Stop ScopeCreep

Double Your Profit &Remove The Stress of

Selling Websites

Imagine this:

You‘ve agreed to do a specific project with a client. You start off well. But as the

project progresses, the client makes small changes to it. Then, they request minor

additions...then they want a few more “minor” updates.

You find yourself overwhelmed with requests as the project ballooned into

something you don’t recognize and can’t control anymore. Yet, the agreed price

stays as it is. You feel like you’re sinking and the whole project is drowning with

you.

That is scope creep.

It’s arguably the most hellish thing

any project manager could ever

experience.

It’s a revenue-killer, a timeline

demolisher and a relationship

destroyer all rolled in one.

But scope creep only happens if you

allow it to. And it creeps up on you

when these things aren’t clearly

defined:

Why Do Projects Go Wrong?

1. Lack of Clarity

This is a big one, and very common.

There are at least four parties involved in building a website: the client, the

consultant (that’s you), the designer and the developer. If the goals and

objectives of the project are not clearly defined, it’s very easy for

communication issues to arise.

You can end up with the client

wanting X, the consultant

advising Y, the designer creating

Z and the developer building Q.

If there is no clear description of

what the final project should be,

you will waste time sending the

work back and forth to check,

correct and double-check.

It’s a complete waste of time because you’d be spending more hours on it than

you should. Your project is likely to blow out in timeline if not cost, and your

client will surely get frustrated in the process.

How Scope Creep CreepsUp On Projects

2. Lack Of Confidence

Website building is a big deal to your client. It’s likely the most important

aspect of their marketing - one of the biggest marketing investments they will

make. And why not? They will be depending on an awesome website in order

to build a great business.

Thus, a client needs to be confident in the ability of its developers to build their

website.

If they don’t trust you as the expert, they will add their own ideas to the site’s

layout and design. In some cases, it can distort the design beyond recognition

and you will lose sight of the original goal.

These changes they make will cost extra time, not just for you, but for the

designer and developer as well. It will delay the project and eat your profit.

And when the website isn’t working, do you think the client will think it was

your fault? Of course. They knew you had no idea what you were doing. And

guess what? They would partially be right.

3. Changing Plans During The Project

It’s not as common, but it stems from lack of clarity from the get-go and not

having the confidence of your client. Some clients are more prone to this than

others. This is especially true in start-ups.

Perhaps you have done everything right. But sometimes, when the client sees

the design and starts providing feedback, they slowly shift the idea of what

they want to another direction. All of a sudden, they want a different outcome

from what they have originally asked for halfway through the project.

They may do this unconsciously, ignorant of the consequences of such

changes.

So you end up with a dog's breakfast. The design was created with goal X in

mind and now you need to adapt it to goal Y. And maybe, your client would

think they might need goal Z and ask you to add it, too, just in case.

Additional time is wasted relaying changes and re-doing parts of the design.

And the development becomes so much more than the original plan and quote.

After the site is up and the business isn’t getting any sales, the client wonders

why. He would think it’s your fault with your bad design.

4.) Delayed Content

This is extremely common.

If there’s anyone in the world who knows all about the client’s business, it’s the

client himself. He’s the one with all the photos, videos and other materials

needed to build and design the website.

But the thing is that sometimes, it takes them way too long before they gather

and give the materials to you. This delay causes a ripple effect. It isn’t just the

content that’s going to be late; the whole project will be delayed and most

likely, the deadline will not be met.

Or sometimes, you build the site and six months later, you are still waiting for

them to get those product descriptions to you so you can take it live and

collect the final payment.

Delayed content forces the designer to use blocks of Lorem Ipsum which could

confuse the client and not match the final size of the content. Positioning of

placeholder videos may not match the content of the final video - a video

might contain the main sales message or just be supporting proof.

The fact is, we are all procrastinators to some degree. If writing is not the

client’s thing, they put it off. Hell, I put off writing this article several days after

planning it!

5.) Cost Change During The Development

Most changes in cost happens when the project wanders off the initial, agreed

plan. But it could also happen when the developer fails to get the full picture of

the project.

Unless you have a dodgy developer or designer, you should be able to get a

solid quote right from the start so you could work out your margin.

Make sure the final instructions are the same as what they quoted for and that

there are no changes and additions. Otherwise, you can’t blame them for

needing to charge extra.

This would put you in a tough situation. You end up having to decide between

making suppliers hate you, copping a reduced profit (or maybe just break

even), or having that awkward conversation with the client so you can explain

what happened as you look at their disappointed faces.

6.) Communication Hassles

A project that’s not clear from the start is one thing. Shifts in expectations as

the project progresses is another.

Such shifts - which could come from the design unexpectedly taking longer to

finish, additional design that has not been relayed to the developer, etc. - all

affect the timeline of the project.

Apart from actual language barrier in a global business world, there is also the

language barrier of the technical and the non-technical. What the client calls

the ‘banner’ might actually be the header, a button or a full-width section

halfway down the page.

Without clear communication, you end up in scenarios where things have been

done the wrong way and needs to be fixed at extra cost.

Here’s the good news: scope creep CAN be stopped.

You have the ability to place systems and processes that would help prevent

these problems.

1.) Rules Of Engagement

There are no universal rules for buying a website. Clients don’t know how to buy a

website. They don’t understand the website development process. You need to set

the rules and show them how to do it.

Clearly define the rules in your proposal. Explain these things to them:

What instructions, content or logins they need to provide, and when. Let them

know the project won’t proceed without the content.

Why you don’t take shortcuts or do things the ‘cheap’ way.

Terms of payment for the services and any additional software, domains etc. (it

is always best if they pay for any ongoing licenses or domains themselves).

How you will be charging for any change that affects the cost of production

after the brief has been approved.

How you will be charging extra for major changes to the website after the

designs have been approved.

The timeline; when they can expect things and when they need to supply

materials or feedback.

How communication will work and who they will communicate with; whether

they should communicate through phone or email; how they should provide

feedback on design mockups or final website edits.

Stopping Scope Creep ForGood

Who you will deal with, and how you need them to cooperate with you. Avoid

dealing with multiple decision-makers. It is best if only one client is providing

feedback and decisions on the project.

If you have a client who doesn’t want to play by your rules, then rethink if you

want to continue working with them.

2.) The Goal

What is the real reason why they want the website or the website redesign? What

is the real goal? Dig deeper and get totally clear. Often the surface reason is not

the real reason.

Getting clear on the purpose of the website provides a number of benefits. It

becomes easier to get positive results for the client in the long run. It makes the

whole project run smoother. It also allows you to increase your profits from the

project.

SPIN Selling is a great book which explains the process of asking questions and

digging deeper into the needs of the client. Getting clarity around why they need

the website and what benefits it will bring them will make it easier for you to sell

them RIGHT solution - and to sell it at the right price.

Think of yourself as a doctor, asking the right questions to get a more accurate

diagnosis. Not only are you positioning yourself as the expert, you are also

projecting to the client that you do HAVE the solution to their problem. This way,

the client will be confident in your ability to make them better and would be more

than happy to pay the cost for the correct prescription.

The same goes with website design and development.

Always align your decision to the goal which the client will set. If the client doesn’t

want more phone calls, don’t put the phone number on the header.

Let each page of the site support the goal. Anything that distracts from it or is dead

weight should simply be removed. Doing this will yield positive results.

3.) Positioning

Positioning yourself as the expert and maintaining the respect of your client means

they are less likely to second-guess your advice and micro-manage the project.

You want to avoid that as much as possible.

When clients start micro-managing every aspect of the project, you end up mixed-

up and muddled. And when you lose sight of how the project should be and where

it should go, you are likely to change plans, which could cost you time and money.

Remember: they are not the experts in this field. You are.

Trust us to provide them with great results. And if you find your clients continuing

to micro-manage, either your have a process problem or you have the wrong type

of client.

Quite often, ‘discount’ clients are the ones who are prone to micro-management. If

they are not paying properly for your service and advice, they are not giving it

enough value.

4.) Project Proposal

There is no need to delve into specifics during the initial proposal for the project.

What it should mainly focus on are the outcome, benefits and goals of the project.

It should outline the rules of engagement, cover the terms, timeline and

investment.

Having an FAQ section is a great

way to reinforce the way you work,

cover off a lot of common

objections and educate the client on

how they should be buying the

website.

Another great thing to have is a

‘What Next’ and a ‘What To Expect’ section. These will show clients exactly what

they need to do to get started on the project and how the project flow will work.

5.) Project Brief

You should charge if you are developing the project brief. Add it as a line item in

the investment or build it into the overall cost. However you do it, get paid. It will

determine how smooth the rest of the project will go.

The project brief should clearly explain to the client what they should expect. It

should convey to the designer and developer what the client is expecting and what

they need to create to meet this expectation.

Do the brief properly, once. Then, get the client to sign it before production begins

so you don’t have to repeat the requirements to everyone, answer silly questions,

get unnecessary feedback, redo things that weren’t done right, deal with scope

creep and other such problems.

Your brief should cover:

The purpose and goals of the website; the expected outcomes and results it

should generate.

The unique selling proposition, target market, Call-to-Action, headlines and

other marketing copy.

Design details: the look and feel, branding style guide, examples of similar

websites or parts of websites that are close to what is wanted.

A wireframe of the website layout, especially for key pages or page templates.

A sitemap of all pages and navigation.

Details of all content and media required for each section on every page; who

will supply this and when.

If SEO is being implemented, the keyword targets for each page, how the URLs,

content for the page titles, headings and descriptions should be structured.

Technical details of logins, accounts, software, plugins and third party apps that

are required for the project to go live.

Details of any special functionality required, like shopping carts, animations,

integrations, search filters or interactive elements.

6.) Process

Have one and stick to it.

For example, clients should NOT be shown the website during construction. Why?

They will get confused about how things look when it’s half-built. And because

they don’t understand it, they will start providing changes.

What you should do is to do tests and checks to make sure the website matches

the brief.

Do this before showing it to the client. This way, if any change is asked for, it would

be easier to delineate the out-of-scope requests.

Strictly follow this process. Some clients my try to bend your rules, but as I said

earlier, perhaps you need to ask if they are the right client for you.

Once you have developed your own process and have all the templates for the

proposal and briefs, begin organizing your work. You can hand parts of it to an

assistant or cut down the time you spend by using a ready-made template.

That’s when you start increasing your profit margins even further. What’s more,

you will also be able to provide consistently great results to your clients.

These clients who were happy with your service, will ultimately become long-term

clients; raving fans who are willing to refer more clients to you, pay for recurring

services or buy another site or a redesign in a year’s time.

This. This is the sweet spot.

I hope you got value out of this. Please feel free to reach out to me at

support@evergreenprofit.com if you have questions or need any further help. And

if you're interested in developing templates and processes for your business, hit

Reply to the email you got this download from.

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