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(This is Part III of a continuing series. Click here to read past columns.)

Our original idea for developing a holistic approach to web development came out of a system that can be called an "architectural process." The foundation of such a system consists of the intricate nature of coordinating diverse trades and professions to build a complete, working structure. From there, the delegation of tasks within the larger workflow process begins, until finally the project is complete.

How can this process enhance your company's web presence?

Applying Architecture to Web-Crafting

Unfortunately, many web development and design companies are run by former programmers or graphic artists who may be experts in their fields but who are not strategists capable of working in a true architectural sense.

(In this scenario, projects become lopsided, appearing either visually "super cool" or functionally "super cool," but neither truly appropriate for the project at hand.)

Your working relationship with your web-crafting firm (headed by a Web Partner who is an architectural strategist) should start with a pre-production phase that will extend only to the point of readiness to begin building your web site. This process is based on joint goal identification established by your (or your internal Project Head's) knowledge and your Web Partner's expertise.

You will have already put a great deal of thought into what your expectations, objectives, and visions are for your web site. You will now be ready to present this information to your Web Partner, but also be flexible and receptive to other options that you may not have considered. You should be asked to fill out a questionnaire (which in our firm is called a "Web Profiler" or a simply a "Profiler").

Among other specifics, the Profiler should cover:

• the overall goals of your company
• how you feel this translates into the web site
• a description of your industry
• how your company, products, and services are unique
• how you will measure the success of your site
• budget and timeline specifications
• details of your existing branding and marketing strategy
• your target audience
• an analysis of your competitors' sites, and so on.

Good Profilers will have educational and beneficial side effects for you. For instance, requesting that you go to your competitors' web sites to analyze why you think they are effective (or not) will prove to be a tremendous learning experience. It is an opportunity to realize and analyze how shopping carts work, for instance, or the pros and cons of specific applications and functionality, or how pages are structured within a navigation system.

First hand, experiential learning will lead you to a true understanding of your options. The better educated you are, the better the conversation and relationship will be between you and your Web Partner.

After you complete the Profiler, your Web Partner will be able to help you define your more immediate goals and also present tactics for achieving your larger objectives. From the answers you provide, the Web Partner should be able to distill the information into finding the best way to utilize the web in your business.

It's a Game of Ping Pong

After this intense stage of communication and education, the Web Partner should ask you a second round of detailed, relevant questions related to the specifics of building your online presence. This is where the shaping and the prioritizing of your web site elements begin. Questions and issues will arise, such as:

• Are there other markets that you haven't thought of?
• Could or do you sell overseas?
• Could or do you wholesale? (and so on)

These questions will help you further specify and communicate your goals. The Web Partner should, at the same time, provide you with options that directly relate to the answers you provide. At each point, he/she will help you make a cost/benefit analysis of all options, weighing the information presented.

This really is a "ping pong" process that depends on you, your priorities, and your budget. You will end up with a detailed estimate, which will come as no surprise to you since you were involved in creating it.

(The truth is that the greater your budget, the more you can do with your site and for your business. There should be no initial "set price," as there will be an endless scale of options available depending on your priorities. Your Web Partner should work at figuring your online needs in with your budget.)

Remembering Back-End Considerations

These "back-end considerations" are technical in nature and include applications and functionality. They phenomenally affect cost:

• a purely informational, static site with pictures and text and no applications will be much cheaper than a shopping cart site. But both sites could "appear" the same.
• two sites may appear identical, but without knowing what has been built on the back-end, it is impossible to identify how much either site cost.
• two sites, identical in function, may have different databases that were selected depending on how many visitors use the site hourly, daily, monthly, etc., and the number of servers required.

So, the difference in cost is not always apparent even if you know what you are looking for; you do not have access to the information that would really tell you what a site cost, which is in most cases information detailing the greatest area of investment.


The Pre-Construction Final Product

The end results of the architectural process are three physical deliverables that reflect decisions affecting cost and scheduling:

• Specs, which provide a solid report of the decisions that have been made, and what will go into your site.
• A Flow Chart, which will detail the main sections. This is a sketch that will probably evolve as the process continues.
• A Schematic Drawing of the interface, which will outline how many sections there will be, and show the basic physical layout of the interface template.

Now you can rest assured that your site is going to do what you really need it to do for you, and let the construction begin.

(To be continued in our next newsletter…)

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