Even the very best laid plans can run into unforeseen problems. The causes can range anywhere from an indecisive decision-maker to a natural disaster that takes the office out of commission for a while. Whatever the reason, any online course, website or other online is subject to delays and changes. We at Talance do our best to estimate and build systems to prevent hold-ups, but no one can tell the future. Sometimes things just cost more.

If you’re smart and allow that things you can’t imagine might happen, you can help your deadlines and decision stay as close to budget as possible. (It also helps to spend your money on the most valuable features.) At the very least, follow these tips to make sure budget surprises don’t catch you unawares.

Pad your budget

First of all, pad your budget from the get-go. We provide our clients with a quote before a project begins, but we can’t imagine every change that could happen. We always advise our clients to set aside 15-25% of the total estimated cost to account for unforeseen events or upgrades.

Relax your schedule

You may never miss an appointment, but that doesn’t mean that everyone on your team is so careful with deadlines. Plus, holidays have a way of popping up and skewing schedules. Pad them out. Allow for more time than you thing something might take. We try to finish projects a month before the drop-dead date arrives.

Present a unified front

Be organized and unified with your decisions. If you’re faced with a decision on design or content, make sure everyone in your organization agrees before you tell your web company. Poll everyone you need to and sign off on that decision in advance. Every time you change your mind costs time, and time costs money.

Sock some away

Put away enough money for the end of a project. Starting on an online project is not where it ends. They have a life beyond launch. Budget for recurring fees, web hosting, maintenance or subscription plans. Look further out to the next six months to a year so you can afford upgrades to technology, content and design in the future.

Most of these points involve being realistic and organized. Open communication and firm decision can remove the fear factor from web projects and help your bottom line stay in the black.

One of the first questions we ask during the kickoff of a new project is, “Who’s taking ownership of this project?” It’s incredible how many times that answer is, “Nobody.”

Unless you plan to let your website turn into a ghost town, put somebody in charge. Appointing no one as the website manager will have one of two outcomes: no one will do anything and your site will rot, or someone will do everything, but you’ll never respect or realize the amount of work they do.

Being a website manager is a big job. Bigger than you may realize. This is often the go-to person for all questions and updates for the website. If anyone wants something done, it falls to them. And the job doesn’t end. When the web development project is over, you take over updates and maintenance.

OK, now I’ve convinced you that you need to appoint someone as the website manager, and that their job is an important one. But who to appoint? Look for someone who …

Knows a little (not not necessarily a lot) about how web pages are built

Contrary to popular belief, whoever manages your website does no need to be a techno-wiz. If you need any heavy lifting done, it’s usually easier and cheaper to ask your web development company to help out. Of course, providing you have a good relationship with them. The majority of updates to your site will be tweaks here and there, which are mostly text changes. It is helpful if your web manager knows what a P-tag is and has monkeyed around with a content management system or two.

Is wildly organized

To work well with a computer, it helps to think a little like a computer. I’m still talking carbon-based life form, but that life form should be very organized. This person should be keep schedules and be good at documenting methods for updates and changes. They should have systems for organizing copy and pictures. They should remember passwords. They should be good at follow-through.

Is a good promoter

Your manager extraordinaire should also be savvy about promotion. Even if you have a marketing person on staff, your manager should know something about how to submit your website to search engines or repost blog entries. It’s helpful if they’re familiar with Facebook or Twitter, because they can help broadcast your message to a wider public. They can also be looking at new ways to promote your mission beyond what you might think up.

A good web manager can pay for themselves several times over. You’ll be glad you started taking this position seriously.

I recently had to coordinate a series of meetings among a large group of people who live far away. You can probably imagine how frustrating that was.

Enter my new friend Doodle, which lets you create a poll, forward the link to the poll to the participants and let them vote on their choice. It might be anything from what day of the week works best for a meeting, to choose the turkey or veggie sandwich for lunch.