Project Roadmap

Web projects require precise planning. In many projects the planning phase is neglected or shortened to produce fast results, which often leads to increased costs of the project and delays in the date when a site goes online. Insufficient communication between the members of a web team and the customer leads to wasted time and mutual frustration. At internet-projects.com we put a strong emphasis on efficient communication and proper planning. This is what a roadmap for web project could look like:

• Phase I: Planning
  
• Phase II: Building
  
• Phase III: Making Your Presence Known
  
• Phase IV: Website Maintenance and Updating

Phase I: Planning

The following factors are important when you plan your own website.

Things To Do:

1. Brainstorm about your site and take notes, including questions you may have.
   
2. Make an outline or detailed notes of your requirements.
   
3. Set up folders in which you add and keep information and materials for your website.
   
4. Look at as many websites as you can that are related to yours in some way. Make note of the following:
   
   • Websites that you like and why
   • Websites that you don't like and why not
   • Any websites that have elements that you like, such as colors, navigation, overall layout, the type of content and how it's presented
     

This will not only help you see what your competition has going and an overall perspective of websites in general, it will also help you brainstorm for your own site.

Things to Consider:

1. Purpose of website
2. Target audience
3. Website content:
   • Text, and who will write or provide the text if not already available.
          Some very basic contents might be:
          who you are,
          what you do,
          how to contact you,
          list of services or products.
     
   • Photographs or other images (to enhance or illustrate the text).
     
   • Logos.
     
4. Ways to bring in new visitors, how to keep visitors coming back
5. Budget.
6. Other important points:
   • Internet Service Provider.
   • Domain name and registration.
   • Database information to make available online (know existing database format, online password access only or available to public).
   • e-commerce solutions

Don't worry if you cannot answer all the points above, many of them are of technical nature and only need to concern the webdeveloper. Important is that you get a clear as possible idea on what purpose your website shall serve and who is your target audience

Phase II: Building

1. Sign Contract Agreement and pay deposit.
2. A Test site will be available for review at each step of the creation process, with regular communications throughout.
3. When the site is completed, we get your final OK, final payment, and we then upload your new site to your server (or send you the site by zip file or disc, if needed).

Phase III: Making Your Presence Known

1. Website Registration with several major search engines.
2. Adding optimized pages and/or domains to increase your visibility (Website positioning)
3. Other means of bringing in visitors.
4. Add website and e-mail address to all correspondence, all advertising.
5. Consider sending announcements or commencing other advertising of your new, redesigned, or improved website.

Phase IV: Website Maintenance and Updating

1. Keep your website content fresh and up-to-date
2. Provide reasons for new visitors and for them to return to your site.
3. Add new information as appropriate and update existing information regularly.
4. Check search engine rankings and optimize pages and/or meta tags if needed.
5. Continue to promote your website regularly (Newsletter,mailings,special promos etc.)