Website development timeline template

What goes in a website development timeline template?

It holds the phases in order, the owner of each, what each phase depends on and the points where you wait on the client. Add a start date and an end date column, and fill them in for each project.

Each phase also has tasks to tick off. For the tick list for each phase, see the website project management checklist.

How do you set a project timeline for website development?

Work backward from the launch date the client wants, and set each phase's dates with the people who'll do the work. Then mark each client waiting point and put a due date on it.

1. Ask the client for their launch date, and what it's tied to.
2. List the phases in order, and note which ones can't start until another ends.
3. Ask each owner how long their phase takes on this scope, and turn the answer into dates.
4. Mark each client waiting point, with the date you need their reply.
5. Leave some slack before launch for the last round of changes.
6. Send the timeline to the client and get their yes on the waiting points.
7. Update it each week, and tell the client when a date moves and why.

Late feedback pushes back every date after it. Say so in writing at kickoff, so a slow reply doesn't turn into a surprise on launch day.

The order of the phases comes from how the build runs. For the production stages, see the website development process.

Can you build the timeline in Excel?

Yes, any spreadsheet can hold a build timeline, Excel included. A few columns and some shaded cells are enough.

1. Make one row for each phase, with columns for the owner, the start date, the end date, the client waiting point and the status.
2. Add a column for each week of the project across the top.
3. Shade the cells between each phase's start and end dates, so the sheet reads like a bar chart. This layout is known as a Gantt chart.
4. Give the client waiting points their own color.
5. Save a blank copy as your template, and copy it for each new build.

Before you share it, check that every date has an owner and every waiting point has a due date.