As the lead project manager at Lifted Logic, I get the opportunity to both direct our project management team and get a glimpse into the projects run by other PMs in my department. Since I started out as 1 of just 2 project managers, I’ve gotten to see many of our projects from the beginning!
Even as we’ve grown as a company (our project management team has tripled!), we still only take on a select number of new projects each year so that we’re able to properly dedicate our time and effort to each. We’re interested in building a relationship with our clients and helping them actually achieve their goals.
Our project management process is the glue from start to finish—it goes hand in hand with the entirety of every website build. There are a lot of parts I really love about our specific process at Lifted Logic, especially how we’re always growing and improving to serve our clients better, even if that means we have to pivot our process.
I think the most effective part of our project management process is the way we front load the setup of every project. So much of our success is because we work really hard to start off on the right foot every time.
Real quick, what is a project manager?
Part friend, part business consultant, part accountability buddy, at Lifted Logic, the project manager is the main point of contact for the client throughout the process of building their custom website.
If the client has questions or concerns, they have to go through me before they get to any other project member. This helps keep our process running smoothly. Our team of talented creatives are able to get their work done with minimal interruptions, and I’m able to make sure the client is always kept up to date on the status of their project.
An inside look at project management
What makes the Lifted Logic project management process different?
One thing that’s unique about us is that our owner, Adam Fichman, is in the majority of the initial meetings to decide if we’re the right fit for a particular project. You won’t see this at larger agencies. Adam consults with our prospective clients alongside a dedicated project manager who then:
- Scopes the project
- Writes the proposal
- Develops the contract
- Helps select appropriate team members for the project
- Kicks off the project and keeps it on track from start to finish
Project planning for us is always rooted in the needs of the client. The first meetings are always about learning everything we can about your business and establish your list of needs, wants, and dreams for your project.
It’s important for us to know exactly what a client wants from their website. Are you hoping to drive more people to the site? Convert traffic into more leads? Are you more focused on the design aesthetics?
We want to know what the goal is, that way we don’t run into issues later in our process because it turns out the site needed to function much differently than originally planned.
How does Lifted Logic scope projects?
One of the reasons we’re so good at what we do is because we’ve been honing our process for years. We use a system called “zero variance reverse bidding, where we discover what the client needs and wants and then we work with them to determine a budget based on their ROI. By converting the budget into project hours, we are able to match deliverables and build a plan that fits this budget, no more, no less.
Building the proposal with our clients is an absolutely crucial foundation for the entire project management process. The proposal is the blueprint for a project. Just like when you build a house, sometimes things need to change once you start building; however, we can all agree that changing the siding is a lot easier than suddenly changing the plumbing or layout.
The closer we can get our proposal to matching your needs as a client, the better it is for both parties. We know exactly how to spend our time, and you get the best bang for your buck, so to speak.
We build out the proposal to match what we learn from the client during their discovery meeting. Where we allocate the hours can vary based on what the client needs.
That’s the beautiful thing about our team scoping and building everything from scratch. For example, if the client really wants to rank on the SERPs (search engine results page), then we might allocate more time for our content department to develop killer SEO content. If the client is more interested in the design of the site, we can spend more of their budget in the design process.
The team: the heart of the project management process
After the proposal, the team we select for each project is also an important part of that foundation. We’re really intentional about the teams we put together for each of our clients. If we’re starting a project for an engineering firm, there may be a certain designer we want on the project, or certain writers who we know excel at the subject based on interest or past experience.
The discovery meeting is where we officially kick off the web design and development process. This is the one client-facing meeting where everybody gets together to brainstorm and really dive into the goals for the project. We want the whole project team in the room when we start a new website, so that we’re all on the same page, creating the vision together.
When we build out websites, we aren’t just looking at your current business needs, we’re also looking to the future. Are you planning on adding an e-commerce store to your site next year? Then the current site build should be prepared for that. We want your website to be in it for the long haul, and that starts with a good original framework.
Lifted Logic project managers: digital agency meets business consultant
When you partner with us, our ultimate goal is to create a product that you’re satisfied with, one you use every day, and one that works for you even when you’re off the clock. That’s why it’s so important to us to get your feedback and insight when we first start your project and every step of the way.
If you’re interested in learning more about our web design process or services, shoot us an email!
Emma Levine, Director of Project Management
If you've ever worked with Lifted Logic, you likely know Emma well—you lucky dogs, you. As Director of Project Management at Lifted Logic, she is responsible for tracking, planning, and monitoring the progress of all website builds and ongoing marketing at Lifted Logic, no matter their stage of development.
