1. Define the change
Complete this sentence: “After this project, a customer or staff member should be able to…” A measurable action is more useful than “make it modern.”
2. Name the audiences and their next steps
- Who arrives at the site?
- What do they need to understand?
- What should they do next?
- What would make them hesitate?
3. Inventory current assets
List the domain, hosting, business email, logo files, photos, menus, service descriptions, policies, analytics, booking, POS, newsletters, forms, and social profiles. Note who owns each account.
4. Separate must-have from later
Mark each requested feature as launch-critical, useful later, or merely interesting. This protects the core path from unnecessary complexity.
5. Identify constraints
Include real deadlines, staff capacity, content readiness, accessibility needs, vendor limitations, approval steps, and a budget context. A hidden constraint usually becomes rework.
6. Choose one decision-maker
Gather stakeholder input, but designate who resolves conflicting feedback and accepts milestones.
7. Prepare safe access
Do not email passwords. Prefer role-based invitations from client-owned systems. Decide who can authorize DNS, hosting, analytics, and third-party changes.
8. Define launch and maintenance
Agree on launch checks, content ownership, account billing, warranty or correction periods, updates, backups, and what happens after handoff.