The most important part of getting an effective web site online is the planning that goes into it before the design process even begins. This article is

intended for those who are planning to create their first web site - but equally applies to anyone planning to update or redesign a web site.

This is a very detailed check list. It asks a number of questions to which you should try to answer before you start the new or redesigned Web site. Not all items may apply but it's better to read through the entire list.

Section #1: Overview

What is the purpose of the site?

Decide in order of importance which of the following you wish to do.

* Serve the needs of existing clients
* Explain your products and services
* Bring in new clients to your business
* Take online orders
* Provide information for your staff
* Other

Who do you want to visit your site?

* Who is the primary audience you site is aimed at?
* Who might be looking for your site/services/products?
* Who might be interested if they reach your site accidentally?

What will you offer on your site?

* Company Information
* Details of your services
* Product Listings
* Online ordering
* Online support for existing customers
* Discussion/bulletin boards
* Applications chat/interactive support

How do you plan to bring visitors back to your site?

* What will be useful enough to lure them back?
* What fresh content/regular news are you likely to have?

How do you plan to market the site to bring in visitors in the first place?

* Submissions to: Search Engines, Directories, Industry-Specific Directories
* Reciprocal Linking with Others
* Link exchange/banner ads
* Paid banner ads
* Paid per click listings ( PPC)
* Internet Press Releases
* Marketing in Newsgroups/via E mail
* Business cards, Letterheads etc
* Offline media advertising

Section #2: Design and Development

What will you call the site?

* Do you have an existing domain name?
* Is your business name available as a domain name?
* If not are you able to come up with a good alternative?
* Are you planning on a .com, .net, .org or. i.e. name? Or another suffix or number of those?

What will your visitors look for?

What keywords or phrases do you think clients, and potential clients, might use to find your site?
(List as many as you can think of)

How do you want your site to look?

* Do you have a preference for colors?
* Do you have existing artwork? e.g. logos, photos, items used in brochures etc
* Will you need new graphics created? What sort?
* List 3 or 4 sites you like and say why you like them
* List 3 or 4 sites you do not like and say what you dislike about them
* Rate the sites of 3 businesses similar to yours - stating clearly what you like and dislike about them.

What sort of text content are you planning?

Will you need mainly short pages or do you have a large body of text based information to impart?

Will you need audio?

Will you need video?

Will you need a form or forms?

* Just a contact form
* Extensive forms on many subjects
* Specialized forms such as assessment/application forms
* Forms which are used to transmit secure information
* E-mail Auto responders

Section #3: Site Hosting

How are you planning to host your site?

* Hosted on another site? (www.existingsites.com/yoursite)
* Hosted with an ISP without a Domain Name? (www.earthworks.net/yoursite)
* Purchasing a Domain Name? (www.yoursite.ie)
* Hosting by the same ISP where you have a dial-up connection
* Hosting by a specialist hosting company.
* Don't know yet

Do you need several/many different e-mail addresses? e.g. theboss@yoursite.com, info@yoursite.com

Section #4: Maintenance and Updating

How often will the site need to be updated?

* Will some sections need more regular updating?
* Do you want to add syndicated content, which automatically updates?

How do you plan to update content?

* Do you need forms/templates to allow individual sections to be maintained/updated?
* Do you need a backend for easy updating with little technical knowledge?
* Are you planning to update the site using proprietary software - such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver?
* Will training be required in the use of this software?
* Will updating be done by you or via a maintenance contract?

What about background maintenance tasks?

* Regular checking of internal and external links
* Search Engine status and resubmissions
* Checking the competition?
* Overseeing content sourcing, editing and approval

Section #5: Cost

Initial Costs

* Design and Development
* Domain registration
* Hosting set up

On Going Costs

* Maintenance and updating
* Hosting
* Additional development costs if adding to site

A good example of the web development process is that of ordering a new car. You need to make many small decisions that dictate what features you want on your web site, just like you would on a new vehicle. You have to balance your budget and with what features you may require. The purpose and content need to be clearly defined, similar to choosing a car or truck depending on whether you might want to carry people or cargo.

Also keep in mind the medium. Successful web sites have many common features but may differ on many levels in look and feel. There are many very visually attractive sites on the web that make no revenues and are very expensive to maintain. There is also what many consider to be down right plain or ugly that produce tremendous revenue.

Time spent in planning and determining features can lower the cost and increase the effectiveness dramatically. A good approach is to list priorities and add features as the site matures or develops a steady revenue stream to pay for new capabilities.

Take your time and create a realistic plan for your web site, the savings and benefits are worth it.

John Dow owns http://www.jdWebWorks.com, a website that specializes in web site design tools, computer troubleshooting, and security. His WebMaster Essentials CD has helped many new and existing website owners by providing a collection of tools, utilities and how to articles on Web Site Design and Maintenance. Go here to learn more: http://www.jdwebworks.com/Webtools/webtool.htm.