NOTE: This the second segment of a 9-part series on how to create a successful small business website.

If you’re planning to create a new small business website or enhance an existing website, this series will help you improve your chances for success. In step 1, we briefly covered the research and discovery phase (See Step 1: Do your homework). Step 2 involves focusing and prioritizing your website development tasks.

STEP 2: IDENTIFY YOUR PRIMARY FOCUS

Websites evolve and change rapidly. Even the most successful business websites maintain a revolving “to do” list of new features and content for enhancing their web presence. You should always identify a focus or scope for your website project. The project scope details the projects deliverables and major objectives. The most successful website projects have a well focused scope. Less successful projects have a poorly defined or nonexistent scope. A nonexistent and poorly controlled scope is the root cause of “scope creep”, also referred to as “feature creep”. Scope creep occurs when a projects’ focus and requirements grow and expand without making the necessary adjustments to the project budget, resources and schedule. This is a recipe for failure and frustration for all involved participants.

When you decided to create a new website or start a new website enhancement project, you probably created a listing of desired content and features to include. Also, in step 1 of this series, we covered researching website trends on competitor and industry related websites, and obtaining customer feedback. Compile your initial listing of desired content/features with the information that you’ve gathered through customer feedback and research. This will create your laundry listing of potential website features and content.

Review the listing carefully. What were the items that most of your customers listed as important? You should have a “customer focused” approach to your website, therefore you will want to weight the importance of these items heavily. Your website should provide your existing and potential customers the information that THEY need WHEN and WHERE they are looking for it. Are there differences in what YOU and YOUR CUSTOMERS indicate as important? For example, many small business websites will designate a great percentage of the home page for information about the company, the business owner and/or staff. This information is certainly very valuable to build credibility and trust with your customers. However, depending on the nature of your business and your target audience, this information may not be needed on the front page of your website. For example, if your business is Widgets R Us, your primary objectives is to sell widgets, therefore home page would highlight information about your products and you would place the website elements that promote products sales in the high priority category.

Also, remember to consider your findings from reviewing your top competitors and other industry related websites. Are there obvious trends in content and functionality that you should consider for your website? Your website is likely one of millions in your industry, therefore you want to make sure that your website is within the standards of your top competitor websites.

Next to each item on your website to do list, prioritize the items using the following scale:

1. High priority – these are items that are critical to your success (ex: a secure shopping cart process, an online contact form etc.).

2. Medium priority – these are items that must be completed in the near future, but are less critical than the high priority items. These items add value to your website, but are not critical or do not require immediate implementation.

3. Low priority – these are items that you’d like to incorporate into your website eventually, but they are not critical to your business success, aren’t necessary to complete in the near future and shouldn’t be implemented until all High Priority and Medium Priority items are completed. You would start implementing these items, once there aren’t any high or medium priority items on your list and you have the resources available to implement them.

4. Wish List – these are items that you’d like to consider at a later date. You wouldn’t assign a priority level to these items until you have performed further research, have discussed (and debated) the proposed items with your team and have made a decision to move forward.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Subscribers will receive a FREE eBook containing extended versions of Steps 1 – 9, as well as accompanying worksheets for managing your project. If you would like to receive the FREE ebook, join/fan the Websmith Group Facebook Page or subscribe to our eNewsletter.