design agreement, a delay in the provision of content (texts, photos, videos).
• Changes in the vehicle. If the client changes the requirements during the work, it can significantly increase the time limit.
• The complexity of integrations. For example, integration with non-standard CRMs or APIs may take longer.

From my own experience:First of all - slow feedback and lack of content at the time of the start of development do not allow moving from one stage to another..

Internal factors:

• The workload of the command. If a team is working on several projects at the same time, this can affect the deadlines.
• Technical limitations. For example, the specifics of working with Webflow (although it is a fast tool, it has its limitations). For example, the inability to work simultaneously for several developers (except for the Enterprise tariff)
• Team experience. Experienced specialists quickly solve complex tasks.
• Lack of project management with focus on the result. Moderation of effective communication is extremely important. Otherwise, every dubious situation will block the work of the team. {{ 3.25rem}}

Typical problem situations and how to avoid them

Problems:

• Delay in the provision of content.
• Frequent changes in the vehicle.
• Long design agreement.
• Unpredictable technical difficulties (e.g. integration with API).

How to avoid:

• Clearly prescribe deadlines (for example, “content must be provided by January 10").
• Fix the vehicle before starting work.
• Use prototypes to align the structure of the site.
• Communicate regularly to avoid misunderstandings. 3.25rem}}

How a client can speed up processes

• Quickly deliver content:texts, photos, videos, logos.
• Clearly formulate the task:for example, what features are needed, which sites you like.
• Appoint a responsible person:to avoid delays due to long discussions in the client team.
• Trust the Contractor:avoid unnecessary edits that do not affect the result. 3.25rem}}

The role of the contractor in meeting deadlines

The contractor is responsible for:

• Ensuring quality interaction between client and team (proactive project management)
• Realistic assessment of deadlines at the beginning of the project.
• Strict adherence to the stages of work.
• Transparent communication with the client.
• Use effective tools. {{ 3.25rem}}

Risks in reducing deadlines

A typical situation for a web dev is a short implementation period. There is a place to be, but we want to inform you what threatens such a situation:

• Decrease in quality:important details may be missed due to haste.
• Insufficient testing:the site may not work correctly on some devices.
• Stress for the team:it can affect motivation and productivity.
• Multifold increase in bones.It should be remembered that overtime in it is expensive. And it is better not to bring it to them.

From my own experience:our studio has been cooperating with a Dubai digital agency for quite a long time, which did not pay enough attention to planning. In connection with “we need yesterday”, on average, this agency paid x3-x4 costs for work. Of course, we provided a quality result, but for (conditionally) crazy money. Everything is due to lack of planning. {{ 3.25rem}}

Time-management tools

We recommend that you coordinate between the parties a platform for communication, task setting, approving deadlines and tracking the progress of implementation.

• Trello, Asana, Notion, ClickUp, Jira:for task management.
• Figma:to create designs and prototypes.
• Slack, Telegram:to communicate with the client.
• E-mail: Circulation of financial statements

From my own experience:be sure to set the rules, which of the tools is specifically responsible for what. After all, a typical situation: the figma file, of course, contains all the content agreed in advance with the client. At the same time, the project from the client when creating a masque in the conditional ClickUp throws there the edited content received from the content manager. As a result, the development team has a 50% chance of making mistakes, because the same function (content provision) is performed by 2 tools: ClickUp and Figma.

Therefore, it is imperative to establish a clear distribution of the tasks that this or that tool solves. {{3.25rem}}

Conclusion

Meeting deadlines is the joint responsibility of the client and the contractor. Clear planning, transparent communication and the use of modern tools help to complete the project on time and with high quality. We believe in it. We know that. We prove it. Every day.

If you want to get acquainted with the stages of implementation of web projects in Lindgren Studio - follow the link