Why the discovery phase is crucial for your WordPress website project

When planning the design and development of a new WordPress website, it’s easy to focus on budget. After all, you want to ensure your investment is affordable while delivering strong returns. From that starting point, it might seem logical to ask what can be achieved within your spending limit.

However, beginning a project with this mindset can lead to costly mistakes, causing more problems and higher expenses further down the line.

Rather than starting with a budget, the key to a successful WordPress website project is a well-planned approach.

One of the most important stages is the discovery phase, which lays the groundwork for what the project will entail and ensures everyone is aligned on your goals and expectations.

The discovery phase is vital because it defines exactly what you need from your WordPress website.

Without this step, projects can often encounter problems such as missed functionality, delays, or costly scope creep – all of which could have been avoided with proper planning.

During discovery, your team at Granite 5 works with you to explore the possibilities of what you want to achieve.

This involves scoping out every element of your project, from design and user experience to functionality and features.

By the end of this, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of what your project entails, and your budget will be clearly aligned with those requirements.

This allows you to make informed decisions about which features are essential and which can be considered for future phases, ensuring that the project remains cost-effective.

Think of the discovery phase as a small project of its own. Key steps can include:

• Defining the objectives, scope of work and necessary functionality
• Producing wireframes to visualise how your site will look and function
• Agreeing on a detailed, itemised budget based on the work required
• Setting a timeline for each stage of the project
• Identifying hosting requirements
• Outlining a rollout plan for launching the site
• Establishing acceptance criteria for testing to ensure everything functions as expected
• Highlighting potential pain points and items you may not have thoughts about

This phase typically takes two to four weeks, depending on the size and complexity of your project, and it is always be included in the overall cost of the project.

Rather than allocating your entire budget upfront without knowing what’s achievable, you’re investing in thorough planning that guarantees the project is scoped out properly before any development begins.

After completing the discovery phase, you can either proceed with the project, or decide to reassess based on what you’ve learned.

Choosing to miss out the discovery phase can lead to serious problems. Without a proper plan, you could end up with a final product that doesn’t meet your expectations or business needs.

A discovery phase significantly reduces the risk of complications (and disappointments).

If the discovery phase is bypassed, you might find that the scope of the project changes midway through development.

The misalignment between your initial expectations and the final product can lead to a website that underperforms or requires costly changes after launch.

The discovery phase is a critical part of any WordPress website development project. Remember, it’s not just about setting a budget; it’s about making sure your requirements and expectations are clearly defined before any development begins.

This will save you time, money, and stress, and will result in a WordPress website that meets your business needs perfectly.