5 step guide to briefing your web developer
- Ruby Blessing
- 1 February 2010
Photo credit: annaOMline, sxc.hu
Getting that brief just so can make the difference between launching the site you want in the time frames you've agreed, and a long, drawn-out process that blows your budget, tries your patience and completely misses the mark.
Step 1: Do your research
Gather information
In order for your web developer to understand what you want and need, provide as much relevant information as possible. If you haven't already done so, think through who you hope will use your website, and how you want them to use it.
This will affect not only what content you put on your site, but also how it is presented (for example, written content only, audio-visual, interactive or any other format). If you know who you want to attract to your site and how you want them to use it, your web developer can suggest the most appropriate approach to ensure you get the response you want.
Step 2: Define your immediate and long-term goals
An immediate goal for your website might be to launch a new product or brand online. If you want it to be the first thing your website visitors see, then try to have as little clutter on the homepage as possible. Don't distract visitors from your key message.
It's worth knowing that, on average, you have no more than four seconds to capture your visitor's attention. A Flash intro might dazzle them for a moment, but will they remember the cool graphics or you? Make sure they stay focused on your product.
Your next goal might be to leverage your happy customers to generate more happy customers. Using Web2.0 and community-based features with add-ons, such as forums, product ratings, comments and loyalty clubs, will enable your customers to become advocates for your brand or product.
You may want to energise your content by adding video, podcasts or interactive demos. Over time, you may want to recruit distributors, or make bulk ordering easier. Other long-term goals may include global sales and (naturally) world domination.
To help define your goals, divide them into what you want, and what you need. There's a big difference between the two.
- What you want. This could include video, podcasts, community and social networking tools (Facebook-style), a shopping cart with product comments and ratings, a B2B extranet? I could go on and on...
- What you need. This could include brand and product awareness, direct communication with customers, increased sales and/or leads. Above all, you will need to be able to maintain the site's content easily.
Finally, give some thought to how you plan to measure the success of your site.
- By increased visitor traffic to the site?
- More calls and sales?
- Lots of PR and buzz about your product?
List some realistic key performance indicators (KPIs) so your web development team has tangible targets to aim for.
Step 3: Suggest a strategy
Your brief should outline how you see the website complementing your planned business strategy. Consider breaking it down over a few stages: you need to be able to respond (not react) to unforseen events, user feedback, or traffic analytics that show the site isn't being used as you expected.
There may also be other, more lateral factors to consider:
- Do you need landing pages for search engine marketing?
- Does the website need to close the loop on a promotion or competition?
- Do you have your delivery mechanisms in place?
Step 4: Be realistic. Be open. Be honest.
You know your business, but don't assume that your web developer will know anything about it at all. Give them all the information you can. If you have a set vision of what you want, don't pretend to be ‘open to ideas'. If you know you want a blue site - no discussion - then don't waste your time and budget getting the web developer experimenting with other options.
Also, try to define what value you want out of your agency. Capitalise on their strengths:
- Are they strategic?
- Experienced?
- Small and personal?
- Niche?
Step 5: Take time to discuss your thoughts
Once you've distilled everything into a briefing document, don't just email it to your web agency and expect them to get on with it, set up a face-to-face meeting to go through the brief with them. This will allow you the opportunity to
communicate things that are difficult to put in writing: your passion, your issues and your reservations.
Remember: everyone at the table has a reason for the project to be a success, and working together as a team is going to be incredibly important. Like any good relationship, setting clear boundaries and allocating responsibilities up front helps
everything run more smoothly. #
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