The two things that wreck website timelines aren’t technical — they’re a client who sends content "next week" for a month, and a scope that quietly grows from five pages to fifteen. Write down both and the project runs.
What to define
- Scope — number of pages/templates and what’s included (and excluded).
- Milestones and payment — e.g. deposit, design sign-off, launch — each tied to a payment stage.
- Client responsibilities — content and feedback deadlines, because your timeline depends on them.
- Launch and handover — what "done" means, and what happens after go-live.
Milestone payments protect your cash flow; client-content deadlines protect your schedule. Both belong in writing.
How it works
Describe the build in plain words, agree the milestones together, and both e-sign — each keeping a copy.