While working on your website design project, it can be challenging to predict how long it will take for the new site to build and launch. Yet, it is crucial to set some deadlines, as the project might be all over the place without one.
Sometimes, project supervisors end up setting deadlines that are too strict. This seems like a good idea in the beginning, as you’d feel it’d get the job done early. However, this can actually be counterproductive as it will most likely affect the quality of the final design.
Figuring out how to choose a reasonable deadline for your website design project can be tricky, but it isn’t impossible. Read on to learn more about how to come up with a realistic deadline.
How to Choose a Reasonable Deadline for Your Website Design Project
If you are working on a website designing project and want to complete it in a timely manner, here are a few ways to set reasonable deadlines.
1. Avoid Arbitrary Deadlines
Before getting to the actionable part, keep one thing in mind: do not be arbitrary. It is easy to set up aggressive deadlines to prove that you can get things done faster than anyone else. And while you may be able to push yourself beyond your limits to meet these deadlines, there is a chance the work wouldn’t match your potential.
Remember, your client doesn’t care how long it took to set up and launch the website. Instead, they care about what they’re looking at after the website is launched. As long as they’re getting the service they’re looking for, potential clients wouldn’t even think about how long it took to design the website. However, this does not mean that you should take months or years to set up a simple website. Try to determine the earliest time it would take to design the website without compromising on the quality – that’s your sweet spot.
2. Consult an Expert
This is something that you should do before your start working on the project rather than after things have already gone wrong. Prevention is better than damage control. Consult a couple of experts in the website designing business to figure out how things work.
Keep in mind that a lot of people will tell you anything you want to hear in the hopes of getting your business. So make sure to consult a number of people before determining a reasonable deadline.
3. Understand The Solution Your Website Is Offering
Unless you are setting up a blog, chances are that reaching the website isn’t meant to be the end of the customer’s journey. For most businesses, the website functions as a tool to remove certain barriers for the customer before they reach the final goal.
Determine what these barriers mean for your website and how you will be working to remove them. Once you have a clear idea of what your website is doing, it becomes a lot easier to break things into actionable chunks and work from there on.
4. Set Actionable Deadlines According to Parkinson’s Law
According to the Parkinson’s Law, ‘tasks expand to fill the time given to them.’ This means that if you designate a lot of time to a certain task, then you will end up taking that much time to complete that task. But if you keep your deadlines realistic yet crisp, your brain will automatically find ways to complete it on time.
Once you have divided the process into actionable steps, it becomes easier to assign a reasonable deadline for each task.
5. Personalize Your Deadlines
Even after consulting experts and colleagues, you need to determine what works best for you. After all, what works for one person may not always work for another. Personalizing your deadlines according to your potential will make you less reluctant to start the work.
For instance, are you more of a big picture person? If yes, then determine your goals accordingly. If you like to give yourself a pat on the back for completing a small milestone, dividing the job into smaller goals may be more productive for you.
6. Be Accommodating of Your Co-workers
If you’re working with multiple coworkers, you need to take their limits into consideration as well. If you set all the deadlines according to your capacity, you may find that your coworkers start struggling with the work.
Instead, work closely with everyone involved in the project while creating a schedule for the deadlines. This way, everyone will give their input and you will collectively be able to create a reasonable deadline that works for everyone.
7. Write Down The Deadlines
If you make a mental checklist of the deadlines, you are setting yourself up for failure. There are high chances that you’d convince yourself that moving the deadlines around ‘just a little bit’ won’t have a significant impact. But these can soon add up and you will suddenly find that you’re way behind schedule. Instead, write down the deadlines. If possible, write them in a place where they are easily visible to you at most times.
If you’re working in a company, create a board with the deadlines and place it in an accessible place. Just looking at the tasks written in tangible form can inspire a lot of people to complete the work in time while also enabling the brain to store the information. However, make sure that the deadlines are flexible so you can adjust if things go slightly off-track.
By setting reasonable deadlines, you can produce the highest quality work in a practical time period. So don’t skip the process. If you put in some effort while creating the deadline, there’s a high chance that the rest of the process will flow with more ease.
If you’re looking for a web designer for your website, consider visiting Red Spot Design. From reasonable deadlines to value for your money, we ensure that you get the best out of the deal.