The lifecycle of a website should be managed as a project. For a simple website, such as a brochure site, this is not a large overhead and the process can be less formal. At the other end of the spectrum, a website with a shopping cart and financial transactions requires a lot of careful planning, testing and project management. Although Canny Publishing manages the lifecycle implementation, each stage needs your input and approval.
The diagram shows the various lifecycle stages and outcomes - click to enlarge.
Note that changes become progressively more expensive ("£"),
the later they are made in the lifecycle. Not every feature has to be developed
at the same time. A staged development can be adopted if it is important to
get your site up and running quickly, or if some features are not need until
later in your business plan.
Lifecycle stages:
Concept:
The initial stage where the ideas driving the website and its requirements are
formalised and defined. The website activities, timetable, participants and
costs are also defined and agreed with you.
Outcome: Requirements Specification and Project Plan with Schedule.
Design:
This stage turns the requirements into a design. Techniques such as Storyboarding
(paper based, word processor or PowerPoint slides used to sketch what is needed)
are used to define each page layout and function. Website structure, page style,
and menu structure are also defined and how it will be tested. Another crucial
output of this stage is the webpages content - both text and images. A prototype
may be required if there are any new functions or you need to see a working
model.
Outcome: Design and Test Specification, Page Content.
Development:
The design is now implemented as software using tools such as Dreamweaver or
HTML editors. Testing happens on each page as they are developed and also on
the whole website at the end of this stage. This makes sure that all pages interact
correctly with each other and with any external systems. An internal evaluation
of the website is recommended at this stage, perhaps involving key customers.
Evaluation takes place on a "sand pit" server not available to the
public. Any significant outcomes from the test and evaluation are incorporated.
Outcome: Launch and Optimisation Plan, Monitoring and Maintenance Plan, Test
Results, Evaluation Results
Launch:
The website is now ready to be launched to the public. How this is done is largely
determined by you. The technical side involves registration with search engines
and setting up links from other websites. Further evaluation with a wider set
of customers and with internal users is necessary to ensure all systems are
working correctly and requirements are being met. Your stationery may need to
be updated, advertisements placed, or emailing list campaigns undertaken to
attract new and existing customers. How the site will be monitored and maintained
should also be confirmed here.
Outcome: Evaluation Results, Master Record
Maintenance:
After launch, the website is in its maintenance stage. Careful monitoring of
hit rates and customer responses is needed to maximise the benefits from your
website. Updating the site to keep it relevant and fresh with a content management
system is an important activity at this stage. Effective backup and disaster
recovery plans are also part of ongoing maintenance. Also, do not forget to
renew host and domain name subscriptions. Upgrade plans are likely to appear
here as your business expands or its environment changes.
Outcome: Monitoring Results, Upgrade Proposals
Upgrade:
Periodic upgrades are likely to be need due to commercial or technical reasons.
These should be managed as mini-projects in their own right with the same stages
as the full website, but on a smaller level. A "sandpit" server containing
a copy of your website with upgrades, on a non-public server, can be provided
by Canny Publishing for you to trial upgrades in a safe environment.
Outcome: Test and Evaluation Results
Disposal:
This stage depends on what is happening in your business at this time. A plan
of how the website will be closed down or transferred will be needed along with
any other changes such as domain names, email addresses, databases and stationery.
Outcome: Disposal Plan
Creating a website need not be a difficult process. To achieve the best return on this investment requires a clear understanding of why your organisation needs a website and what benefits it will bring. See our Business Guidelines to help your define your requirements and concept.
Concentrate initially on why you need a website. List the reasons why a website will benefit your business. A website will cost you time, effort and money. Be clear that these benefits are realistic and think how you will measure the results once the website is up and running.
The "five W's" can help with this: Why, What, Who, When and How:
Style and appearance are important, but content is what really matters. If your website satisfies customers' needs, it will be successful. Now you need to think about content. From your Who, What, Why, etc. above, group these ideas together into what will become your pages. Typical pages are:
- Home Page
For visitors to your website (an opportunity to catch new customers) - a short,
precise description of what you do and what the website can tell them. Eye-catching
images or graphics to get their interest.
For existing customers - a handy reference with clear, simple navigation to
the information they need. Also, a chance to catch their attention with anything
new or any special offers.
- What We Do Page
Your product/services, perhaps a catalogue. Present only as much detail as people
can absorb - use a hierarchical structure to enable customers to find products
- provide overview level initially - use more pages to provide detail. Do customers
need selection guides?.
- Who We Are Page
Establish your credentials, tell customers about the way you do business, how
your products or services will benefit them, how you are better than your competitors.
Your quality and what does your business stand for. The goal is to give customers
the confidence to do business with you. Business track-record and testimonials
from satisfied customers. Any awards you have received and industry benchmarks
attained. Industry association memberships.
- Shopping Cart
E-commerce pages can range from a simple catalogue with prices and an email
purchase requests, to a full shopping cart with credit/debit cards and PayPal,
etc. purchase systems.
- Special Pages
Downloads, forms, databases, picture galleries, technical glossary - anything
that helps you or your customers do business,
- Contacts Page
Make it easy to contact you. By phone, email, fax, or post - full details. Specific
contacts for particular areas of your business - think through all the reasons
a customer would need to contact you.
- Links Page
Helpful links for customers. Links to help customers make decisions about doing
business with you.
- Organisation Pages
A recruitment page may be useful, or information about your organisation for
you and your staff via restricted access.
- Sitemap Page
An easy way for new customers to find out what is on your website. A fast way
for existing customers to access what they need. Also used by search engines
to index your site.
Text on websites should be brief. Visitors will be put off by long-winded descriptions. If greater detail is required, this can be provided in other windows or pop-up screens. Large amounts of information should be provided as downloadable documents - many people still prefer to read larger documents from paper. The use of "keywords" (words specific to your business activities) in your text is crucial to achieving good search engine ranking. Canny Publishing can help you define and use keywords in your text.
Break up text into blocks - this is visually more appealing. Size of text is also important - a balance needs to be achieved between being readable and the size of the page.
Canny Publishing can provide animated images, such as Flash and GIFs, but cautions that they require careful consideration. Multiple or overactive animation should be avoided. Animation having large file size will noticeably slow down page loading. Such animations can distract or frustrate customers.
Size of images is crucial to page loading speed. Canny Publishing will advise you on format and size of images required for a each web page. You can supply your own images or select them from our store of stock photographs. You can also select stock photography and graphics from our recommended lists of suppliers. However you provide your images, they can be edited by Canny Publishing to achieve your desired effects.
Rotating Banner - display a sequence of short messages in timed rotation - useful to attract attention to new items and special offers
Breadcrumb trail - used to help navigation - shows the customer where they are and can be used to go back to any previous level of menu
Bookmark - your customers just need to click this link to call up the
browser favourites page.
There are many other things to consider for your website. Some of the more important issues:
Website Support
Websites rarely exist in isolation. To keep them fresh and up to date requires
interaction from your content suppliers. Features such as customer surveys,
forums, mailing lists, input forms, email contacts and, of course, shopping
carts all require your interaction and management. Preparation and activities
such as system testing and staff training are very important to the success
of your website.
Web Hosting
Your website needs to be stored on a suitable host server providing your pages
to any visitor 24/7. Your server needs to be compatible with the technology
used in your design, to have sufficient bandwidth for the expected number of
customers, and to be very reliable with adequate backup facilities.
Domain Name
Choice of domain name is important, it will become part of your company's identity.
Its format needs to be considered to minimise errors when customers type in
your name. Canny Publishing will help you decided the best format and type of
domain name and help you with alternatives should your chosen name not be available.
Content Management
You need to consider which parts of your website will require content modification
and how you want this managed (who will do it?). Mechanisms will then be included
in your website design to do this.
Search Engine Ranking and Optimisation
this depends on factors such as content, external links to your site, keywords,
metadata (i.e. information about your web pages contained within the pages)
and other issues. On completion, Canny Publishing will submit your website
and maximise the opportunities for better ranking. Canny publishing does not
use any "illegal" techniques, such as cloaking, that could get you
barred by the search engines.
Search Engine Submission
Once your website is ready, it needs to be submitted to the relevant search
engines. Canny Publishing will submit your website to an agreed number
of websites. It can take a number of weeks for these submissions to be fully
processed by the search engines.
Links
Links to your website are a fundamental element of many search engine ranking
- encourage other websites to link to your website - at launch time, agree with
any friendly sites to swap links.
Website Statistics
Canny Publishing can make available reports on your website activity, indicating
hit rates, visited pages and information about users.
Copyright
Copyright applies automatically to your website. Canny Publishing also
explicitly marks each page and we will strive to ensure your website does not
infringe anyone else's copyright. Any information supplied to Canny Publishing
must not infringe copyright. A copyright page explicitly declaring copyright,
or providing fees for approved copying, can be included if required.
Disclaimers - These can be provided on relevant pages or on a general page if
your legal advisor recommends it.
Legal Considerations
You are reminded that observance of legal requirements covering publications
should be considered for your website. For example, the Data Protection Act,
Copyright, Database Right, Race Relations, Sex Discrimination, Libel laws, Sale
of Goods etc. Canny Publishing is happy to discuss any such issues with customers.
Corporate Branding
Canny Publishing can provide low volume stationery based on your website
designs for a moderate fee. Any design work undertaken for your website can
also be used in letterheads, stationery, business cards or brochures at no extra
cost.
Email
Your website will also have email and webmail facilities. Existing email facilities
can be used if preferred. If you choose to use your website's email, you can
define addresses as required (e.g. sales@mycompany.co.uk, help@mycompany.co.uk,
etc) and route these to a common destination or distribute them to appropriate
staff. Emails can be accessed with standard tools such as MS Outlook, or as
Webmail (i.e. you cal in to access emails). New email addresses can also be
routed to existing accounts. Email, mailing list systems can be provided for
your website.
Accessibility
Canny Publishing strives to meet usability requirements by adopting good
design principles and testing with online compliance tools. Accessibility should
be built into all webpage designs - why exclude some potential customers? There
are also legislative considerations. Part III of the Disability Discrimination
Act makes it unlawful for a service provider to treat disabled people less favourably
for a reason related to their disability. Service providers must also consider
making reasonable adjustments to the way that they deliver their services where
disabled people find these impossible or unreasonably difficult to access. See
our accessibility guide
for further information.
Standards
Webpage design compliance is an important issue. If only some versions of some
browsers can display your web pages correctly, you could loose potential customers.
Canny Publishing has a policy of complying with web design standards thereby
minimising any likelihood of browser incompatibility. HTML 4.01 is used as the
basis for our designs. Compliance testing is checked using online validation
tools.
Launching Your Website
When your website has been trialled and tested, it is ready to be launched.
How will customers find out about your new website? Search engine registration
and ranking will help but direct advertisements are usually needed. All company
stationery, especially business cards, should provide your web address (also
known as a URL, e.g. http://www.mycompany.co.uk) and also your email address.
Advertisements in any medium (newspaper, radio, television) should contain your
URL.
Security
Ensure that access to content management systems is properly protected. Manage
security by educating your staff. Make sure passwords are appropriate, are held
securely and are changed at regular intervals