How do I plan a web site?

How many times have you heard people say “I started building my web site, but now it has exceeded my budget”? Or, “My web designer told me he would finish the project in three weeks. It’s been three months now and I still don’t know when I will see my web site”?

Common, huh? Well, if you understand how the web design and web development areas evolved, you might be able to understand your situation better.

When the Internet took off in the mid-90’s, it became the “next best thing” or the “in thing”. People were building web sites and attempting to automate their business without batting an eyelid. Well, it was expected. The money did not flow in and nothing really worked. Everything was hype. The “dot bomb” was inevitable.

During that time, most students, professionals and everyone in between jumped on the bandwagon. Everybody became a “graphic designer” or “web developer”. Colleges and training institutes were churning out these “graduates” in weeks and months. Most were text book based courses. Everyone wanted to jump on the gravy train. Hey, if my customer has no clue to what I am doing, I can charge any price I want. They will pay. Because they are paying for the hype, not the work I do.

Today’s scenario is very different. The web has slowly matured to be a place where you can have a legitimate business and truly cross national boundaries. It has become the most cost-effective way of doing business. Businesses are a lot more savvy about the Internet than they were a decade ago.

However, projects still fail. Some of the developers or the graphic designers of today still come from the old school. They may have the skill or the trade but fail in other areas. If you do get a web development company that is good in requirements gathering as well as project management, you’ve got it made. Why do I say this?

Well, the old saying is true. You don’t plan to fail, you fail to plan. Rookies or inexperienced web businesses generally don’t plan. Everything is developed as we go along. As a result, requirements are gathered as the project progresses. Can you imagine building a house by laying the foundation based on some arbitrary requirements the home owner gave you? And then when you finish the ground floor you find the owner “actually” wanted a first floor as well. What are you going to do about it? Tear down what you have built and rebuild again?

Does this generally happen in the real world? Seldom. Does this happen in the Internet business? All the time. Yet we fail to do anything about it.

So what do you need to do before you start/hire a web developer? Or even after you’ve hired to ensure delivery is on time? Here’s a few pointers:

• Plan. Start with the end in mind, the end being how do you want your web site to look and function. Of course, what drives this are your business requirements and your corporate/business goal/vision.



• Budget. Do you have a budget in mind? A common mistake most businesses do is they call a web development company and say “I want a web site. How much will it cost”? This is close to saying “I need a car. How much will it cost”? What I am trying to say is that businesses tend to operate in different layers/areas compared to the way we live and deal with practical issues. I think they are largely the same. The question is difficult to answer because now the web site can say one of two things. “Well, it depends on what you want” or “$xxx for a 5-page web site”. Both may be unsuitable for you. But you have not helped the web company by providing additional input.



• Gather your requirements BEFORE you talk to a web development company. In other words, communicate your expectations and requirements at your very first meeting. This way, if the web company is interested, you will know right away. Time is too precious. Why continue a discussion if your expectations cannot be met?
  Having said that, have realistic expectations. If you do not know how much a web site will cost, ask around. Remember, cheap is not necessarily the best. However, ensure there is fair compensation for the work that is being done.


• Ensure the web company knows your business process. Frequently, web businesses may start “developing” right away without truly understanding your business. This could spell disaster sooner than you know.


• Plan on having staged deliverables. Make this clear to the web development company. Staged deliverables always ensures your site is being built using the building blocks model.


• Plan on having a separate testing area. I cannot emphasize this more. DO NOT let the web development company “test” in your actual web site. You will not know what is actually in “production” as against what is being “tested”.


• Communicate often and keep the channels open. Refrain from letting a web development company “disappear” into the ether and emerge out after the project is complete. Depending on the length of your project, plan on appropriate communications (email, phone, face-to-face meeting) so both parties are aware of issues, concerns or new developments.


• Avoid scope creep. This refers to both sides. Frequently a web development company may try and “upsell” you on a cool new product. Before saying “I do (want that)”, evaluate what you are getting, for what price and most importantly, how will it impact your timeline for the web site. If the web company says 0-impact, watch out. Probe till you find out.


• No “geek-speak”. Make it clear to the web company you want someone who can communicate in “English”. Although the “techie-talk” sounds interesting, it’s not for a regular business person like you.

I can go on about this but I hope I’ve given you some pointers on how you can ensure your web site project does not get derailed. If your questions haven’t been answered, you can contact me directly.

Elvin Picardo
Delivering Net Results to Small Business
Author of numerous articles on web development and Internet Marketing for small business
10723 159th St, Surrey, BC V4N 3J1 Canada
NetMedian.com
Contact Elvin