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6-Step Web Planning Guide

When it comes to a web site, a well-formulated plan before you start is the best way to ensure you end up with the site you need.

1. What do you want to accomplish with your web site? Do you want to display and explain your services and/or products? Attract new customers? Provide information and resources for existing clients? Receive orders online with or without credit card processing capabilities?
   
   A web site can have multiple goals. Write them down - this will help keep you on track.
   
2. Who is the primary audience for your web site? What problem are you solving and for whom? Are you selling to the public or to other businesses? Are you offering expertise to other professionals in the field? What is your niche?
   
   Will your site address the needs of both current customers and prospects?
   
   Will it be used by people who spend a lot of time online or web neophytes?
   
3. What do you want your web site to look like? Do you have a preference for colors? Do you have existing artwork - logos, photos, items used in brochures and fliers? Will you need new graphics created? What sort?
   
   Do you want your site to be professional, conservative, friendly, whimsical? Do you need to visually distinguish your site from a competitor's look and feel?
   
   Look at other sites on the web and choose a few to represent what you both like and dislike. Choosing sample URLs is often easier than putting into words what you hope your site will be like.
   
4. What sections and features do you want your web site to have? Most business web sites have some or all of the following areas: company history, descriptions of services and/or products, client list, staff bios, contact information, case studies, articles, a news section, frequently asked questions, online purchase of products and services, and customer service and support features.
   
   In addition, there are many interactive features you can provide:
   

   Forms, for example, Contact Us or Request for Proposal Databases to store information that changes frequently Search function Newsletter sign-up Video or audio content "Members-only," "clients-only," or "employees-only" sections Web-based training Calendar of events and event registration Project management and collaboration Chat rooms and message boards Sales staff support tools Content to download

5. Think about the content for your web site. Content development is often the most time-consuming part of a web project. Where will the material come from?
   
   Inventory the content you already have in printed brochures, flyers or newsletters, but keep in mind that writing for the web is different from writing for other media since web users tend to scan quickly for information rather than read long paragraphs. Often, print media must be rewritten for the web.
   
   Decide who will write or rewrite the needed material - you, a staff member, your web developer's copywriter?
   
6. Make a budget for the site. Web projects entail fees that are either one-time or recurring:
   
   Domain Name Registration (recurring): It's more professional to have your own domain name (yourcompany.com) than to use the free domain name supplied by a hosting company (geocities.com/yourcompany). Network Solutions, one of the original domain name registrars, charges approximately $35/year to reserve a domain name. Check domain name availability at http://www.networksolutions.com.
   
   Hosting (recurring): Hosting fees vary depending on your needs. Basic, reliable hosting averages about $25/month. If you have e-commerce requirements or special needs, fees climb quickly.
   
   Site Development (one-time): The cost of building your web site depends on the complexity of the site. You can expect a quality web site custom-designed for your business to run from one to several thousand dollars, depending on the size of the site and the functionality involved. A quality site that involves e-commerce with databases for inventory and on-line transactions will start around five thousand and often go much higher depending on size and requirements.
   
   Make sure your web development company provides clear documentation of what is and is not included in the scope of your project. If your budget is limited, one option is to build the site in stages. It's better to have an outstanding small site and add pages as needed in the future.
   
   Marketing (recurring): This always includes site submission to search engines, directories and industry-specific directories. It can include paid search engine listings, reciprocal linking with other web sites, and offline media advertising. Pricing and deliverables vary.
   
   Maintenance (recurring): How often will the site need to be updated? Will some sections require more frequent updating? Would you like to learn how to update the site yourself or would you rather outsource this job? Development companies will generally charge hourly fees or may have maintenance plans that allow for a specified amount of change at a reduced hourly rate.