Exactly 1 year ago today I visited a potential client to bid on a project to update a website.  I didn’t win the business as they decided to go with a local web design company, but it looks like I was saved from what could have been a very long and drawn out project. Today their website remains unchanged from the one they had last year. I have been told that the design has now been agreed (I would hope so after 12 months!) but the design company has other commitments that they need to fulfill before they can start building the new site.

So what went wrong? My guess is that the key decision maker wasn’t involved early enough or engaged in the process. This is a common problem when building or updating a web site, and can also be very costly in the long run. It is clear that the website has not been a priority for this organization, and undoubtedly it has cost them, not just in terms of the cost of the design, but also the resource cost and reputation cost. People expect a lot from a website, and ones that are old and outdated are going to disappoint.  The moral of the story?  Get the key decision maker involved early, make sure they are committed to the project and save time, money and aggravation!