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1. Define the site's goals. (KCG will guide you through this process.)
Basic questions include:

What is the mission or purpose of my organization? What are the short- and long-term goals of my website? Who are the intended audiences? (very important to compile a list) Why will people visit your website? Why will they come back?

Try to think of any other questions that will reveal the true purpose of the site. If other people have ideas for questions, consider including those, too.

2. Determining who the audience is
Many sites do not even take into consideration who will be using them. Start developing a list of people who will use your site. For example, you may have potential clients as well as vendors who may visit your webiste. Write down all possible audiences and ask other employees or associates if they have additions.

3. Create user scenarios
User scenarios help you and your collaborators visualize the site and its users. Using the previous definitions of your audience, try to come up with the ideal scenario for each type of user.

Create a task to accomplish on the site. Use a task from your list of audience needs and goals. Then write a story about how the character uses the site to complete the given task. Scenarios will be important later on, when you are defining the content and functional requirements of the site. Being creative here will push your design into places you may not have thought it could go.

4. Competitive Analysis
Knowing your competition is a good way to learn about your own site. Whether you are casually browsing your rival's site or seriously evaluating each and every competitor, you need to be aware of what other sites are doing.

To get started, make a list of your competition's websites. Use search engines if necessary. Evaluate pros and cons of key sites.

5. Site Content
Now that you know what your site is going to be about and who it is for, you are ready to pinpoint what it will contain.

You will need to answer two questions:
1) What pieces of content does the site need?
2) What sorts of functionality will be required?

• Consider Graphics
• Audio
• Sales transactions (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, etc)

Refer to the previous lists and collected data from competitor analysis. Now its time to start writing the content for your website (use previous brochures or other marketing materials as a place to start). This part will be the most time consuming.

Types of content include:

Static Dynamic Functional Transactional

Static:
Copyright notices, privacy statements, and membership rules are examples of static content.

Functional:
Function defines how users will navigate throughout your website.

Transactional:
Member logon pages, signup pages for email newsletters, and other pages involving forms or transactions should be included on your list of functional requirements.

You now have what's called a "content inventory".

6. Site Structure
Think of the site structure as a skeleton that holds the body together. A well-designed structure makes it easy to define a navigation system, and the two together make designing page layouts and templates a snap.

This is the last step before you can actually get into building things.

7. Define Navigation
1) How will users use the website?
2) How will they get from one place to another?
3) How do you prevent them from getting lost?

Defining the navigation system for the site solves these problems. Take a look at the site structure listing. What are the major sections? These are excellent candidates for the global navigation system, which appears on every page of the site and enables users to quickly jump between sections. If at all possible, try to limit the number of global navigation elements to between five and seven. "Global" means these links will be on every page.

After this is done we will be creating page mock-ups of the site. Once the mock-ups are approved you are done and we will build your new website.

Kaleidoscope Consulting Group can help you work through most of the requirements. We will guide you along every step of the way. This form should be used as a starting point to developing a website that matches the goals and objectives of your company.