Plan for Web Site Success Topic
High Level Web Development Tasks

Web sites have a fairly predictable "life cycle." That is, the steps that it takes to develop and maintain a web site are fairly predictable. What isn't predictable is how long each of these steps will take for your web site.

1. Design
2. Develop
3. Test
4. Market
5. Maintain

Now, let's take each of these tasks and define them further. These tasks don't necessarily have to follow in this order precisely. More often, several of them will be in the works at one time. Allow one task to make you rethink your ideas for another task. For example, the process of writing text may lead you to add new graphics or a new page to your site. However, any time you make a plan, or a change to a plan, try to be aware of the side effects of that decision. Every implementation method has side effects!

Step 1: Design your site

1. Plan your content
2. Plan the flow of your content - usable navigation
3. Plan the "look and feel"
4. Plan your programming
5. Plan your staffing

Step 2: Develop your site

1. For each page planned in Step 1, write your text, title tags, alt tags, captions, link wording, etc. Keep marketing in mind!
2. Create navigation . This works along with the "look and feel"
3. Implement colors and layout.
4. Code your functionality and integrate with the look and feel
5. Make sure that there is good communication between team members

Step 3: Testing

1. Your developers should be testing each page and each link. They should be documenting their tests.
2. As the developers finish areas of the web site, you should go in behind them and do your own testing.
3. Have employees or associates who haven't seen the site do walkthrough testing. That is, give them specific things to find on your web site, and see how easily - or not- they find those things. Gather general impressions too.
4. Have other acquaintances to the walkthrough testing. Ask them to "break" the programming.

Step 4: Market

1. The first part of marketing is in writing the content of your site, ie. page content, title tags, alt tags, ....
2. Make and follow a schedule for new pages and content. Although this will be done after the site is launched, if you don't plan for it from the beginning - it might never happen! Don't just plan for it, budget for it. Don't give your secretary five minutes over lunch to do this - be real about the time it will take.
3. Actively pursue links from other sites, especially links from the people you do business with or donate to.
4. Make sure that your web address is everywhere your phone number is. And make sure everyone has it in their email signature.
5. Be willing to pay for some links to your web site.

Step 5: Maintain

1. Don't let a month go by without any significant changes to your web site. Significant changes are new pages and/or new content - not changing a couple of words around on one page.
2. Set your site up - ahead of time - with good file management, templates and library items - that will make the changes as simple as possible.
3. If your viewers make suggestions, thank them - and DO IT - if it's reasonable. If your web site has programming, there will be a whole lot more things to change to make the flow better for your viewers.
4. Watch your site stats faithfully. If your readership is going down, there is a reason for it!
5. If your web site has programming, watch for updates to the programming. Have a programmer you are comfortable with available to do upgrades.
6. Plan a site redo every 4 - 5 years. Web styles and coding changes. Your site should change with the times.