Why Website Projects Move at The Speed of Approvals

Most website projects don’t get delayed by development work, but by content arriving late or needing multiple rounds of amends and approvals.

Content and assets for a brand-new website shape everything, from the messaging to the visuals, and ultimately how the final product looks and performs. 

When content or assets are delayed, the entire project feels the impact. Tasks get blocked, decisions are pushed back, and designers and developers are left waiting or forced to reshuffle their work to fill the gaps. Then, when content arrives, everything has to be rushed. 

This pressure can be felt on the client side, too. Most clients are juggling a website project on top of their actual day job, a never-ending to-do list, and not enough hours in the day. 

That’s when mistakes can quietly creep in, and there’s unnecessary pressure on what could be a smooth-sailing project. At best, it’s frustrating. At worst, it can delay the launch entirely or result in rushed, lower-quality work going live.

This is why setting clear expectations around content and assets right from kick-off is essential. It’s not a ‘we’ll get to it later’ conversation.

It sounds simple at the start (‘We’ll just write a few pages’), but suddenly it involves approvals, rewrites, and someone digging through a folder from 2017.

 If the agency is responsible for creating content or visuals, you’ll find that budgeting becomes tricky if content is treated as a ‘nice to have,’ and is outside of the core build budget.

From the client side, it’s also difficult to know upfront how much time, input from others, or content support will actually be needed along the way. 

I’ll tell you one thing: It always ends up being a bit more than you first thought.

Then there’s also real life. People go on leave, teams are stretched, or the one person who knows everything and has access to it jets off on holiday.

There are some really common themes as to why this issue continues to happen.

Content gets delayed because it’s not always the top priority. Often, website projects end up competing with the everyday demands of a client’s business.

We know people are busy, and for a lot of clients, feedback isn’t coming from one person or team. It’s coming from marketing, leadership, sales, and compliance, all at once. Unsurprisingly, that can slow things down a bit while everyone weighs in.

Then comes the domino effect.

One late decision affects the amendment process, tools are down, and content and assets are pushed for time, which impacts the project timeline.

Timelines are critical for agencies, so they can provide realistic delivery estimates before project kick-off to manage expectations and build a client relationship with transparency.

When creating timelines, you need to find the sweet spot. If deadlines are too tight, content can be rushed, which may affect quality. If they’re too loose, things begin to drift, and suddenly no one is quite sure when anything is due.

For projects involving both design and development teams, Flaunt carefully estimates how long each phase will take, while also considering the client’s desired launch timeline. However, creating an accurate and workable schedule is essential.

Clients are often working towards fixed launch dates too, whether it’s for a campaign, event, rebrand, or an internal deadline, so there’s usually a bit of pressure on both sides to keep things moving.

 If the timeline is too short, clients are left with limited time to provide content and assets, or feedback on agency content, adding unnecessary pressure if the resources aren’t in place.

Establishing ownership from the outset makes a significant difference, especially on bigger teams, where content, approvals, and assets are spread across several people.

Who is responsible for approvals? What needs to be approved, and by when?

At Flaunt, we address this early on. 

Deadlines for all required assets are clearly defined from the very first kick-off meeting. By that stage, we have already prepared a detailed timeline and task breakdown.

The client is given access to these materials, along with a clear explanation of why each asset is needed at each stage. This is discussed during the kick-off meeting, and the client is provided with a project tracker that outlines the required assets, key milestones, and deadlines.

All of this is then summarised in a follow-up email confirming the agreed dates.  

Rather than letting everything grind to a halt, we focus on maintaining momentum wherever possible. If another phase of work can progress, we move it forward.

From the outset, we make the risks of content delays clear to all stakeholders, particularly how they can impact the project timeline, deadlines, and overall expectations.

To manage this effectively, we:

1. Emphasise transparency from the start.
2. Highlight content as an early risk and potential blocker.
3. Set clear expectations for the project, like who is responsible for specific tasks, and how we are best approaching collaboration with the client. 

It’s important to build content deadlines into the project plan from day one, not as an afterthought.

It may sound like a cliché, but it’s absolutely true.

As a project manager at Flaunt, we don’t assume content or assets will arrive on time; we plan for what happens if they don’t by: 

• Using placeholder content to keep progress moving
• Planning phased launches rather than relying on a single, fixed deadline
• Offering content support if the client needs it (budget permitting)

This works both ways. 

A project flows best when it’s a true partnership, not just a set of steps to follow. Both sides need a clear view of what’s still to do, what’s holding things up, and where a bit more support might be needed.

Clients expect regular updates and visible progress, but it’s just as important for our team to check in with each other, too. 

Regular meetings help keep everything on track. They’re not just status updates; they also serve as a gentle (or not-so-gentle) reminder of what’s still outstanding.

This helps to keep the project moving, gives space for colleagues to communicate and ask for support, and we can actually take action on time and keep everyone looped in on progress. 

Because if no one mentions missing assets or content, it’s easy to forget about them. Ignorance is bliss… until the deadline is next week.

Yet somehow, they remain one of the most underestimated parts of the process. 

It’s not that people don’t care about the project; it’s just that pulling content together usually ends up being bigger, slower, and more of a team effort than anyone expects.

Set expectations early, and things tend to run much more smoothly. If progress slows or stalls, at least everyone understands why.

Being transparent from day one makes a huge difference:

1. Clear timelines
2. Clear ownership
3. Regular check-ins
4. Honest conversations early on

Because no one wants to be a week away from launch still asking: “Any chance those homepage images are ready yet?”