NOTE: This the fifth 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 covered the research and discovery phase. Step 2 involved focusing and prioritizing your website development tasks. Step 3 involves identifying your goals for your website. Step 4 involves identifying your barriers. Step 5 covers identifying the resources that you will need to complete your project.

IDENTIFY YOUR RESOURCES

Once you’ve defined and prioritized the goals for your website project (step 2), you will need to decide if your project should be covered in phases.

1. What is your budget?

Once you’ve stated your project focus, identified your goals and strategies for overcoming your barriers, you will need to identify the resources that will help you complete your project. You will first need to determine your project budget. Unless money is no object, all website projects need a budget. The project budget is the TOTAL amount that you’re willing (and able) to spend to complete the work within your desired timeframe.

2. Who‘s on your web development team?

You should determine if you have the resources in-house or if you will need to outsource some of all of the project work. Draft a listing of people and organizations that can assist with your project. You may start by asking for recommendations from other people in your network.

3. What’s your deadline?

As a small business owner, tackling a large website development project with limited time and resources will often create much frustration as you wait for ‘everything to be finished’. As you define your deadline, be sure to determine why you’ve chosen your selected deadline. Is your deadline based on a trade show or industry event (i.e.: you’d like to have a website enhancement completed before the event)? Is your deadline based on an upcoming hosting contract expiration? Avoid picking deadlines for “kicks and giggles.” Make sure that you have a deadline that is realistic and allows for an appropriate development timeline. The team that will assist with your project will provide feedback if the deadline can not be met (based on your budget, people resources and project scope).

4. Define your project.

Depending on your budget and available resources, you may decide to only focus on the high priority items first, while covering the lower priority items in subsequent phases.

EXAMPLE - Here is an example web development project plan for a technical/IT training company.

Primary Objective: Create a website for a technical/IT training business.

Website Goals: TIP: The website goals should be those that are most important to creating an effective user experience for your customers and potential customers visiting your website.

Priority	Goal
1	Create a new company website to provide information about the company and classes available
1	Allow customers to contact the company via email, web form, etc.
1	Advertise promotional products/special sessions
1	Allow customers to subscribe to company newsletter
2	Allow customers to register for courses online
2	Allow customers to view training videos online
2	Allow customers to pay for courses and purchase other products online
2	Automated notifications of assignments and other related course notifications
3	Monetize website by selling ad/banner space
3	Create a company blog to discuss the latest topics in the industry and build additional website traffic
3	Allow training instructors to create their own subsites and training areas.

In this example, the organization is creating a new corporate website. If the necessary resources are available (time, money, people); the organization may decide to implement all of the desired website goals before the initial rollout. However, if time, money or resources are limited, a phased approach may be necessary. Since the desired features are already prioritized, the organization can use this listing to determine what features are most important to be completed during phase I. Ideally, during phase I development, the organization will identify additional resources, so that the remaining phases can be scheduled shortly after the initial phase.

Use your website goals and objectives listing to: a) Decide if you will tackle your project in smaller phases and b) Define the first phase and potential subsequent phases. Using the example above, the training company may decide to tackle their project in four phases:

1. Phase I: All priority 1 items will be completed – these items are related to ensuring that the company has a web presence (since it’s a new site) and that the basic information needed for their customers is provided on the new site.
2. Phase II: Enhance the user experience. Perhaps the company will decide to complete 2 of the 3 priority 2 items. One of the items is related to ecommerce (pay for courses and purchase other products online). The company may decide to create a separate project for implementing the ecommerce component.
3. Phase III: Enhance the user experience with an ecommerce implementation. This is the remaining priority 2 item “allow customers to pay for courses and purchase other products online.”

This is a simple example of how you can evaluate and prioritize your website goals. Once you’ve made a decision on what items will be completed during phase I, you should document your budget, your desired time line and your project goals. This is the document that you will provide to the team of people that may assist with the implementation and development.

Using a phased approached to your website projects is very helpful in determining if you have the necessary resources for completing the project. This also helps to define very clear and focused goals for your project; which will help combat “scope creep”. A phased website approach and well defined project resources and goals will ensure that your website continues to evolve as your business evolves. You will be aware of your progress as you move forward in implementing your ultimate vision for your website.

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.