Following is our step by step web site planner, that will have you well on the way to achieving a sucessful web site.

Step 1 - List Your Website Objectives

What objectives would you like your website to achieve?

eg:

• Increase sales
• Expand into new markets
• Better service existing clients
• Increase customer satisfaction

Reduce operating costs

• Reduce the cost of making sales
• Branding

Step 2 - Define Your Target Audience

Who is going to be interacting with your Internet presence?

eg:

• Potential Clients
• Existing Clients
• Trade Clients
• Business Partners
• Information Seekers
• Employees or Internal Users

Step 3 - Target Audience Requirement

What does your Target Audience Require?

eg:

• Preliminary Product or Services Information
• Ability to purchase online
• Company Information
• Product Support
• Interactive Content
• Comparisons of Products

Step 4 - Repeat Visitors

What will make your target market return to your site?

eg:

• Regular content changes
• Interesting Content
• Regular Purchasing Requirements
• Product Support
• Online help

Step 5 - Define Content

Once you have completed the four steps, you can start defining your site-map. This is a list of page names for the type of content required to meet your websites overall objectives.?

Step 6 - Define your Content Management

How often will you update content to keep visitors coming back?

• Content Manager/s
• Feature and Articles
• Newsletters
• Payment Processing
• Stock Control
• Enquiry Replies

Step 7 - Define Site Access and Memberships

What access will different visitors have to content and products?

• Public Access to all content
• Member Access to specific content
• Pricing Dependant on Access Levels

Step 8 - If an online store, plan products and catalogue

• Product Layout
• Stock Levels
• Price Breaks
• Member level pricing
• Shipping and Handling
• Reward Points

Step 9 - Design and Layout Planning

How do you want the layout and feel of your site?

• Corporate Profile
• Existing marketing material look
• Colors and Layout
• Graphics and Images
• Site Structure

Step 10 - Review and Research Web Site Planning

What advantages will be provided in your web site compared to your competition?

• Get feedback on your web site planning
• Review how all aspects of your web site plan will work in together
• If offering special features check to see if the users will benefit and use them

The more planning you do before building your web site will increase your ability to achieve a web site that will maximise your investment in both time and money, and deliver the required results.