The very first proponent of developing anything is to have clear objectives of the project. A good way to start is by having a brainstorming session and then filtering important points that give an idea of where you’re headed. Some businesses already have an objective; they just have a need to be online. Even if this is the case, the internet is a very distinct channel that requires an addition effort. Defining website goals require the alignment of three primary users:
The Business owner
The Customer
The Web Developer/Designer
Step # 1 Know the Specifics
Having a competitive advantage requires a firm to see its audience better than its competitors. So the website goals should be a synthesis of segmenting dimensions of a target audience such as behavioral (needs, benefits sought, thoughts, rate of use, purchase frequency, brand familiarity), geographic (Region of world, country or city) and demographics (Income, sex, age, family size, occupation, education, race, social class). Once you have known your clientele, the information acts as a catalyst in the whole development process. Business and web developer goals should yield to any customer needs.
For Example: So I want to start a local dating website. I know there are four more websites that offer the same service and I know there is potential for a niche audience. In the following table, I have dissected my audience, and I have written down my ideas which relate to my target audience:
Target Audience:
Age range 26-58
Majority are females
Area is lower-middle class
Live in the southwest side that has many restaurants, clubs and Movie Theater
Have affordable high speed internet
Crime is relatively high
So your business Goals should be:
Have an age limit
Web design that attracts women
Offer free service
Charge members only after dating
Video support and multiplayer games
Offer inexpensive background checks
Step #2 Identify Website Needs
Once you have achieved the specifics of your website, you should begin the website development process. Sit down with your web developer or if you are the developer, I recommend reading the goals as a developer and not as a business owner. In this stage, the developer should fulfill the demands of the business goals and engage in an active construction of your website.
Developer’s primary objective here is to envision your ideas and make them live on a web browser. Easy as it sounds, the process is the most comprehensible and painstakingly long. It may take up to several months for a developer to identify and test scripts, applications, software, etc. You will find below how a web developer shapes their objective.
Define Web Developer goals that satisfy business goals:
Business Goals:
Have an age limit.
Web design that attracts women
Offer free service
Charge members only after dating
Video support and multiplayer games
Offer inexpensive background checks.
The Web Developer Goals should be:
Create JavaScript form validation
Design a red and black color CSS theme
Have a MySQL maintained database
Incorporate credit card transaction
Develop ASP.net dynamic web page
Third party application integration
The last part of beginning website development is to find a feasible web host. A feasible web host is a company which carries out your website objectives successfully. Here we are looking for congruencies in a web host which satisfy the web developer’s aim. Depending on your website needs you should be aware of the following important features of a web hosting services:
1. Disk Space refers to the space you are allowed on their server hard drive
2. Bandwidth refers to the amount of data transfers and traffic volume of your website
3. Cost The most important factor. Buy annual plans for a discounted price.
4. Maintenance see if the host offers server or website maintenance
5. Customer Service should absolutely have a phone number
6. Scripting Support- if they support s your web developer’s programming language
7. Database Support- if they support database driven websites
8. Application Support- many companies offer open-source applications for content management
9. A money-back guarantee- look for a trial offer or a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied
10. Statistics and marketing tools- all plans should have at least a statistics program.
The article was constructed by Umair Miraj. A business owner/web developer/Computer Technician who runs his own local business in Sugar Land, TX and also remotely repairs PCs.
