Below are some questions for you to consider when planning your Web site project. While not all questions apply to every project, knowing the answers to the questions that are relevant to you will help your project move along smoothly.
- Audience
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- Who is your target audience?
- Why will they be visiting your website and what will they expect to find?
- Are they worried about internet security?
- What special needs will your audience have? Think about:
- dial-up versus high-speed connections
- screen size (what percentage of your visitors use wide screen monitors, cell phones, or PDAs to access your site?)
- accessibility concerns (visual and mobility impairments)
- language and literacy concerns
- Budget
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- What is your website budget?
- What percentage of your budget is for design and development? What percentage is for marketing? What percentage is for maintenance?
- Hosting
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- Do you have a web host?
- Do you have a domain name?
- Do you have the login information to access your hosting account?
- Marketing
and SEO
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- Have you done market research on your product/service to get a list of the most popular relevant keywords?
- Do you have a budget for marketing your website, or will you be doing your own search engine submission, link exchanges, pay-per-click campaigns, email newsletters, etc.?
The Future of Your Site
How do you expect your site to grow and change in the future?
How will your content change?
If you plan to have frequent or extensive changes, will you make them yourself? If not, what is your budget for site maintenance and updates?
Color
What colors do you like?
What colors do you hate?
What emotions would you like your site to evoke, and what colors do you think would create the effect you desire?
Content
Do you have a logo, graphics, and/or photographs that you are authorized to use?
Do you have text content written, proofread, and spellchecked?
Have you tested your content on others to see if they understand what you are trying to communicate?
Site Function, Features & Complexity
How important is being able to edit your site yourself?
Do you need photo galleries? Animation? Audio? Video? Feeds?
Do you need custom forms and database applications? Online shopping?
Make a list of the things you want visitors to be able to do on your site, and be aware that all of the features listed will most likely increase the cost of your project.
Sample Sites
Are there sites you particularly like?
What features have you seen on other websites that you particularly like or dislike?
Are there sites or features that you find particularly easy or difficult to understand?
