Template-to-Launch Intake Gate (Onboarding)
A checklist with 7 steps: Classify the client site as low-complexity volume work or custom build before a builder is chosen.
By InnovaAI ResearchPublished
What are the steps?
Template-to-Launch Intake Gate (Onboarding)
- 01
Classify the client site as low-complexity volume work or custom build before a builder is chosen
Low-complexity covers brochure sites, landing pages, and small catalogs. Anything with custom integrations, multi-language logic, or regulated content goes to a scoped build track with a named developer.
- 02
Score the client's in-house capability and state the bypass risk in the proposal
Ask whether anyone on the client team has published a site before. If yes, price the retainer around maintenance and content velocity rather than build hours, because template-driven builders let a motivated client replicate a basic site in a weekend.
- 03
Lock the template shortlist to three options and collect written client sign-off
Present three templates from the chosen platform with screenshots and page counts. Sign-off on a shortlist prevents the open-ended template browsing that stretches onboarding from days into weeks.
- 04
Inventory content assets and assign a single owner for copy, imagery, and legal pages
AI writing assistance produces drafts, not approved copy. Confirm who signs off on claims, privacy policy, and terms before the first page is assembled.
- 05
Confirm white-label and branding boundaries in writing
Some platforms allow full white-label resale, others only partial or none. Record what the client sees in the admin panel, what appears in invoices, and whether the agency brand or the client brand owns the login.
- 06
Set the launch definition before design starts
Agree on page count, forms, analytics events, and redirect map as the acceptance criteria. A launch definition written at intake is the cheapest defense against scope creep on fixed-fee builds.
- 07
Document the client's post-launch self-service path
Note which edits the client can make alone and which require the agency. This becomes the basis for the maintenance retainer and sets expectations for the handoff conversation.