Our unique project management process is a big part of who we are and our relationship with you, whether you’re an existing client who has first-hand experience working with our excellent project managers, or you are just getting to know Spindogs.
That’s why we lured our star Project Manager Ceri away from her desk with caffeine and had her tell us all about how the PM team roll. How do they keep everything running smoothly? What makes the Spindogs style of PM-ing unique? Here’s the play-by-play:
How a Spindogs website is made
When we start working with a new client on a website, it’s our Project Management team who guide them through the journey. From the kick-off meeting (where a client meets their dedicated Spindogs team) to turning the concepts into stunning designs and using them to build all-singing, all-dancing websites- the PMs look after the needs of our clients every step of the way.
Getting to know the project team
After our Business Development team sign up a client, they set up a kick-off meeting so the client can meet their Project Manager (PM) and discuss the aims of the new website. In this initial meeting, we also cover your brand guidelines, the project timeline and any CMS preferences.
Some of our Spindogs family may also be in this initial meeting. Our Online Marketing team usually join the kick-off if the project involves a Discovery Phase. Otherwise, one of our designers will be there to bring ideas and inspiration ready for the design phase to the table.
The Discovery Phase
If included, the aptly named Discovery Phase gives us the chance to learn how key stakeholders will use the website before we put together designs. The dedicated PM will work with the OM team to hold workshops, interviews or send surveys. The results are compiled in a document outlining the key aspects of the design phase.
Design & Development
Next, our design team turn all the insights we’ve gained so far into a homepage that ticks all the boxes. The PM and designer will then talk the client through the layouts and once everyone is happy with our take on the brief, we’ll create the subpages in the same style.
When the client has signed off all the designs, their dedicated PM briefs the Development Team and books in the work. They then check in with our developers on a regular basis to make sure that the project is on track and we’ll meet the client timelines.
After development
Following the web build, the PMs complete the final quality checks and book in a CMS training session where we walk the client through the pages of the new website. The biggest task then left is the content upload to the new site, which we offer as a service for clients who want to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible and ensure that everything comes together on time.
Once all the content has been uploaded, the PM pulls together the project team for a final review of the website before launch. We look for any last improvement opportunities: such as updating the site map or making a small style tweak that could enhance the feel of the website.
Launch!
Our IT team and the PM then work with the client to get the new website live. We make sure we’ve ticked all the boxes, from domain name details to Google Analytics codes and we stay in touch for a couple of weeks afterwards to make sure that everything is running smoothly, before handing over to our Support Team for any ongoing queries.
PM top tip
‘It’s all about the brief,’ advises Ceri. ‘All the background information and ideas you can bring along will help us learn as much as possible about the new project. Statistics, stakeholder feedback and/or a rough site map give us a better understanding of how your website can work for you and what you want to improve, so we can get the ball rolling.’
We have so many web experts all under one roof, from designers and developers to our genius online marketing team. It’s our PMs mission to get everyone involved all stages of the project and make the end product a roaring success. And they are doing a stellar job… if we do say so ourselves!
Looking to re-launch or build your website? Get in touch with one of our experts to kick things off today!