Melissa Crowhurst | Website Build Overall Process

This system goes through the entire administrative portion of a website build; from sales to accounts to project management and completion.

This process can move more quickly or slowly depending on the speed of the client’s responses/feedback.

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System Architect: Melbourne SEO Services
Website: www.melbourneseoservices.com
Generated as part of the www.BusinessSystemsSummit.com

System Details

Sales Handover

Sales Team 

  1. When a new client is ready to start a website build, the sales team member will CC Accounts using the Email 1: Sales Person Handover Template below.
     
  2. Please ensure you also include any relevant notes (if applicable) in that email that may be helpful for the team after you’ve handed this client over to the Operations Team.

Initial Phase – Admin & On-boarding (Week 1)

Accounts Team

  1. Taking the information from the sales person’s handover email, prepare the initial invoice to be sent to the client.
     
  2. Once the invoice has been created, “reply all” to the sales person’s email and paste in the Email 2: Invoice, questionnaire and expectations Template
     
  3. Now set up the Client Workspace in Asana (if not already there) by duplicating this Master Template Workspace and complete the Workspace business name, client name, URL, contact and and account notes, as appropriate.
     
  4. Once that’s done, go to the ‘Tasks to Duplicate’ workspace in the Clients Projects section of Asana and duplicate the Master Website Build Task Template then drag it to the Client’s Workspace you set up in #3 above.
     
  5. Once the payment & questionnaire are completed, if the client doesn’t already have a folder in our Dropbox, duplicate the Dropbox Client Folder Template to create a new client folder and rename the folder the client’s URL (eg. melbourneseoservices.com) .
     
  6. Save the Questionnaire as a PDF, ensuring you add – CLIENT NAME WEBSITE BUILD DDMMYY to the end of the file name (WHY? We have clients who use multiples services and this keeps the questionnaires from getting lost in their Dropbox folder).
    1. Upload the Questionnaire (PDF) to the Client Info folder (a subfolder of the overall client folder you duplicated), then copy the link to the PDF
       
    2. Paste the Questionnaire (PDF) link into the “Client Info” step in the description of the Website Build Task that’s now in the client’s workspace.
       
    3. Also paste in any additional notes that you have in the “Additional Notes” section in the ‘mother’ Website Build Task, if applicable.
       
  7. Tick off the “Accounts to send invoice, questionnaire + expectations” subtask as completed.

    IMPORTANT NOTE: Work doesn't start until client has paid their deposit

     
  8. Assign the ‘mother thread’ of Website Build Task to the Project Manager and make a comment letting them know the questionnaire has been received and payment made – so the work can start.

 

Operations Team (Web Build)

  1. The Project Manager will now self-assign (or the relevant team member) the task “Project Manager: Review initial checklist + set start date” with a due date less than 2 business days from the current date.
     
  2. Review the initial checklist in that subtask and make note of any missing information, need for clarification, and so on.
    1. Confirm main URL – or suggest if none already chosen
       
    2. Confirm domain, hosting & FTP details – or suggest if none available. Hosting must be organized prior to commencing the build.
       
    3. Confirm keywords / phrases
       
    4. Confirm all content & images have been supplied.
       
    5. IF APPLICABLE: Assign set up of hosting, logo design, content writing, additional pages or special features quotations.
       
    6. Check with the Senior Web Tech to ensure the Official Start Date you want to set will work for their team.
       
  3. Go to the Comms Thread in the Client’s Workspace, and create a new subtask using the Email 3 (questions or info + start date) Template. Edit and/or complete any information within the email body and assign to the Support team to email to the client.
    1. Now go into the ‘mother’ Website Build thread and enter the Start Date into the Commencement Date section in the description.
       
    2. In the “Target Completion Date” section add 2 months onto the Start Date and enter that date there.
       
  4. Go to the Comms thread in Asana and assign the first weekly update to the Support Team, setting the due date for the first Friday that comes after when the client's project officially starts.
     
  5. If the client has selected the option to share content/images/info via a Shared Dropbox created by us, go to the main MSS Dropbox dashboard and create a folder called x.clientname-melbSEO-shared and then share the folder with them (so they can edit/add/delete info within it).
    1. If you share a Dropbox folder with the client, ensure you paste in the Email Template - Dropbox Template - Shared Folder (how to name saved files) so the client understands how to add and name files for easy reference for the team.
       
    2. If you forgot or didn’t add that into the sharing message, get the Support Team to send the template as an additional email to the client, via the comms thread.
       
  6. Once all logins, content & images have been provided – commence the next phase below.

Phase 1 - Theme & Staging Site Setup (Week 2)

Operations Team (Web Build)

  1. The Project Manager will now assign the ‘Initial Theme Research’ task to the appropriate team member, with an appropriate due date (ideally no more than 3 business days)
    1. If the client has already selected a theme, this step can be skipped and you will go to Step #3 below.
       
  2. Once the team member has completed their theme research, the Project Manager will create a new subtask in Client Comms thread and paste in the Email 4 (Select a Theme) Template, edit/adjust the information accordingly, and assign a Support team member to send it to the client.
     
  3. Once the client has advised the theme they want, it’s now time to Purchase the Theme. The Project Manager will assign the ‘Purchase WP Theme’ task to either themselves or the appropriate supervisor for purchase and follow the below steps:
    1. We do the following process to ensure we can hand over the theme ownership so they have access to their own Theme License for future updates and support from the Theme creators. This means we'll need to purchase it on their behalf once a theme has been selected.
      1. If the client has an account where the Theme is for sale, obtain their logins and make the purchase.
        --- Note: You may have to obtain payment information from Accounts in order to 'load' credits or balances into the account to make the purchase.
         
      2. If the client doesn't have an account where the chosen Theme is for sale:
        >> Create a Gmail account using the client's name as the email, eg. clientname@gmail.com and make note of all the login credentials and passwords in the appropriate Asana thread.

        >> Create the Theme account using the Gmail account you created. Make note of the login credentials and passwords in the appropriate Asana thread.

        >> Login to the account and make the purchase.

        --- Note: You may have to obtain payment information from Accounts in order to 'load' credits or balances into the account to make the purchase.

        Do not share these logins with the client until they have paid their balance invoice (project completion)
         
  4. Once the theme is purchased, the Project Manager will assign the ‘Setup: Create Staging Site’ task to the appropriate team member, including the Theme account login details (and generic Gmail logins if applicable) to the web build team member so they can access the theme and relevant license information.

    Note, this can take up to 2 weeks to complete depending on the volume of content, pages, images and instructions required to do the initial customisation.

Phase 2 - Customisation (Weeks 3 - 5)

Operations Team (Web Build)

  1. Because the initial set up can take more than week, if applicable, the Project Manager will create a new subtask and assign to the Support team (or add in the weekly Friday comms if appropriate) pasting in the Email ‘Staging Site Being Set Up’ Template just to let the client know works are underway.

    You can watch the video below “Website Build Feedback Comms Process” to learn a bit more about the process of requesting feedback from the client and giving that to the team in the relevant thread.

     
  2. Once the staging site and initial customisation is done, the Project Manager will create a new subtask in the client comms thread and assign to the Support team (or add in the weekly Friday comms if appropriate), and paste in the Email ‘Round 1 Review / Staging Site Set Up’ Template.
    1. Once the client gives feedback, the Project Manager will then assign the “Round 1 Client Feedback” subtask in the Customise Site: Continuation section.
       
    2. If for some reason the client doesn’t reply to any the feedback round request, the Project Manager will create a new subtask in the client comms thread and assign to the Support team (or add in the weekly Friday comms if appropriate) ‘! Client Doesn’t Provide Feedback Reminder’ Template.
       
  3. Once Round 1 is completed by the team, the Project Manager will create a new subtask in the client comms thread and assign to the Support team (or add in the weekly Friday comms if appropriate), and paste in the Email ‘Round 2 Review Minor Review’ Template.
    1. Once the client gives feedback the Project Manager will then assign the “Round 2 Client Feedback” subtask in the Customise Site: Continuation section.
       
    2. If for some reason the client doesn’t reply to any the feedback round request, the Project Manager will create a new subtask in the client comms thread and assign to the Support team (or add in the weekly Friday comms if appropriate) ‘! Client Doesn’t Provide Feedback Reminder’ Template.
       
  4. Once Round 2 is completed by the team, the Project Manager will create a new subtask in the client comms thread and assign to the Support team (or add in the weekly Friday comms if appropriate), and paste in the Email ‘Round 3 Review Finishing Touches’ Template
    1. Once the client gives feedback the Project Manager will then assign the “Round 3 Client Feedback” subtask in the Customise Site: Continuation section.
    2. If for some reason the client doesn’t reply to any the feedback round request, the Project Manager will create a new subtask in the client comms thread and assign to the Support team (or add in the weekly Friday comms if appropriate) ‘! Client Doesn’t Provide Feedback Reminder’ Template.
       
  5. OPTION ONLY IF A WEBSITE REBUILD: Assign the ’Move titles and meta tags” task to the appropriate team member to ensure the on-page SEO stays intact.
     
  6. Once all feedback rounds are completed by the team, it’s time to invoice balance in preparation to make the site go live.

Phase 3 - Finalising (Weeks 5 - 8)

Operations Team (Web Build)

  1. At this point, the Project Manager will create a new subtask in the client comms thread and assign to the Support team the ‘Staging Site – Ready to Go Live’ Template, ensuring all relevant details are updated and that the Accounts Team are CC’d in so they invoice the balance payment.

 

Accounts Team

  1. When you get CC’d into the email that a staging site is ready to go live, invoice 50% Balance and send the Email 5 ‘Site Ready to Go Live’ Template.

    Balance Payment must be made BEFORE the site goes live & LOGINS provided to the client

     
  2. Once the balance invoice is paid, alert the Project Manager in the Website Build ‘mother’ thread so they can proceed to Phase 3 below.

 

Operations Team (Web Build)

  1. One the Project Manager has been alerted by the Accounts Team that the balance invoice has been paid, assign the Site Goes Live task to the appropriate Senior Web Tech to assign out the subtasks and oversee the site migration.
     
  2. Once the site is live, the Project Manager will assign out the Site Quality Control Review task to a relevant/available team member to run a quick QA review over the new live site.  
    1. Any QA issues will be fed back to the web team, if necessary, by simply re-assigning the Site Quality Control Review task to the appropriate team member.
       
  3. Once that’s done, and the website build team have provided updated info/logins, the Project Manager will create a new subtask in the client comms thread and assign to the Support team to send the Email 6 ‘ Once Balance Paid Handover Info’ Template 6 with all the relevant live login details.

    Logins can by found either in the Website Build Project thread itself, or in the Client Workspace > Project Notes > Logins)

     
  4. The Project Manager will now assign the Create Video Tutorial for Client task to the appropriate team member.  
    1. Once done, the team member will upload to Wistia, and the link provided in the next weekly comms for the client’s future reference.
       
  5. The Project Manager will also assign the Onpage SEO x 30 task to the SEO Manager to execute, as per their systems.
     
  6. If applicable/appropriate, the Project Manager will also assign the Add Site to the MSS web build portfolio task to the appropriate team member.
     
  7. This now completes the website build Project Manager’s portion of the work. The SEO Manager is now in charge of the final stages.

 

Operations Team (SEO)

  1. The SEO Manager will assign out and supervise all the relevant onpage SEO work for this last component of the site build, including updating the client with regards to the Onpage SEO component of this project via the normal weekly comms.

SEO Phase - Offboarding

Operations Team (SEO)

  1. Once all the Onpage SEO work is done, the SEO Manager will use the pre-made Offboarding subtask in the client comms thread and assign to the Support team (or add in the final weekly Friday comms if appropriate) ‘Email 7 Offboarding’ Template.
     
  2. At the same time, the SEO Manager will then assign the pre-made Sales Followup subtask in the client comms thread and assign it to the appropriate Sales Team Member. 

Post-Offboarding Followup

Sales Team

  1. Once a website build project is completed, you will be assigned a Followup task to touch base with the client 1-week after offboarding (in the comms thread in Asana)
     
  2. Once you get this, set up the client as an existing ‘Lead’ in Nutshell and follow your normal sales process.

Project Completion

Operations Team (Web Build)

  1. Once all work is totally completed, either the Project Manager can archive the project in Asana.
    1. Or if this client has other work that’s still in progress, unassign yourself from the Website Build mother thread and move the thread down to “completed”.

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