What's The Game Plan?

THE FIRST STEP in designing any Web site is to define your goals. Without clearly stated goals and objectives the project will drift, bog down, or continue past your desired launch date. Careful planning and a clear purpose are the keys to success in building Web sites, particularly when you have never done anything like this before.

Strategic Goals

What is the mission of your organization?
How will creating a Web site support your organization?
What are your two or three most important goals for the site?
Who is the primary audience for the Web site?
What do you want the audience to think or do after having visited your site?
What Web-related strategies will you use to achieve those goals?
How will you measure the success of your site?
How will you adequately maintain the finished site?

These are big questions, and the broad conceptual issues are too often dismissed in an effort toward starting the "real work" of designing and building a Web site. However, if you cannot confidently answer all of these questions, then no amount of design or production effort can guarantee a useful result.

Please use our Client Information Form to help us understand your needs and prepare an estimate for you. You can download it HERE.

Logistical Constraints and Scheduling

Scheduling is a crucial part of the development process, not only for the developer, but for the owner. You are responsible for generating nearly all the content used on the site in the form of pictures, documents and text. It is important for everyone to know what and when these elements must come together in order for the development process to succeed. Depending on the scope of the project, we will deliver a detailed schedule to help you organize all your materials and set delivery dates for these items. Some of the logistical items we will address are listed below.

How many pages will the site contain?
What special technical or functional requirements are needed?
What is the budget for the site?
What is the production schedule for the site, including intermediate milestones and dates?
Who are the people will champion the project?

Agree On The Scope Of Work.

We will document exactly what needs to be done in a scope of work document that will act as a blueprint for what we will build into your site. This includes milestones and deadlines, number of pages, product lists for a catalog, special features, etc.

Secure a domain name (if necessary), email addresses and where to host the site.

Build the site hierarchy for navigation and organization.

Build the page layout grid with headers, navigation, content and fixed elements. Get client approval.

Assemble the pages with all text, images and special features. Make revisions and final sign-off.

Test the site for functionality, consistency and accuracy.

Launch the site and monitor performance.

Define The Design Theme

Decide on color scheme. If you use certain color combinations for letterhead, signing, brochures, etc., then these may be the colors to choose for website design.

Decide on logo use. If you have a logotype, you will need to find a good, clean copy of it.

Decide on main pictures. Most websites have photos prominently displayed in the graphic design of the website. Choose a half-dozen or so that really capture the essence of the business or organization for the visiting public.

Create The Content - The Message!

Write copy for your pages. What do you want your visitors to know about you, your business or organization, your office or facilities, history, etc. You may want to include a map, calendar, product catalog and contact information.

Collect documents of interest to your visitors. This may consist of documents that already exist such as the product sell sheets, technical articles, hours of operation, policies, biographies, etc. Posting documents such as these on the website serves to help visitors answer their own questions about your business or organization.

Get The Word Out - YOU HAVE A WEBSITE!

Announce your site in a newsletter. Publish an early notice about the future website in the newsletter to let your clients know it is coming. Request that clients provide their email addresses too, so these may be added to contact list or directory.

Launch your website. Promote the launch in the newsletter and encourage your clients to visit it.

Promote your website. Create signs and posters to display around your office or facility.

Monitor visitor statistics. Most websites keep track of visits. We keep it simple with data you can compare from one month to another, in determining if visitors are increasing their visitations to the website.

Get visitor feedback. An on-line survey is a handy way to get feedback about the website and to give you ideas on how to make it better.