How Do You Finish a Website Project?

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How you finish a web design project is just as important as how you start it.

Capping the first winter of my web design business, I’ve learned that process means everything—not only for you but especially for your client.

And real talk? As long as you clearly define how the process of working with you will be, there’ll be little to no room for misunderstandings.

By the end of this post, the goal is for you to have a clearer idea of how to end your web design projects as gracefully and memorably as possible.

01 – Plan with the end in mind.

It should go without saying that you need to plan your process before you try to get any web design clients.

I’m not saying it has to be perfect, but you know the saying: failing to plan is planning to fail.

Not trying to be ominous here but it’s true.

To help you avoid overthinking your client’s journey, first think of the end in mind—what do you hope the client will feel by the end of the project?

Do you want them to be able to edit their project or would you want them to reach out to you to make changes on their site?

In reality, the choice is yours and will depend on the type of people you want to work with.

In my own web design business, I equip my clients with resources to help them make their own edits after our work together. This is because my clients want to be able to make changes whenever necessary.

Of course, I provide the option of working with me in the future to maintain their website.

Tl;dr: Decide how you’d like to be involved in the project after it’s done and let that inform your process.

Speaking of process…

02 – Make your process clear to the client before you start the project.

Once you decide how you want to end your web design projects, you need to make this clear before your client signs on the line. I’ve heard of horror stories where a seemingly idyllic project went awry because the web designer and client weren’t on the same page.

Here are some ways how you can prevent misunderstandings of the web design process with your client:

• Give a high-level overview of your web design process during your discovery call. This will also help your client gain a better idea of how it is to work with you.
  
• Summarize your process again in an email after your discovery call (if possible) OR in a client viewbook. If you have a pricing guide, go ahead and put that on there, too.
  
• If you have a welcome guide, include it there, along with the rough timeline of the project.
  

03 – Let your client know how they can get in touch with you after the project.

After designing and the website has launched, send a farewell email to your client about how they can get in touch with you. Most of the time, additional changes to the website post-launch would cost a fee.

It can be fixed (like a maintenance package) or an hourly rate.

Again, you can choose which option works best for you as long as it’s clear to your client.

Did that help? Let me know! Excited to see your projects in the wild 🙂