How much will it cost? A frequent question. But before it can be answered accurately, a number of steps should be undertaken prior to contacting a web designer for an estimate. Here’s a handy common sense planning guide to help you develop a successful web site.

1. Determine your target market(s)
   Identify who you would like to be using your site and what their objectives would be in visiting your site. Your successful web site should be able to help visitors meet their objectives.
2. Determine your web site objectives and how you will know they are being met
   Consider building in mechanisms to track number of visitors and other metrics that show your web site is being used in the way you intended. For example, a newsletter signup opportunity would be an indication that users want more of what your site is offering.
3. Determine time and budget constraints
   Design and development costs generally hinge on factors such the size (number of pages) and functionality of your site design. If your wish list exceeds your available budget, desired features can be prioritized and phased in over time.
4. Obtain input from stakeholders
   Clients, Board Members, employees and others who have an interest in your company can be surveyed to determine what information or functions they would find of value on your web site.
5. See what your competition is up to
   Visit competitor web sites to identify features and information that they provide that would also be desirable to your customers to have access to.
6. Identify appealing web sites
   Locate web sites that appeal to you visually and functionally and note what makes them work for you. Look at use of images, navigation systems, tone of the copy and other elements. It might be refreshing to look at sites in a non-related industry.
7. Make a site map
   Prepare a logical structural outline of all the pages you expect to have on your site and how they relate to each other. This process will be instrumental in determining the navigation of your web site
8. Use existing marketing materials
   Determine if your company has existing marketing collateral or other materials that would be useful to your prospective web site visitors and see how this material could be incorporated on your site. No need to create new materials, when you can simply reformat existing information.
9. Assign responsibility for new site content
   Assign one or more employees to develop content for the different sections of your site. If multiple individuals or departments are involved in developing and approving content there will be an additional need to make sure that the site copy is written and/or edited from a consistent perspective to make it a cohesive unit.
10. Develop a plan for the maintenance of your web site
    Inaccurate or outdated content is a sure turnoff to site visitors. Fresh content gives visitors a reason to return to your site. Establish a list of the various sections of your web site that need to be kept up to date and schedule for updating them. Based on factors such as the quantity and frequency of required updates, determine if it would be preferable to have your site updated in-house or maintained by your web developer.
11. Assign a project manager and develop a system to interact with your web developer
    Project time and cost can be streamlined if one person is assigned the responsibility for coordinating all internal information and communicating with your web developer on behalf of your company. This frees the web developer to do their job instead of dealing with internal conflicts, repeating information, unauthorized decision-makers, etc.