[This little gem is the e-mail newsletter our subscribers just received. Want a slice of this for yourself? Sign up now.]
Anybody who’s ever built a new kitchen knows that just because you hire someone to lay the granite counter tops doesn’t mean your job’s over. It’s true with websites, too. You have to be organized, communicate preferences and prepare to work with the completed project.
When Talance takes on a web project, we’re there to apply our expertise, but our clients are key participants. It might be tempting to think, “I’m no Web developer. I’ll leave it to the pros.” But if you’re not involved in the development of your site, you’ll never have what you really need. You’re the expert on both your organization and your audience.
Good Web companies will hold your hand through the process and guide you through decisions. Here the some steps you can follow on your own when you’re starting a new web project. Follow the hyperlinks to learn more about each step in the process from our blog.
Perform a needs assessment.
Survey your staff, leadership and audience to find out what they need a website to do. Ask them what works with the current site and what doesn’t. Also look at any analytics software you have on your current site (if you have any) to evaluate your site’s performance.
Write a clear, detailed Request for Proposal (RFP).
Take the information you’ve gathered from your stakeholders and put it into an RFP. This will help you organize your thoughts and help a web developer better target their proposal.
Assemble a dream team.
These are the people within your organization that have oversight of the web project as it unfolds. It’s a smart idea to appoint one person who is the main interface between the developer and your internal team.
Get ready for content.
Your web developers may be in charge of populating your website with text and graphics, but you might choose to do this internally. Start planning early so your website’s launch isn’t delayed while you wait for people to turn in their copy.
Test and revise.
The moment your website is launched is not the moment it’s complete. It just means you need to see how your decisions and design fit your needs. Make notes of potential improvements or changes, and put those on the calendar. It’s a good idea to plan new website releases every 3-6 months, rather than release small updates here and there as they come up. This 4-part article tells you how to reevaluate all aspects of your website.
June Birthday Goodie
This month, as part of Talance’s year-long 10th anniversary celebration, we’re giving out free $150 gift cards. Really! Use yours to update an existing Talance website or toward a new one.