Strategy For A Successful WordPress Project

If you build WordPress websites for a living, this presentation is for you. We go through why you are in business and then steps through the process of handling your project Before, During and After. A great compliment to any developers reference materials.

Transcript

1. Before, During and After: Strategy For a Successful WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
2. Strategy For a WordPress Project FOUNDATION: Friday, March 23, 12
3. Strategy For a WordPress Project When you first get into the web all you are interested in is about how to do something then after a while you start to ask why you are doing it. Friday, March 23, 12
4. Strategy For a WordPress Project A few years ago, I realized, it wasn't working. • Projects were more complex • Details were forgotten • It was about the next deal • Clients became the enemy • How did we get here? Friday, March 23, 12
5. Strategy For a WordPress Project On vacation I read, “Let My People Go Surfing” - Yvon Chouinard Patagonia Friday, March 23, 12
6. • Couldn’t sustain it’s growth • Had to re-define themselves • Created a set of core values • Values became philosophies • Patagonia was reborn Strategy For a WordPress Project 1991 Patagonia Friday, March 23, 12
7. Strategy For a WordPress Project I wanted to be part of a business that believed in what they taught. That stood for something. Friday, March 23, 12
8. 1. Quality is number one 2. Always be learning 3. Simple solutions will win 4. Expand naturally 5. Do right 6. Give back Strategy For a WordPress Project My Six Founding Principles Friday, March 23, 12
9. - Jeffrey Veen, Founder, CEO, Typekit (In response to the closing of Geocities by yahoo.) Strategy For a WordPress Project “The people that make the web have a responsibility to protect the web.” Friday, March 23, 12
10. Strategy For a WordPress Project If you keep having problems with clients on every project, you're the problem. Friday, March 23, 12
11. If not, what do we show, how do we learn and how can we grow? Strategy For a WordPress Project “To protect the web, as builders of the web, it is our responsibility to make our clients as successful as possible.” Friday, March 23, 12
12. Strategy For a WordPress Project FOUNDATION: Sustainability Friday, March 23, 12
13. Strategy For a WordPress Project Sustainability is being self sufficient, self reliant and enduring the ups and downs of your business. It’s how you tell your clients you run your business. Friday, March 23, 12
14. Strategy For a WordPress Project Sustainability = Cash Flow Friday, March 23, 12
15. Strategy For a WordPress Project BEFORE: Process Friday, March 23, 12
16. - Steve Axthelm Strategy For a WordPress Project “In the beginning, it’s not necessarily important what your process is, it’s that you have one.” Friday, March 23, 12
17. What method do you use? • Waterfall • Scrum • Agile Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
18. Waterfall approach with some tweaks • The Waterfall method works, because clients get it. There is precedent for it. Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
19. Process Overview • Meet / Estimate / Contract • Kickoff / Mindmap / Schedule • Wireframes / Site Architecture • Design Mockups / Key Pages • Development / Content • Reviews / Fixes / Launch Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
20. Strategy For a WordPress Project BEFORE: Estimates, Proposals, & Contracts Friday, March 23, 12
21. - Mike Monteiro, Mule Design Strategy For a WordPress Project “There are two checks I am happy to write every month, one is to my therapist and the other is to my lawyer” (from the famous “fuck you pay me” presentation) Friday, March 23, 12
22. Defining Requirements • Really listen, interpret • Talk behaviors, i.e. “it should do this...” • Watch for red flags • Leverage existing standards • Don’t reinvent the wheel • Develop a scope of work • It’s okay to walk away Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
23. Proposal & Terms • Price according to features • Use Freshbooks "Accept" estimate feature • Contract has EVERYTHING in it! • Dates depend on features • 50% deposit, 25% after 30 days, 25% at end • No work released until paid in full • Anything changes, work stops Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
24. Strategy For a WordPress Project DURING: Discovery Friday, March 23, 12
25. Strategy For a WordPress Project A web developer has to be confident, a salesman, a psychologist, a counselor, a marketer, a charlatan, a designer, a programmer, a researcher, a hacker, a project manager, cool tempered and a human. Friday, March 23, 12
26. Mind Map Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
27. Strategy For a WordPress Project DURING: Production Friday, March 23, 12
28. Schedule Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
29. - Dieter Rams, helvetica Strategy For a WordPress Project “Good design is as little design as possible” Friday, March 23, 12
30. Use Metrics • Take the “guessing” out of your design • Back up your decisions to clients • Leverage previous A/B testing results • Review current or similar sites metrics • Identify potential bottlenecks to clients • Address user and business goals first Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
31. Wireframes Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
32. Design Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
33. Content Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
34. Revisions • 5 hours of revisions only • Two rounds of revisions • Create list one, do list one • Create list two, do list two • Additional revisions require new estimate and charged $150 / hr • Test like crazy - Browserstack.com Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
35. Strategy For a WordPress Project AFTER: Education Friday, March 23, 12
36. Walkthrough & Education • Create a formal review • Reference original goals • Set time for training, 5 hours • Note any last minute bugs • Set a date for launch • Invoice for final payment Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
37. Final Power Tips • Set up a regular status update schedule • Warn of blackout period during production • Projects get weird at 3 months, meet up • Go live on a Tuesday • Follow up with your client in a week, really • If you messed up, fix it • If they want more, charge for it Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
38. When it goes south... • Call client for call or meeting • It's better to have a face to face • Review where things are & what's left • Provide scenarios for completion • Come up with a realistic timeline • Do what you say Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
39. Sleep great • Be elegant • Be professional • Be sincere • Do great work Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12
40. Thank you! • For any questions feel free to contact me! • Wes@CrowdedSites.com Strategy For a WordPress Project Friday, March 23, 12