Master Slide

Planning a Web Site

…AN INTRODUCTION FOR BUSINESS OWNERS

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Media Available for Business Presence

• eMail• Blogs• Video (You Tube)• Audio, RSS (Podcasts) • Wikis (Wikipedia)• Social Networks

• Web Sites

Today’s Focus

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Before Developing a Web Site

• You should have:– A written Business Plan that:

• Defines core products/services • Identifies target clients• Has a 3 year pro forma P+L Statement• Includes a Marketing/Sales Plan• Legal organization• Operating Plan

SCORE offers seminars that

address these issues

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Marketing Plan

• Details your competitive strategy• Documents a pricing strategy• Establishes a marketing budget

– brochures, newspaper, web site, promotions

• Defines your web site’s role in your marketing effort

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Techie Stuff - Elements

Technology Terminology Internet components

People Skill sets

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Techie Stuff – Terms

You must know to communicate:

• URL

• Domain name

• Banner

• ISP

• Search Engine

• Hosting service

• SEO

• PPC

• Organic Search

• SQL

• HTML

• Browser

• Navigation

• Hits

• Page views

• Hyperlink

• CSS

• Flash

• Conversion Rate

• Google analytics

Use Google or Wikipedia www.wikipedia.org for definitions:

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Techie Stuff: People Skills - Basic

Logic, use of variousProgramming tools

( On-going)

Artistic layout,color, graphics, etc.

( 1 time)

Site Owner (you)

Graphic Designer Application Developer

For every web site Primary Content Provider

(On-going)

Planning: Your Web Site’s Use

Typical Options:

– Build awareness of your brand and product line • online brochure

– Distribute information that saves staff resources• hours, location, services

– Build relationships through information gathering • offer a newsletter or free report in exchange for an email address and othe

r information

– Manage events, using online registration

– Perform e-commerce, sell and deliver product/service

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Planning: Effective eCommerce

If you sell online, see these examples of eCommerce sites with selling-focused navigation:

• www.realityplusclothing.com• www.inflatablemadness.com • www.overstock.com • www.sophiasstyle.com • www.designerathletic.com

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Planning: Identify the Users

You first think of:• Existing customers• Potential customers

But there will be:• Competitors• Vendors• Potential lenders • Potential investors• Potential employees• Existing employees• Press

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Planning: Two Types of Costs

• One time costs - capitalize• Web site creation/setup• Graphics, photos• Domain name(s), building client databases• (your time) for site content development

• Recurring operating costs - expense• Hosting • Maintenance/modifications• Web site management (you or your delegate)

– Keep content fresh and monitor site

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Planning: Sample Costs - 1

– For a small custom developed site, expect to spend $1,500 to $7,000

– Your time: 20 – 100+ hours

– Costs dictated by:– Whether prepackaged or in-house or custom– Complexity: brochure ware to a transactional site

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Planning: Sample Cost -2

Domain Name $15-$30 (annually)

Hosting Service $8-$200 (monthly)

Web Site Development $300-$5000+

Site Maintenance $0-$500 (monthly)

Search Engine Listing $0-$2000 (annually)

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Planning: Recurring Costs

• Hosting of your web site:From $4 - $300+ / month depending upon services provided, amount of disk storage needed, data transfer rates, and host-generated statistics

• Technical maintenance: $60+/hr for 1 – 4 hrs/ monthsmall logic and graphic changes, correct any errors

• Content updates (you as provider, large time demands) provide industry news, “what’s new” articles, photos, new products/services/ promotions…etc.

Your site will live or die on fresh and changing content!!!

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Planning: Development Phases

Phases Est. % Total Cost

% Owner Can Do:

1. Five Discovery Steps 30% – 50% 80% - 90%

2. Programming 20% - 30% 0 - 100%

3. Testing 10% Little

4. Documentation 5% Some

5. Training 5% Some

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Planning: 5 Discovery Steps

Five Discovery Steps:

1. Write Business/Marketing Plan2. Complete Creative Brief3. Develop Business Rules4. Find “Look and Feel” sites5. Assemble documents and pictorial content

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Planning: Creative Brief

#2 Owner completes a “Creative Brief” A written “business plan” for a web site

See a completed and blank for example at:

www.tinyurl.com/SCORE34-CreativeBrief

• Project description, goals, team assigned• Primary objectives• Target market• Specific functional and content requirements• Available text and graphics• Project timeline• Project budget

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Planning: Business Rules

Site User User Needs How Site will Respond What you will Provide Developer

1 2 3 4

Potential Customer

See your selection of dress shirts

Shows illustrated price list Catalog information, pictures (jpeg), text and other supporting information from sales materials

#3 Owner documents how the site is to react to various user requests ( “Business Rules”)

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Planning: Look and Feel

#4 Owner documents what visual impression the site is to convey to the user. (“Look and Feel”)

• Evaluate sites of competitors• Find five sites, competitors or not, that appeal to you visually• Write down what “specifically” was the desired feature

#5 Owner assembles site content and graphics ( brochures, customer pictures, logos, price

listsetc)

OWNER establishes, Developer implements

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Planning: Cost Minimization

Steps Est. % Total Cost

% Owner Can Do:

1. Discovery Process 40% – 60% 80% - 90%

2 Programming 20% - 30% 0%

3. Testing 10% Little

4. Documentation 5% Some

5. Training 5% Some

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Acquiring – 2 Decisions

The owner has two major decision to make

in acquiring a web site:

1. How do I get the site developed?

2. Where do I have my site hosted?

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Acquiring: Development Options

Two basic approaches are:

1. Do it yourselfCan I spare the time from my core business?Do I have the skills/money?Do I want the site to look “home-made?”

2. Hire a professional web developer Do I have the money to hire someone?

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Acquiring: 5 Options

The 5 ways of acquiring a site are:

1.0 Self Code

2.1 Site-builder Kit (Free “cheap”)

2.2 Site-builder Kit (Fee based - General)

2.3 Site-builder Kit (Fee based - Industry specific)

3.0 Professionally Developed

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Acquiring: 5 Options-Detail

(a-description; b-optimal use; c-suggested links)

1.0 Self Code

a. You make site yourself using either/or HTML, CSS or a development language (Front Page, Dreamweaver). Hosting will be additional cost.b. You have time, money and skill or a geek-web friendc. See for free web development tools: Online help available

NOTE: most of the site-builder kits below are more difficult to get graphics placed where

you want them on the page.

2.1 Site-builder Kit (FREE/cheap)

a. Use a web based kit that has no set up nor hosting cost by the provider, but MAY have provider advertising around your site; perhaps even show in the site URL or require upgrades for more features. Site Builders are drag and drop.b. For the non-technical beginner who simply wants to get the experience of trying out a site and/or does not mind the ads.

c. See: Microsoft Office Live, Wix ; www.google.com/sites

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Acquiring: 5 Options-Detail

(a-description; b-optimal use; c-suggested links)

2.2 Site-builder Kit (FEE based – GENERAL USAGE)

a. Has a small setup fee ( $0 - $100 ) and a hosting fee ($20 - $80/mo). Costs may vary by # pages or usage or features engaged. Usually has a free trial.b. For the non-technical beginner who needs an inexpensive starter site without ads.c. Typical: www.coolbuild.com www.Homestead.com www.godaddy.com

www.samsbiz.com www.dexaweb.com www.weebly.com www.doodlekit.com Yahoo! www.coffeecup.com

2.3 Site-builder Kit (FEE based – INDUSTRY SPECIFIC)

a. Has a setup fee ( $100 - $500) and a hosting fee ($20 - $80/mo). Costs may vary by # pages or usage or features engaged. Usually has a free trial. b. For the non-technical beginner who needs an industry web site with industry specific features. Provider usually has many many custom “looks” to chose from and often pre-developed free content aimed at the site user. Has spent $$ to provide graphic layouts options

c. Examples: for Church: www.webmedly.com for Veterinarian: www.vetmatrix.com [great example of metrics options]

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Acquiring: 5 Options-Detail

(a-description; b-optimal use; c-suggested links)

3.0 Professionally Developed

a. Site requires professional and multiple skills for desired result. Development costs ($500 - $20,000) based on # pages, logic complexity and features required. Monthly maintenance fees ($50 - $300) and hosting fees ($20 - $80/mo).

b. Used when: you need a very unique look/feel is desired; over 50 pages; complex eCommerce steps; uses video, audio and animated graphics; requires integration with other business software (accounting, inventory, CRM – clients volunteers, donors, vendors, employee passwords); owner desires advice based on education and experience of a professional for graphic look, layout and navigation, SEO tuning, use of data base storage.

c. Suggested developers on upcoming slide, but ask five friends for recommendations

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Acquiring: Comparison of Options

# Options Difficulty

0 – 10 Hard

CostDevelopment/Setup

+ Hosting/Maint

1.0 You code 8 - 10 $100- $1,000

Hosting extra

Lots hours

2.1 Site Builder - Free 7 - 9 $300 - $1,000

Hosting + maint included?

2.2 Site Builder – FEE

General 5 - 7 $10 - $500

Hosting + maint Included

2.3 Site Builder – FEE

Industry Specific2 - 5 $100 - $500

Hosting + maint included

3.0 Use professional developer

1 $500 - $20,000

Hosting + maint extra

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Acquiring: In-depth Comparison

Parameters/Features of Way (7 of 24 )

1.0

You Code

2.1 Free

2.2 FEE -General

2.3 FEE-Industry

3.0 Prof

1 Cost 7 + time 2 3 4 8-10

2 Personal URL Y ?? Y Y Y

3 Tech Skill Required 10 2 3 3 1

4 Implementation Time - wks 20+ 1 wk 1 wk 2 wks 10-20 wk

5 You have access to HTML? Y 2 2 2 Y

6 SEO provided You do it 2 4 6 10

7 Google Analytics Possible You do it 1 2 6 10

Rank: 0=low 10=High

See link for full report: www.tinyurl.com/SCORE34-Comparison

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Acquiring: Professional Developers

Local Firms:

Cybervise Limited

- www.cyberviselimited.com (513) 351-6710

Go-Concepts

- www.go-concepts.com (888) 664-6938

 Web Feat

- www.webfeat.net (513) 272-3328 

Core Five

- www.corefive.com (513) 723-0101 

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Acquiring: Developer Contracts

Issues to be addressed with your developer:

1. Use a written contract

2. Establish the development price, handling of changes and extras, project schedule, and maintenance costs

3. Establish a payment schedule • Partial payments at milestones • Withhold final 10% until after training and 30

days of successful operation

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Acquiring: Custom Deliverables

4. Included in the contract deliverables:

• Release from the developer so that you both own the code – copyright issues

• Assurance that the developed package is portable to other hosting sites.

• Documentation, and keys to all security systems (user names, passwords, etc.)

• Contact information for customer support• Guaranteed response time for support

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Acquisition: Hosting Options

# Option

A Hosting and maintenance may be bundled as a monthly fee with the Site Builder options

1 Free Hosting: BraveNet, FreeSite Generally ad-supported

2 Basic Hosting (from $2.95/mo.): Cheap Reliable Website Hosting, 123

3 Premium Hosting: GoDaddy, IXWebHosting Add ecommerce, provide a secure site

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Acquiring: Hosting Variables

• A hosting company (ISP) provides disk space and access to the net for your web site.

• A variety of issues to be considered include:

– The ability to grow (scalable)– Daily back-up of site– Technical support– Email accounts– Online shopping carts– Secure server– Traffic statistics– FrontPage extensions– Uptime

• Note: all other issues being equal, choose a host in your area as that my improve your being found on a search that includes physical location details: city, state, county etc

Compare details by searching on “web hosting” and reading the details.

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Acquisition: : Resources

One of the best information sites for both owners and developers is: www.wilsonweb.com

Helpful resources include:www.wilsonweb.com/worksheet/pkg-con.htm[ blank web site design contract ]

www.wilsonweb.com/worksheet/pageplan.htm[ blank web site planning worksheet ]

www.wilsonweb.com/worksheet/store-worksheet.htm[ blank online store planning worksheet ]

Also see: www.techsoup.com for general articles.

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Site Management: Owner’s Tasks

• Client Feedback– Use a separate web site email address – Respond daily!

• Content management– Change 20% of site content per month

• Site Management– Avoid “linkrot” – check each link monthly– Analyze traffic (hits by day/week/month, etc.)

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Summary

• Techie Stuff – Technology and People Skills

• Planning the Site– Uses/Users, Costs and Process

• Acquisition of Site– Make or Buy: Development and Hosting

• Site Management– Site Content/Site Maintenance

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Owner’s Must-Do List

• Write a Business Plan with a Marketing Plan• Complete a Creative Brief • Document the Business Rules on worksheet• Assemble sample web content: brochures,

product/service information, and pictures• Identify five web sites with a

“Look and Feel” that you particularly like• Use a written contract with a web developer• Get a SCORE counselor !