Whenever you are creating a new website it is imperative to begin with the end in mind. You might not have the time or resources to implement everything you ultimately want your website to do right away, but you need to plan taking the big picture into account. Why is this so important?
Besides the fact that beginning with the end in mind is simply a sound strategy for most things (just scan the chapters on this topic in Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” book if you want to go in depth), it is crucial for both the graphic designer and the web programmer so they can ensure they build a strong foundation for your site.
For instance, if you think only about the next 3-6 months and Phase I of your project which consists of just a few pages but fail to mention to your web team that in 12 months you’ll be rolling out and launching a large number of products for sale, you may find yourself with a site that cannot easily accommodate your business’ strategic plans and growth. I’ve been invovlved in more than one project in my 12+ years of doing this, especially while working internal to organizations, that went wildly over budget and awry because no one ever took the big picture into account.
Short-sightedness can lead to :
- Spending much more time than you wanted to
- A site that does not do what you need and want it to
- A design that cannot accommodate your needs
- Spending a lot more money than you need to
- A site that ends up getting “bandaids” at every twist and turn
- An inconsistent and uncohesive site that looks more patchwork quilt than professional
How you can avoid these pitfalls and design a great foundation for your site:
- Include the entire web team in your planning sessions from the beginning (that means if you have a designer and a web programmer, and maybe others still, make sure key people are involved in the early on conversations so the designer doesn’t create art that won’t accommodate the functional requirements and vice versa).
- Take a little extra time up front to think through and plan your business strategy and timing
- Create a site map of what you need the site to do now, in 3 months, in 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years out. Sure you can make changes along the way but we’re looking at core fundamentals here
- Start big and then chunk it down into phases that make sense for your timing and resources
Designing with the end in mind doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out, formal process with piles of paper and formal reports. The most important take away is for you and the team creating your website to have a meeting of the minds and clear picture of what you most need from your site short and long term. In this way you can maximize your investment and walk away with a site that is an authentic reflection of who you are and what your business is all about.
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