Defining a Website

Sometimes my job puts me in awkward situations. Part of my role is reviewing projects with clients and talking clients out of what they ‘want.’

Most clients aren’t coding geniuses or web developers and thus their ideas for implementation or features they think they need can be met in other ways. While it is great to have a firm idea of what you want a website to do, it can be difficult to make decisions without knowing your options.

For example, if you are a small non profit, building a full eCommerce solution with integration into your financial software, financial reporting, etc ,etc is likely putting the horse before the cart. Depending on your timeline and budget Phase 1 should be getting a basic website up and just letting your audience know you exist.

Sometimes my job is the opposite though. Sometimes I get pulled into conversations with a client requesting everything they need, but are missing an essential piece. A client may have everything outlined perfectly and the solution they want would work… but they are missing the step that would allow it to work with their current system or methods. Defining what the website does and how it functions is essential before any website project begins.

This conversation may add more work or it could cut the production time by 50%, but if it makes our clients more successful (or brings it in at a lower rate); mission accomplished!

The Plan Left team looks at any web development project as an opportunity to make our clients more successful. By streamlining communication, workflow efficiency, or overall effectiveness, we want to ensure we serve our clients, and serve them by giving them success.