A successful website project starts with a good pre-project

When you're creating a new website, it's easy to talk about development and design. But those who succeed online know that it's all about what happens before the development takes place - it's about a good preliminary project.

It's easy to get carried away by all the technological possibilities available on the market. Before you know it, you're digging into the smallest details, with investment costs increasing with every step you take.

Luckily, it's not the level of new technology that determines the success of a website project. In fact, too much technology can become an obstacle that prevents you from achieving your goals. 

If you have to contact a developer to make changes to your website, the solution becomes a frustration in everyday life. If the technology quickly becomes outdated, you'll need a new website in a couple of years. Not only is it frustrating, it's also expensive. 

In contrast, we have seen that those of ours clients who have succeeded in creating websites that live for many years, puts people in focus from the first provisional sod roofs. 

 What is a pre-project - and why is it important?

A pre-project is about preparing the ground for the website project. Here, we create a plan where we map out everything that matters for the project and the achievement of goals. 

  • How can the website contribute to achieving the goals of the organization?
  • What does it take for us to succeed with the project?
  • What risks do we see and how can we avoid them?
  • Who is responsible for what, and who needs to be included when?
  • Do the ambitions match the level of expertise, resources and budgets?

One of the great strengths of a pre-project is that it becomes natural to talk about topics that would otherwise have been forgotten or avoided. People are at the center.

For example, we use a tool we call the risk register in the pilot project. This is a simple tool where everyone involved discusses which factors could become a challenge, what is the probability of each factor occurring and what the consequences will be if they do occur. 

The value of having such a document is great in itself, as everyone will be aware of what can affect the project at different times. The real benefit lies in the fact that it becomes natural to have a good conversation without feeling like you're a party pooper. Everyone gets a common ownership of risk, with a lower threshold for talking about it later in the project. 

The risk register is just one of several tools we use in the feasibility study, but it's a good example of how simple exercises can be of great benefit to the rest of the process. 

A roadmap for online success

We've spent a lot of time mapping the common denominators of the organizations that succeed online, and have developed several principles that we work from. Based on these principles, we have developed a roadmap that is used in the pilot project. 

  1. Insight: Review of existing insights and understanding of the organization's digital maturity.
  2. Ambition: Establish a shared vision and ambition, anchor ambition with business goals, and get reality-oriented about what it will take to achieve the ambition. 
  3. People: Mapping internal and external audiences and user needs, what roles and competencies are needed, where the roles belong in the organization, and how to work best with external parties.
  4. Technology: Map the basic technological platform and discuss how to ensure the long-term viability and scalability of the project. This includes questions about cost/benefit, how to be a good customer and how to avoid technical debt on the website.  
  5. Process: Ensure project progress with everyone pulling in the same direction, clarify how competence transfer from the supplier will take place, and figure out how to combine new projects with day-to-day commercial operations. 
  6. Measurement: Clarify what is to be measured and how, not least come to an agreement on how what we create creates value. 

All of these factors have a direct impact on the launch project, which is the term we use for the actual website development. If you ignore all of this, you could end up with a solution that neither your organization, members, donors or visitors can use. 

Can you afford to skip the feasibility study? Magne Ilsaas has reviewed our experiences of working with marketing and communication departments in organizations with this theme in mind. Get a deep dive here.

Simplified, democratic processes

We understand that this can seem overwhelming, especially if you're part of a small team or a small organization. But remember that the purpose is to put people in focus. It's not a process for creating cumbersome plans that end up in a drawer and are forgotten after a month. 

In dialogues with you and in our collaborations, we are keen to ensure that all voices are heard and experiences shared. This is absolutely critical to ensure that everyone has ownership of a solution that they can master, thereby creating commitment in the organization.

A pre-project is first and foremost a democratic project that makes your organization more digitally mature - so that you are better able to use the website and develop it over time. 

That way, you'll end up with a tool that's capable of achieving your goals, not a website that just looks pretty and modern. 

This is also reflected in all the exercises we use. Everything should be easy to implement for everyone in the organization. The findings end up in a two-page success plan that is reviewed and updated regularly from the moment the website is launched.

How do you carry out a pre-project and what can you do yourself?

If you contact us to create a new website, we will always recommend a preliminary project. A simple rule of thumb is that it will cost about 5 to 10 percent of the total budget.

But that doesn't mean we have to be involved in everything, because there's a lot you can do yourself. We'll continue to share tips and insights on our blog, and you can get news straight to your inbox via our newsletter.

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