Web Site Planning Rates | View Sample Sites

Web Site Planning

The planning of a web site prior to production should be similar to creating a business plan. A site must be designed to be highly usable by visitors and offer unique and useful services. In addition, even the smallest component included in the site must serve a defined purpose; as these small components can easily bloat the project cost and have no real value in the end.

Site planning services are included with any site project I am contracted to build or may be contracted as a stand alone evaluation. The following list outlines the planning process.

1. Site Modeling - Prior to the creation of any web pages, graphics, or other site components; it will be necessary to identify key features of the site and lay out a model of how the site will function. This process usually involves communication with you regarding your expectations for the site and follow up research of your industry and client base to identify possible design concerns or new ideas.

2. Outside Vendor Selection - After the preliminary model has been constructed on paper, various vendors will be analyzed to determine a list appropriate service providers. Examples of these vendors might include include web hosting providers, electronic payment processors, application service providers, equipment providers, Internet service providers, etc.

3. Cost Analysis - At intervals during the site modeling process, a cost analysis will be carried out to pinpoint the effect of technology and methods used in the site on initial design costs and recurring site expenses. The cost analysis will provide a litmus test for design decisions to ensure that components or services do not overrun the return value expected from the finished site. The above two steps would be repeated as needed until the cost analysis presented an acceptable conclusion.

* For a stand alone site planning project (no site or graphic design involved), I would complete the above steps in order and present a text document outlining the site model and cost analysis. This document could then be used as a guideline for creating the site in-house or through another site design contractor. To ensure an unbiased model and analysis, I include estimated design costs based on the industry average for your region.