Home > Planning

Planning: What is involved in planning a Web site.

Whether you are planning a new site or redesigning an old one, planning is a key step to a successful site. Follow the links below for information and advice on the components of planning.

1. Defining your goals - Why build a Web site?
   Examining the reasons you want a Web site or a Web site redesign will guide your work.
2. Research the Market - Who's in the market and what is my place in it?
   Understanding your audience, how they will use your site, what similar services are available and your place in the market are important parts of your plan.
3. Site Content - What to put on your site?
   Content is what people will see. Make sure what is online is in line with the message you want to convey.
4. Informal testing - Is what we've planned so far good?
   Informal testing during the planning phase can help you make critical decisions about the quality of your site and make sure your Web site achives its goals.
5. Work breakdown tasks and timelines - Who's doing what and when?
   You've worked your way through research, content and testing. You know who your audience is and why they need your site. What's left? Assigning the tasks to make your site a reality.
6. Tools to get the job done
   Need some help choosing development tools? Here is a list of popular and useful tools that can help in the next phase of creating a site, development.