At the beginning of a website project, a schedule is determined for design, copywriting, development, and QA. However, for a variety of reasons, B2B websites often don’t launch on the pre-determined target date.
Let’s take a look at 5 common reasons why a B2B website launch is delayed.
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Not providing timely feedback
This is a big one and the most common reason website projects are delayed. Often, different stages of the web design must be completed before moving to the next stage. This means a delay in the web design stage will delay development.
It’s critical that both the web design agency and the client provide timely feedback and communicate regularly. If feedback on the copy or the web design is delayed by a few days, it pushes everything back a few days. If that happens repeatedly, the days add up and your launch date can be delayed by several weeks.
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Missing deadlines for input or providing reference materials
As mentioned before, many pieces of a B2B web design project are reliant on other smaller pieces. For example, a web design can’t be completed without all the necessary images or content (such as white papers, team bios or facts & figures) to include on a page. It’s essential that all input for design and copy, as well as any reference materials, are provided by the deadlines set in the schedule. Missing deadlines means that other parts of the project will also be delayed. A web design agency cannot simply move on to a different part of the project while they wait for materials.
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Too many decision makers
You have heard the saying that too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth. This holds true for B2B web design projects as well. Too many decision makers can muddy the waters with various opinions and lack of focus. Additionally, having to run every decision by multiple decision makers will cause delays in the web design process. It’s best to assign one or two people to be the main decision makers on a project and to give them the authority to make the final call on design, copy, images, and such.
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Changing direction or goals mid-way through a project
This particular situation can be very disruptive to a website project and cause delays of weeks or even months. A common scenario occurs when a new person joins the website project team. They may or may not understand the process so far or may not be on board with the objectives that have already been defined. We advise clients against adding new team members to a web design project once it has already started. However, if a new person is essential to the project, be sure to brief them on the direction, goals, and objectives and make sure they are in agreement.
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Not having a dedicated project manager at your company
We understand that everyone at your company is already very busy with their day to day responsibilities. Often, a web design project is one more thing on a very crowded calendar. The best way to avoid any delays is to assign a dedicated project manager with decision-making power to the B2B website project. Ideally, their responsibilities have been realistically allocated to give them enough bandwidth to give the proper amount of time and attention to the project. Having a dedicated project manager ensures that one person is keeping an eye on schedules and has the ability to keep the project on track by getting timely feedback, gathering resources needed for the design agency, and making decisions to keep the project moving along.
Many companies underestimate the time it takes to build a website, so it’s important to be realistic about the impact it will have on team schedules. A design agency will do the heavy lifting, but your input and contributions are essential to creating a high-quality B2B website that makes your brand stand out among the competition.
