Towards A World Class Web Site

 

 

The purpose of this document is to solicit your input for [Company’s/Department’s] Internet vision and strategy.  As a placeholder, we will refer to this project as [Working Name].  Based on everyone’s ideas and our collective experience, this will drive the Web Site Treatment that will, among other things, specify:

 

• the platform required (infrastructure)
• the enabling technologies required (software, applications)
• the information and support required (design, navigation, content and feature set)
• make or buy decisions
• the short-term and long-term implementation plan w/staffing, timelines and budget

 

Below you will find a basic framework for discussion.  This is intended as a high level overview of the possibilities.  Your task is to expand on these, or, if appropriate, exclude or limit them.  It is prudent to have high expectations of new, mission critical initiatives, but to temper them with a solid dose of reality and common sense.  As you think about our Internet presence, please do so with an eye towards the time, money, talent, technology, and other resources necessary to build a world class web site.  You will be asked to help weigh importance and establish priorities for implementing the functional components.

 

 

 

A good Web site is one that enables and enhances community.  Community is about establishing and supporting relationships.  Community is further defined by the benefits one receives by choosing to affiliate.  [SiteName.com] should enable the organization’s constituents to communicate, create, collaborate, and consume (the four C’s of community).  These benefits are delivered not through one large community, but through multiple communities, all readily accessible to one another.

 

The rest of this document focuses on the who, why, what, how, when and where, involved in making this happen.

 

 

 

 

Keep in mind that we can provide for multiple points of entry into our online community.  Different constituents will have a different experience, depending upon who they are and what their relationship is with the organization.  An investor, for example, will not have to wade through pages intended for entrepreneurs and students in order to find the information they want.  In fact, they may not even have access to some of this material.  This is accomplished through profiling technology that serves up only the information a particular user is interested in retrieving.

 

In your view, which [SiteName.com] constituents need to be served first via the Web?  Please place a number next to each type of constituent, with 1 being most important and 3 being least important.

 

___      Investors/Shareholders                          ___      Existing Customers

___      Prospective Customers                         ___      Partners

___      Suppliers/Vendors                                            ___      Students

___      Consultants and other Professionals                   ___      Press/Analysts

___      Other (type in)

 

Your Comments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Internet has been touted as a panacea for almost every facet of enterprise.  It has ramifications for administration/operations, product development, product support, sales and marketing, manufacturing/distribution, human resource, information sharing, research, interest matching and so on.  There are readily available solutions being marketed for each of these disciplines.

 

In your view, what are the most important benefits [SiteName.com] needs to receive/provide from its Internet presence? Please place a number next to each outcome, with 1 being most important and 3 being least important.

 

___      Learn about our products                                  ___      Trial/Demo our products

___      Allow users to communicate one another           ___      Sell our products/services

___      Hold conferences/seminars                                ___      Facilitate relationships with partners

___      Facilitate press relations/education                     ___      Support users online (chat, forums)

___      Implement knowledge base                               ___      Provide homepages, classifieds

___      Provide market/product research                      ___      Other (type in)

 

Your Comments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The features and services that can be offered on [SiteName.com] are quite expansive.  These can be phased in over time.  Some of them are driven by technologies that are evolving very quickly and for which no standards yet exist.  All of these features can be classified under one of the four C’s of community: communicate, create, collaborate, and consume.

 

In your view, what are the most important features that need to be available on [SiteName.com]?  Please place a number next to each feature, with 1 being most important and 3 being least important.

 

Note:  If you need further explanation of these features, please see the project leader.

 

___      HomePages for Investors/Customers/Business Partners

___      Downloadable Software/Tools

___      Electronic Newsletter

___      Web Search & Navigation Tools/Services

___      Directory Services (finding people/companies)

___      Online Discussions via Chat, Threaded Message Forums

___      Live Video Conferencing Between Investors/Customers/Consultants

___      Online Training, Distance Learning

___      Surveys

___      Press Room

___      Relevant Sites/Links, Co-Branded Pages

___      Advertising, Homepages, Classifieds

___      Industry/Market/Competitive News & Research

___      Case Studies and White Papers

___      Other (type in)

 

Your Comments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For each feature and service listed above there is a corresponding technology or expertise component required delivering it.  It may involve hardware, software, contract services, or all three.  Most of these are off the shelf solutions, but some may need to be customized, or custom developed.

 

Below is a random list of  “stuff” that we will/may examine in order to build the best possible Web site.  Not all of it is necessary to get the [SiteName.com] Web site to the next level.  Please place a check by any of the items that you have some familiarity with.

 

___      Internet Access/Connectivity                 ___      Server Platform/Hardware

___      Server Software                                   ___      Client Software (browsers, etc.)

___      Firewall, Security                                  ___      FTP Server

___      Integration Processes                            ___      ListServ

1. database                                         ___      Forms Processing
2. accounting                                      ___      Profiling (custom page generation)
3. mfg./fulfillment                                 ___      Usage Statistics

___      Web Page Building/Publishing   ___      Site Design, Navigation

___      Chat Client/Server                                ___      Threaded Message Forum Software

___      Search/Indexing Engine             ___      Advertising Server, Mgmnt System

1. site map and search                        ___      Knowledge Database
2. Internet/WWW search                    ___      Back Up, Redundant Systems

___      Content Development/Production          ___      Electronic Commerce

___      Maintenance and Support                     ___      Other (type in)

1. platform/server/database
2. client apps
3. content

 

Your Comments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Comments:  (at a minimum, what would you like to see enabled by this date?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

• How will we measure success? 
  • no. of unique visits, page hits?
  • no. of fee-based registrations?
  • no. of sales, increase in margins?
  • no. of trial downloads?
  • no. of requests for info.?
  • other?

 

• How will we minimize conflict with partners/distributors?

 

• How will we staff and manage this initiative?

 

• Who will own what pieces?

 

• hosting/technology
• site design
• site production
• site maintenance
• site marketing

 

• How can we leverage marketing/technology/strategic partners to help us deliver and promote a world class web site?

 

• What kind of return on investment do we expect?
  • revenue
  • goodwill
  • image

 

 

 

1.  Obtain feedback on this document by:

2.  Hold input meeting on:

3.  Draft Web Site Treatment by:

4.  Hold review/revision meeting on:

5.  Draft production plan/budget by:

6.  Start implementation on:

1. collect content
2. recruit resources
3. collaborative agreements in place

 

Internet Strategy Questionnaire

 

This questionnaire is intended to capture the strategy and objectives of our business in a web context, probe our customer relationships, and assist in developing a comprehensive framework for our business.  It will serve as a blueprint to guide the team through the decision-making processes involved in constructing the web site.  Carefully considering the questions is an investment that will help the web team to meet our customer’s needs and expectations.  By understanding our vision and goals through this document, we can create a solid, focused foundation on which to build a successful Internet presence.

 

We are encouraged to send this through different channels in our department/division for more comprehensive feedback.  Comment freely throughout the document and please feel free to contact us with any questions.

 

Project Contact:

Name

Phone

Email Address

 

 

General Strategy:

Where do we want to go with a web application?

 

What do we hope to accomplish with web technology?

 

How are we currently functioning without the web?

 

How do we anticipate our web application will be differentiated from competitors’?  What is/will be our competitive advantage?

 

Digital marketing is built around a framework of the following five elements.  How do we plan to:

 

1. attract users to our site?

 

1. engage users' interest and participation?

 

1. retain users?

 

1. learn about their preferences?

 

1. relate back to them to provide customized interactions?

 

 

Our audience / Target market:

Who is it our web application is intended to address?

 

 

Size:
Age range:
Gender:
Occupation(s):
Computer/web literacy:	high	medium	low
Internet connection speed:
Computer platform(s):
Reasons for visiting:

 

Secondary audience:

 

Size:
Age range:
Gender:
Occupation(s):
Computer/web literacy:	high	medium	low
Internet connection speed:
Computer platform(s):
Reasons for visiting:

 

What compelling benefits will visitors have for coming to our site?

(E.g.: learn something new, enjoy the visit, shopping convenience, find information)

 

How do we currently collect user information?  What information and how often?

 

Have trends been tracked over time that imply changes in our audience?

 

Has an audience study/research previously been conducted to understand who will be/is visiting our site?  What metrics were used?

 

 

Our company - style and design:  

What kind of visual presence or tone will our web application convey?

 

Describe our company’s culture or personality: (e.g. smart, fun, serious, mature)

 

What do the graphics and design work say to the user? Describe the message we want to portray visually:

 

Describe the artistic style we feel best fits the strategy and goals: (e.g. conservative, retro, photographic, illustrated, abstract, monochromatic)

 

List the key messages in order of priority that we want customers/viewers to remember when they leave the site?

 

What TV or media ads target a similar audience?

(E.g., sub-brands such as Lincoln Continental or Sprite)

 

Should the style parallel a “parent” or “sister” site that features the same brand or is part of the same organization?

 

What brand guidelines exist for logos?  Are digital source files of logos available?

 

What do the graphics and design work say to the user? Describe the message we want to portray visually:

 

Are there color guidelines?

 

Do we have a style guide?       Yes ?   No  ?

 

 

Precedent:

What’s been done already?

 

Graphically speaking, please list graphic examples from sources such as books, advertisements, or magazines that will appeal to our target audience; attach photocopies, if possible.  Note specific elements and why they work:

 

Are previous marketing materials available (ads, brochures) available that illustrate what has historically worked and has not?  Are there constraints, limitations, or preferences as to how they are used?

 

What competitors’ sites exist?

 

URL	Specify the valuable components:	Specify what doesn’t provide value:

 

 

Functionally speaking, explain what components or features our audience find optimal value in and why. (e.g.: animated demos, listserv, searchable database, audio tutorials)

 

Component:	Value:	Why:	Likelihood of Return

 

 

Please list current means of contact we have with customers: (e.g. advertising, direct mail, newsletters, word of mouth, fax-back, customer support phone line, automated phone voice system, product catalogs)

 

 

 

 

How do we expect methods of contact to change over the next three years?

 

 

Technical Environment:

 

Please describe our web server:

 

Hardware:
Operating systems:
Server software:
Log analysis software:

 

Do we have a policy or standards document (i.e. that states what technologies are available or approved)?                Yes ?   No ?

 

If we don’t have a web server, do we plan to:

?  Purchase

?  Outsource

 

Please list the names and contact info of the people who control the web server:

 

Name	Phone/email:

 

Please describe our database server:

 

Hardware:
Operating systems:
Server software:

 

Do we have a policy or standards document (i.e. that states what technologies are available or approved)?                          Yes ?   No ?

 

Do we have a programming/engineering style guide?

 

If we do not have a database server, and will incorporate a database in our site, do we plan to:

1. Purchase
2. Outsource

 

Please list the names and contact info of the people who control the database server:

 

Name	Phone/email:

 

What is the most commonly used Internet browser in our organization?

 

What is the most commonly used computer platform in our organization?

 

 

Promotion, & Publicity:

How will we provide exposure?

 

How will we market this site?

 

Will our project require Internet advertising, placement, and media buying strategy?

 

Using a search engine, what 15 “keywords” can a prospective customer use to find us?

 

 

We have registered the following domain names:

 

Review, evaluation, evolution:

Planning the future based on the past…

 

How will we measure the value of this site?

 

X	Quantifiable Results	Minimum	Target	Target Date
	Sales increase
	Number of requests resulting in qualified leads
	Number of site visitors
	Number of awards
	Number of links from other sites
	Reduction of calls to customer service and/or technical support
	Number of mentions in consumer press
	Number of mentions in trade press
	Number of competitors’ visits to site
	Decrease in spending: - advertising - direct mail - public relations - collateral materials - other
	Number of mentions in Usenet
	Number of listserv registrations

 

X	Non-Quantifiable Results	Comments
	Brand building
	Provides information on new markets
	Compliments on the site
	Acceptance by staff as a viable sales tool
	Widespread use of URL by staff
	Usability and user experience

 

 

Have usability studies previously been conducted?  If so, what kind? (E.g.: exploratory, heuristic, laboratory, longitudinal studies)

 

 

Schedule & Timing: 

When we need to be where…

 

Seven-phase Process Framework:

 

1. Strategy

Goal: To understand the site’s business objectives, define project components, create a high-level conceptual view, and get it down on paper.

 

1. Proposal

Goal: Based upon information developed in the Scoping Study, define the scope of work, resources required, estimated project budget, and preliminary schedule.

 

1. Discovery/Analysis and Design

Goal: Create a blueprint for the system to be developed, to a level of detail sufficient for developers and designers to actually build it.

 

1. Development

Goal: Develop the site as defined in the analysis and design phase.

 

1. Integration & Testing

Goal: Integrate all parts of the solution and thoroughly test.

 

1. Acceptance/Implementation

Goal: Launch and announce the site.

 

1. Evolution

Goal: Continuous improvement.

 

 

 

Phase	Milestone/Deliverable:	When?
I	Scoping Study
I	Quote
IV	Initial implementation
VI	Site goes live
VI	Training
VI	Publicity and Promotions
VII	Changes requested following site launch
VII	Audience Analysis
VII	Continued Improvements

 

What key dates and events are planned to affect the rollout of this site?  (E.g.:  upper management reviews, trade shows, speeches, product releases, competitor releases, and financial quarters.)

 

Event	Impact	Date

 

 

 

Budget: 

What are we spending?

 

What is our budget?

 

To get final approval for our web site, will we need a cost-benefit analysis?

 

Rate the following as they relate to budget concentration:  (Five is high, one is low)

 

	5	4	3	2	1
Graphic Design
Promotion, publicity
Usability
Internet strategy
Advanced functionality (technical)
Maintenance, follow-up

 

 

Our Business: 

What do things look like from the inside?

 

Describe what our company or group does:

(E.g.: make affordable cars, provide legal assistance, supply design services)

 

Are there plans for our company to enter new markets?  Have we evaluated the viability of the new audience? 

 

Can the project team be of assistance in selling this project to others inside our organization?  If yes, at what stage(s):

• Project planning,
• Beta,
• Final?

 

Will training be needed on

• Administrative tools?
• Maintenance tools?
• Intra- or Extranet applications?

 

Is our organization interested in training in

• Digital marketing?
• Internet Strategy?
• Usability or information architecture?
• Web technologies?

 

Please list key contacts or decision-makers involved in this project:

 

Name	Phone/email	Title

 

 

Conclusion:

What else is on our mind?

 

Comments, concerns, clarifications:

 

Site other internal risks, assumptions, and open issues that could possibly affect this project: 

 

 

 

Part 1

Site Description and Purpose

Part 2

Target Audience

Part 3

Site Strategy & Objectives

Site Tree Structure

Part 4

Part 4

Page Description & Objectives

Part 5 Page Description & Objectives   Level 1 HomePage   Level 2 Secondary Pages

Part 6

Key Components

Part 7

Schedule

Part 8

Abstract

Part 9

Technical Requirements