A well written project plan is essential for quality Web site design and management. The most common mistake made on the Internet is failing to really think about who it is you are trying to reach and how to do it effectively. A Web site is a really exciting way to provide information about your business to people, and it's really tempting to just put one together really quickly, but you really need a good guide for the entire process to bring customers and visitors to your door.
As a consulting firm, we find it much easier to quickly make a project proposal if you have a well thought-out approach to what you would like your site to do for you and who your target audience is. The less time we need to spend determining how we can best assist you, the less our services will take from your budget.
Your plan should include some important features. You ought to:
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Determine
who your target audience is.
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Decide
what information you are going to provide to your visitors.
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Decide
whether or not you want your visitors to interact directly with your
site (using forms).
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Decide
how often you will need to update the information on your site.
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Plan
a method for determining the return on your investment in the site (the
time and expense of designing and maintaining it).
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Decide
where you are going to place your site (on your own Internet server or
with a Web hosting service).
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Determine
who is going to design and maintain your site (in-house, consultant, or
other contractor).
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Once we are all playing from the same sheet of music, we can quickly get down to the business of putting a face on your plan that will meet or exceed your needs and expectations. We would like to bring you as many "best site" awards as possible!
How We Can Help
Although you know your business inside and out, you might not be all that familiar with the Internet and the nuts and bolts of Web site design. That's the part we know about. By the same token, we probably don't know your business all that well. Part of our job is to get to know your business well enough to present you at your best on the Internet. We will be happy to come to your location to gain that knowledge.
The next step is for us to get together as a team and do some brainstorming, arriving at several possible approaches that will work across a wide range of potential customers and visitors. Once we arrive at the best options with you, we will go back to the office and begin the design phase.