Plan for Web Site Success Topic
What is your Web Site Model?

Every web site situation is different. However, we can consider some basic models as guides to help you calculate how long your development time will be, calculate start up costs and calculate maintenance costs. While business plans are a tool you should consider having for your web site, having a business plan that isn't realistic - or is too rigid - could cause the failure of your web site. Also, a business plan isn't enough.

As an example, suppose you were asked to invest in a company that wanted to build a new type of car. The company has an excellent business plan, but when you ask to see the plans for the car, they give you a short list of the parts it takes to build a car and some information about the paint color, you won't take them very seriously. It's not any different for a web site. People have received funding for web sites with not much more than a business plan and a vague idea of how the web site will be designed.

Then, designs must be tested, and the web site must grow and change over time. A successful web businessman commented on why his web site project was successful, "We were and are willing to reinvent ourselves. We succeeded because of great people like yourself!" This gentleman was a journalist, not a web guru. While the technical, design, etc. of your web site are important, his two points are very important: 1) watch for opportunities, 2) work with good people. All of these cost time and $$$$.

Model 1: A web site to tell the world about your "brick-and-mortar" business
Model 2: A web site to sell stuff that complements your "brick-and-mortar" business
Model 3: A web site to sell stuff without a "brick-and-mortar" business
Model 4: A site to sell advertising
Model 5: A site to deliver a web service

With these models in mind, go to High Level Web Development Tasks. Then you can consider how these tasks fit into your web model.