Building Web Sites All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

Chapter 1. Planning a Web Project

In This Chapter

• Clarifying your needs

• Defining the scope

• Getting the project started

• Getting comfortable with iterative process

As with any project, planning and gaining support are crucial to your success. Web site projects are sometimes deceptive. They look as if you can just toss one together without too much fuss, but don't be fooled by that; you can't skimp on the planning process. You need assistance regardless of the size of the project, so make sure you've got everyone you need on board — including, for example, department managers or IT personnel. Although the players might be different when looking at fully inhouse productions as opposed to a collaboration between inhouse and hired teams (the topic of Chapter 2 of this minibook), the need to research and plan still exists. It's easy to get excited when you start a Web project, but don't let that get you into trouble later.

Something to keep in mind as you work is that Web projects are iterative. By that, we mean that a Web project requires many cycles of review and revision as you move along. You must develop a flow to move through the project, and you need a clear vision of the project, too — but don't get hung up on working out every single detail beforehand. Being flexible to adjustments while not deviating from the plan is a difficult but important balancing act. In this chapter, we lay out the information that will help you stay balanced.

Defining the Audience

You might not realize this, ...