The Why of a Web Site: Business Goals
The essential first step to creating a successful Web site is to clarify the business purpose for the site. The content and organization will vary dramatically depending on the answer.
Ask how success will be measured. Does the business want to see:
- More hits?
- Online sales?
- Media hype?
- Better customer survey results?
- Faster info-finding by employees in user tests?
Get the background
Don’t start from scratch. Use existing data to inform your work. Helpful material to get your hands on:
- The business case for the Web site and its mission statement
- Marketing data about the target audience
- Creative brief used by the graphic design team
- Competitive analysis
- Org chart to understand the power structure
Don’t be surprised if your work exposes gaps in business strategies or confronts people with difficult choices they’ve managed to avoid up till now.
For more on the research phase of developing a Web site, see: Information Architecture for the World Wide Web.
by Louis Rosenfeld & Peter Morville, O’Reilly & Associates 2002.
Technical Context
You’ll also want to understand the technical context for the Web site. You’ll need to plan for any constraints imposed by the equipment of your target audience and the company’s information technology infrastructure.
- What is the current technology environment for hosting the site? Are big changes in the works?
- What types of equipment do most Web site visitors have?
- Slow dial-ups or speedy cable modems?
- Browsers with the latest plug-ins or several generations behind?
- Screen readers or other special equipment for people with disabilities?
Plan for maintenance
A successful launch is just the start. The site needs to grow gracefully and be kept up-to-date. Be realistic about resources available for site maintenance.
- How frequently will content change?
- Who will maintain the site?
- How much growth in content and features is planned near-term?
For other keys to successful Web sites, please see: