There are many factors that contribute to a successful web site; branding, creativity, writing, technology and organisation are all important, but careful planning is what can really make or break a site.
Whether you're developing a high-budget e-commerce site, or a simple online brochure, a little preparation will keep your project focused, on-budget and on-schedule.
Over the following pages we outline some of the main things you should consider before you or your designer/developer begin work on your Web site.
The foundation of a successful online project lies in having a clear understanding of its overall goals and objectives. So the first thing to do is to make a list of your primary objectives and needs — make them as specific as possible. Things to consider include:
You may find that you have several objectives for the site. Increase the number of visitors to your existing site is one goal, decrease calls to customer service may be another, sell more products is a third. Although there may be several goals and many separate audiences to cater for, it is important that you have one clear, targeted message.
Once you have decided on your primary objective, you can then prioritise your remaining objectives into second and third levels of importance.
The next thing to do is to spend some time identifying the target audience for you site. Who do you want to attract to your site? An answer of 'everyone' is not going to help you or your designer create the best possible site, so here are some choices to consider:
If your target audience comprises more than one group, try to list them in order of importance.
Next, consider qualities that define your target audience. Think about their ages and locations; your company's relationship with them; how experienced they are with computers and the Internet; and any distinguishing qualities they have, e.g., it could be that the majority of your clients are female business managers, or the elderly.
Keeping in mind your key objective from Step 1, try to define the type of relationship you wish to have with the visitors to your web site. Do you want to focus on giving existing customers or members an added-value service, or do you want to use the site primarily to generate new customers? If you're trying to expand your audience, consider where these new audience members might come from. For example, you may be aiming to break into a specific foreign market.
Once you have outlined your target audience, you should consider what they will want from your site, and how they will use it.
For example, is your audience Internet savvy, or will visitors need a bit more guidance? Are they familiar with your organisation, or will you have to go into greater detail about what you do? What information or services are your visitors seeking? What is the easiest and most effective method for your visitors to get information and services? Again, put yourself in their shoes — what are they coming to discover or achieve?
Also, keep in mind that people are busy and have short attention spans, especially online. Keep information simple, clear, concise and relevant.
By now you should have a good idea of your site's objectives, your target audience and their needs. Put these goals in writing — make them SMART:
and make sure they are close at hand throughout the development process.
Based on your main objectives and audience definition, you can begin listing the specific information, features, or activities your web site will provide.
For example, a site's objectives might be 'to provide information about our company's new line of widgets' and this site's audience definition might be 'prospective customers'. The main requirements for this site could be:
Try to establish your priorities for the site; below is a list of some services commonly provided by web sites:
Only once you have decided on your objectives, audience and functionality can you begin to think about the site's aesthetics.
Does the site have to reflect any existing marketing materials, such as brochures or packaging? Do you already have a logotype or corporate colour scheme?
One of the best things that you can do for your web designer to ensure you're on the same wavelength is to spend time exploring other sites on the web to get ideas for your own. Write down their URL (web address) and a note or two about what you did or didn't like about the specific site. The designer can then visit the same sites and start to understand whether you like open designs with lots of 'white space', trendy animation, colourful graphics, lots of short pages or a small number of long pages, etc.
Have a think about the sort of qualities that reflect your company or organisation's identity. As a starting point, select a few words from the following list — feel free to add your own:
The final major step in planning your web site is deciding on your budget for the project. It is important to allocate sufficient resources for all aspects of the project, and not just the initial site creation. Every web site has the following costs associated with it:
Remember to take all of these expenses into account when working out your budget.
By now, you should have a clearer idea of what you're trying to achieve with your site. If not, we'll be happy to guide you through through the planning of your site. Either way, why not contact Out of the Trees to find out how we can help make your web site a success.