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WEBSITE PLANNER
  WORKBOOK

 Prepared by 4M Web Design
   www.4mwebdesign.com
CONTENTS


1.0      INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 1
2.0      GETTING STARTED ....................................................................................................................... 2
2.1      WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A WEB SITE DEVELOPMENT FIRM ........................................................................ 2
2.2      DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT PROCESS .................................................................................................... 3
2.3      ORGANIZING & GATHERING INFORMATION ........................................................................................... 5
2.4      E-COMMERCE & ONLINE SHOPPING .................................................................................................... 6
2.5      WEB SITE HOSTING ............................................................................................................................. 7
2.6      DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION ............................................................................................................ 7
3.0      PLANNING YOUR WEB SITE ........................................................................................................ 8
3.1      THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN PLANNING YOUR WEB SITE .................................................................... 8
3.2      PLANNING THE NAVIGATION OF YOUR WEB SITE .................................................................................. 10
3.3      THINGS YOU CAN INCLUDE IN YOUR WEB SITE ..................................................................................... 10
4.0      MARKETING & DEVELOPING YOUR WEB SITE ....................................................................... 11
4.1      ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A WEB SITE ................................................................................................. 11
4.2      MAKING YOUR WEB SITE EFFECTIVE ................................................................................................... 12
4.3      MARKETING YOUR WEB SITE OFFLINE ................................................................................................. 14
5.0      SUGGESTED NEXT STEP ........................................................................................................... 15
APPENDIX A WEBSITE PLANNER WORKBOOK ................................................................................... 16
4M Web Design Website Planner



1.0      INTRODUCTION

After much thought and consideration, you finally took the plunge and decided it was time to have your
own web site. That’s a great accomplishment in itself. However, now it’s time to actually plan your web
site. This can be a very tricky process, but don’t worry; we’ve made it easy with this Web site Planner. We
will take you step by step by taking your planning to new levels from the beginning to the end. We wrote
this planner for you, our clients, because successful web sites are built on strategy and planning. Whether
you're building a web site for your business or your organization, you need to start with a plan. An
effective plan starts with quality information, and to get quality information you need the right questions.
Use this planner to help nail down your web site goals and collect the materials necessary for web
development. The more time and effort your organization devotes to this information gathering process,
the more likely you are to build an effective, customer-driven, and well-staffed web presence.


Be prepared for a little writing; this is quite a hefty planner. Remember, successful web sites are built on
strategy and planning.


To find out what to do after you have completed this planner, go to the page titled “Suggested
Next Step”.

Regards,


Lee Micai
Lee Micai
4M Web Design



Need Assistance?


If you need assistance with this Web site Planner Workbook, you can take advantage of one of our web
site specialists. Your web specialist will guide you through your planner and help you work out a plan of
action to get your web site on-line quickly and easily. To contact one of our web specialists, just go to our
web site at www.4mwebdesign.com and click on the “Contact” link.



                       ALL SUPPLIED INFORMATION IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        -1-
4M Web Design Website Planner



2.0      GETTING STARTED


2.1 What to look for in a web site development firm

How do you choose a web designer, when there is such a difference in price? The most general way to
look at it is that cheapest is not always the best. Make sure you sit down and see what they are offering,
check out their portfolio, and any additional costs you might be responsible for in the near future.


Here are a few tips on what you might like to assess:


Experience - This might encompass their knowledge of your industry, the skills they have developed, or
the number of previous web sites they have developed.


Ability - Has the developer demonstrated an ability to complete the complexity of your site? Remember,
the best indicator of future performance is past performance.


Accessibility - Is the developer accessible to you to discuss strategy, plan the site, or even answer
questions? Physical closeness often provides a sense of increased accessibility.


‘Fit’ - By ‘fit’ I mean do you feel comfortable with the developer and do they have the same sort of values
in business as you?


Referrals - Ask for at least three. If there is any hesitation or delay in getting the names and numbers of
happy customers, then that’s a red flag. Contact them and question their experience and the success of
the site and the developer in meeting their expectations.


Assess the input - Aside from what you identify what you require, does the developer provide some
suggestion based on his/her previous experience and expertise?


Price - There is such a range of variables that come into play here that it would be pointless to even start
a list. Compare the various quotes you receive and make a judgment call on the best value for money.
Suggest a guarantee to your developer. What’s the reaction?




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        -2-
4M Web Design Website Planner




2.2 Design & Development Process

We work closely with our clients to design and develop projects.


Before beginning a project, we will put together a detailed project schedule outlining specific deliverables
& dates of delivery from 4M Web Design to you, as well as time frames for your feedback and approvals
for each stage of the project. Each project phase affects the subsequent phases and depends upon the
specific deliverables & project milestones through which the project will progress. Client approvals are
required for each stage of the project.


The following steps outline 4M Web Design approach.


Phase #1 – Planning Meeting


During the planning stage, we spend time getting to know you and your business or organization. We
may ask you to provide copies of your current marketing materials & we will ask you a lot of questions.


During this stage, we may assess your:


         Overall Business Strategy
         Marketing Objectives
         Target Audience & Customers
         Competition
         Project & Design Preferences
         Web site Hosting requirements
         Available domain names eg: (www.yourcompany.com)
         Current and future budget determination
         Search Engine Optimization
         Site maintenance options


Phase #2 - Proposal, Contract and Web site Planning Work Sheet


We produce a Proposal for review (if needed), a contract that outlines the estimated completion date, task
and payment schedule and a Web site Planning Sheet which is a questionnaire designed to enhance
communications between 4M Web Design and our clients. We require a 33% deposit to commence work.
Once the Contract and Web site Planning Sheets are signed, and a 1/3 deposit is paid, basic site design
concepts will begin.




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        -3-
4M Web Design Website Planner




Phase #3 - Concept, Design and Site Architecture


After we have gathered the information, goals, and objectives needed for the project, we begin to
conceptualize the design & develop the overall structure for the project. During this stage, constant
communication is key! 4M Web Design will require feedback & approval on Design Concepts & Mockups,
Navigation Map, and, if we are writing or editing content for the project, a complete list of the pages to be
written or edited.


Our goal is to make your site easy to navigate, fast loading, and aesthetically pleasing.


Phase #4 - Production


After your approval of phase 3, the work necessary to complete the project will begin, and the second
thirty-three percent (33%) of the total amount will be paid. We begin to build your site according to the
Design Concept & Mockups previously shown. The Production Phase is often the longest phase of the
project process. We build all pages and propagate with content and graphics, we code & develop all
technical requirements (database, e-commerce functionality, etc), and we also create the “bells and
whistles” for the project (GIF animation, Java-Script, Flash, Shockwave etc.). Text (if provided by client) is
also required at this stage.


Phase #5 - Testing


Testing, testing, testing and yes, more testing! Once the project has been built it will be thoroughly tested
to ensure it is error-free. We check cross browser compatibility and resolution. We also take the
necessary time to do a complete site check. We then turn it over to you to review and test. Revisions, if
needed, are made to the project based on testing and feedback.


Phase #6 – Final Approval and Launch!


Once you have approved your new web site and any revisions, we will publish your site to the space on
your web server. Publishing a web site is a lot easier than publishing a book, or even printing a brochure.
Once the files are copied to your web server space, your web site is instantly "live" for the entire world to
see.


Final payment of the remaining thirty-four percent (34%) is due at this point. We also make a copy of your
site and put it onto a CD for backup storage purposes.




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        -4-
4M Web Design Website Planner




Phase #7 - Submission to Major Search Engines


We submit your site to the major search engines and directories like Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.


Phase #8 – Follow Up


We will contact you a few weeks after your site has been online to make sure everything is running
smoothly and to get any feedback you’ve received. We may also solicit a Client Testimonial.


Phase #9 – Updates


One of the worst things is to let your site not be updated with the latest information. If your business
experiences changes, releases new financial reports, has new job opportunities, or is offering new
services or products, you need to let your visitors know. Your customers and visitors expect to see the
latest information about your business. We offer professional, guaranteed web page maintenance on an
as-needed or monthly basis.



2.3 Organizing & Gathering Information


Gathering information for your web site can be confusing. Questions arise such as “Where do I put this
information?”, “What do I put on this page?”, etc. Here are a few ideas of what to use to get you on your
way:


         Logos you have gathered (on disk or otherwise)
         Text you have prepared yourself
         Company Information
         Catalogs
         Brochures
         Manuals
         Photographs you have taken or gathered related to your company or organization




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        -5-
4M Web Design Website Planner




2.4 E-Commerce & Online Shopping


 What do you need in an e-commerce web site?              E-commerce Facts:
           Online Credit Card Acceptance
           Secure Server to Accept Credit Cards           The worldwide internet population is 6 billion people
           Merchant Account                               in 2008. 55% are comfortable with online credit card
           Internet Gateway                               transactions and 45.5 billion dollars will come from
           Shopping Cart                                  annual revenue from e-commerce web sites.


The following information is to help give you a brief idea of what is needed in order to start the
development of your online store. If we are not building a E-commerce web site for you, you may skip this
section.


1.) Tell us about your product and/or service
How many products do you have? Do your products have a code associated with them? Do they have
attributes such as different sizes and colors? We want to follow your existing business model as closely
as possible in order to maintain a brand online that is consistent with your real-life business.


2.) Shipping Costs
How do you calculate your shipping costs? Some people do by range, others by weight. If you have an
existing system to calculate your shipping we'll need to know all about it in order to incorporate it into your
online shopping cart.


3.) Weight
If the weight of your product determines shipping cost, then we'll need the weight of each product going
into your online store.


4.) Pictures
Do you have pictures of your products? If so, do they need to be optimized and/or resized for proper Web
viewing? We'll need to know about the pictures and artwork you have about your product/service.


5.) Product Description
For every product we'll need a description. Concise and eye catching copy that is full of adjectives is
usually the best for attracting the attention of potential shoppers.




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        -6-
4M Web Design Website Planner




2.5 Web site hosting

Web site hosting (also known as hosting) is the business of housing, serving, and maintaining files for
one or more web site. Each web site must be located on a server, which is a powerful computer which is
constantly connected to the internet, making your web site available on a continual basis. When someone
visits your site, their computer downloads the web pages from the server on which it resides.


If you’re not sure on where to host your web site, we have partnered with 1and1 web hosting to provide
our clients with the reliable and affordable web hosting solutions.


2.6 Domain Name Registration

A domain name is simply a system for providing a human-memorable name for a particular computer on
the Internet. Properly speaking, computers have numerical addresses similar to phone numbers. The
domain name system provides a translation from a name to the appropriate number (similar to a directory
assistance for the Internet). For example, www.4mwebdesign.com is much easier to remember than
498.178.89.226.


Why you need a domain name


There are several advantages to a domain name:


         Your web service and e-mail addresses can be consistent (e.g., www.yourcompany.com and
         info@yourcompany.com).
         A domain name is shorter and more memorable than a URL under your ISP's domain name (e.g.,
         www.yourcompany.com vs. www.verizon.net/yourcompanyname).
         Most importantly: You have the freedom to move your web hosting and e-mail at will from one
         Internet Service Provider to another without having to change your URL and email addresses. If
         your URL is www.verizon.net/yourcompanyname, you have to be a customer of Verizon. If you
         become unhappy with the service you are getting and want to switch, you'll have to change your
         URL and email, throwing away all the work you did to publicize the first web site. If you have your
         own domain name, you're not stuck.


The 3 top level domain names are .com, .net, & .org. There are also several domain extensions such as
.us, .edu, .gov, .info, and more. Dot Com domains are usually the best choice, if available. Organizations
should use .org, while commercial businesses should use .com, .net or .us, depending on the availability
of .com’s.




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        -7-
4M Web Design Website Planner



3.0      PLANNING YOUR WEB SITE


3.1 Things to think about when planning your web site

Here are some things to think about when planning your web site:


Planning:
         What advantages would you like to gain from your web site?
         What disadvantages do you think you may encounter?
         How do you plan to overcome those disadvantages?


Target Market:
         Who is your primary target market?
         Who are the main customers you wish to reach?
         Who is your secondary target market? (If any)
         To whom do you sell or want to reach primarily? Other businesses or to the general public?
         How will your web site compare to the way your business / organization currently operates?
         Are you planning an online brochure to enhance your marketing or showcase your product /
         service?
         Would you like to receive orders and sell merchandise over the internet?


Setup:
         Have you selected a domain name for your web site? Is it currently registered?
         Will your site need a security certificate?
         Will you be processing credit card transactions?


Advertising and Promotion:
         How will you generate demand for your product or service?
         Will you offer banner ad space?
         Will you offer referrer bonuses?
         Will you offer contest-based promotions?
         Will you offer coupons for using the web site?
         Will you be participating in email marketing?
         On what other media will you be advertising your business?
         Will you be adding your web site information to that media?




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        -8-
4M Web Design Website Planner




Customer Service:
         Who will be answering email generated by the web site?
         Will your customers have a phone number at which you can be reached on the web site?


Functionality:


Which functional features should your web site offer? Consider:
         blog
         e-commerce/shopping cart
         site search
         customer service/support
         tech support
         discussion forums
         newsletter
         catalog/information
         order forms
         feedback form
         member logon
         password protected areas
         SSL-encrypted areas


Information:


Which informational elements should your site contain? Consider:
         about us page
         contact us page
         copyright notice
         privacy statement
         disclaimer
         sitemap




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        -9-
4M Web Design Website Planner




3.2 Planning the navigation of your web site

Here is an example of a site navigation tree. Review it, as you’ll be making one of these for your own site
later in this planner. Each box shows a single page from your web site. There are 13 boxes all together;
therefore there will be 13 separate pages within your web site.




3.3 Things you can include in your web site

The possibilities of items that you can include in your web site are endless. Here are some examples:


         Testimonials from satisfied customers. If you have letters or emails with praise, be sure to get
         your customer's permission before placing them on your web site.
         A Privacy Policy if you are collecting information or addresses for an opt in email list.
         Copies of any logos, business cards and letterhead so the web site can be designed consistent
         with your other marketing tools.
         A brief history of the company and the key employees and owners. Include pictures of the owners
         or founders if you would like those on the web site.
         Any other published brochures and other typed material that you feel would be helpful and
         informative for people visiting your web site.
         Pictures of products you are selling. Before and after pictures are also helpful when working with
         home improvement type products and services.
         A return policy if you are selling a product.
         For attorneys and medical practitioners: a disclaimer advising the visitor that there is no client
         relationship and any advice given or construed in the web site is not meant to take the place of
         seeking actual counsel by a professional in the field.


Other ideas include Links page (links to outside web sites), Contact Us page, About page, What’s New
page, Partners page, Affiliates page, Tips, Hints, or Useful Information page, Resources page, etc.




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                         - 10 -
4M Web Design Website Planner



4.0      MARKETING & DEVELOPING YOUR WEB SITE


4.1 Advantages of having a web site

This is a big question with a multitude of answers; here are the main key point advantages of having a
web site:


Development & distribution costs are extremely low


When you compare the cost of establishing a web site to what it costs to promote your business in print or
on the air, you'll see that a web site is the cheapest form of marketing. A radio campaign featuring several
30-second spots per week for three months could run you $10,000 - $15,000. That gets you five minutes
per week of exposure for three months in the local area only. Newspaper and magazine ads are similarly
highly priced, and they only last for the life span of that particular publication. A web site has virtually
limitless space.


You could put up a brochure web site with dozens of photographs and several thousand words for under
$5,000 for the first year, and keep it up and running for a few hundred dollars per year after that. What
would it cost to run a newspaper ad of this size for a year? Imagine how much it would cost to produce a
catalog for 200 different products, and keep it in consumers' hands for an entire year. You can
accomplish this with a web site very easily, with low development cost and almost no distribution cost.
Web sites are in full color - a palette of 16.7 million colors for your photographs alone.


A web site is accessible worldwide.


There are no physical limitations to broadcast areas as in radio and no circulation region restrictions as in
newspapers or magazines. You can keep your web site more current more affordably than any other
media; you can update a web site immediately, and as often as you like. Imagine you sell products whose
prices fluctuate. With a web site, you can change these prices every time they go up or down, so your
marketing materials are always accurate.


Web sites are economical and not limited by size.


This means a small business can present as large or creative of an image on the Internet as a bigger
company - with the right design team. A web site also allows easy and safe communication between the
consumer and you so that anyone who visits your site can contact you at any time by sending an email.
Unlike communications that originate from other forms of advertising, consumers who send emails don't
have to deal with many problems of everyday business: pushy salesmen, remembering to call during
business hours, having to battle crowds to get to your stores, spending time waiting on voice mail or



© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
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4M Web Design Website Planner




getting the wrong information. It's convenient, easy, and safe for the consumer. Email is also convenient
for you.


You can respond to all your customer inquiries at the same time, and do it when you have a free moment
- not in the middle of rush hour when someone calls up to ask for product information or directions to your
location. You can save money on tech support and answering questions. If your employees spend a lot of
time answering the same questions and sending out the same material, you can reduce that labor cost
significantly by providing the information on the web site. For instance, a client can avoid having to mail or
fax information for over 1,000 phone call solicitations in a one-year period simply by providing the
information on their site. That improves on labor costs and provides a real cost savings in reduced long
distance phone bills (for faxes) and postage. Your web site can also take orders while you sleep as
people can place orders on a web site at any time, day or night. But most importantly, no salesmen
manning the store, no utilities, no insurance, no payroll...computers don't need a benefit package or
overtime. For every second of every day, your web site is working for you! As to your choice for web site
design, if a designer can't tell you why a web site is a unique marketing tool as we have here, how
successful will their web site be? Are they helping you to develop a marketing mechanism or are they
selling special effects? Is it an intelligent tool for driving business or an overpriced, turbo-charged
business card? Make sure you choose a designer with marketing expertise, experience and skills.



4.2 Making your web site effective

Everyone always asks how they can make their web site more effective. Here are some key points that
you should focus on in order to be more successful on the Internet and with your web site.


1. Find A Role For Your Web site
The single most important tip is to decide on what role of your web site should play in your marketing
program before you order it. Do you want to educate the market about your products? Provide a 24-hour
information resource for current customers? Showcase your products? Generate requests for literature
and leads? If you set objectives and stick to them, your web site will be a success.


2. Offer The Reader A Compelling Reason To Contact You
Turning a web site visitor into a customer is the most-overlooked aspect of web-based marketing, even
on the biggest commercial sites. You want those who visit your web site to buy. The easiest way to
accomplish this is to engage them in a two way dialog, so you can market to them on your own terms.
Get them to volunteer their name so that you can inform them of specials, product upgrades, events, and
new products via e-mail or regular mail. How do you get them to volunteer their name? Offer them
something! A free catalog, a free quote, a free analysis, a free reprint of an editorial article -- anything
your buyers might find of value. Other methods might include weekly drawings for free gifts (T-shirts, free
product, etc.), or other promotional giveaways.


© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        - 12 -
4M Web Design Website Planner




3. Get Right To The Point
People are not patient. Studies have proven that people will read long ads and marketing materials, but
only if it's clear there's "something in it" for them. Be concise. Be quick. Be interesting. Don't beat around
the bush with long introductions or unrelated information. Tell your customer what they want to know and
they'll stick around for more!


4. Focus On Your Audience
Remember, your web site should appeal to the interests of your audience, no one else matters! Focus on
your target audience and put yourself in their shoes. If they're interested in your product because it saves
them time, then focus on convenience; don't start your pitch with a laundry list of less-important features.
Focus on the key benefits of your product and leave the details for later.


5. Market Your Web site
Would you open a sales office in a distant city and then not tell your clients in the area that it had
opened? Of course not. Think of your web site as an automated sales or service office on the Internet and
let your "universe" of potential buyers know that it's available to them. Put your web address on your
stationery, business cards, ads, brochures, and other sales materials, use a rubber stamp if necessary.
Be creative! For example, send out an "birth" announcement on a postcard. You should also remember to
keep your domain name easy to remember. There shouldn’t be any dashes or numbers if it isn’t
necessary. The general rule of thumb is the name should either be the company name or something that
will be so easy to remember that if you gave your business card to someone and they lost it, they should
still be able to find the web site.


6. Make Your Web site Useful
Make sure the information your prospects or customers want is available. For example, web sites are
ideal ways to disseminate the latest information about your product. You can include specifications, case
studies, success stories, white papers, or testimonials. And don't forget to include important contact
information like your toll-free ordering line, customer service number, or how to get technical support.
Make people want to come back to your web site, make it “sticky”. It should be updated continuously, with
events and news. Your site should also give them the incentive of coming back (e-mailed newsletter,
product specials, contests, etc.).


7. Make It Easy For Viewers To Respond
You'd think this was obvious, but it's overlooked far too often. You absolutely must make it easy for a
reader to express their interest in your web site. Plaster your 1-800 number across it, make sure there's a
link to your e-mail system, and treat visitors with the care you show any other prospective buyer. I have
seen sales-oriented web sites that never once listed a phone number or a "click to send e-mail" button.




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        - 13 -
4M Web Design Website Planner




4.3 Marketing your web site offline

You should not always rely on search engines for heavy traffic. It is much harder to get your web site
included into a search engine than it was years ago. Actually, many more people are visiting web sites for
which they have seen the web address in writing. Why do you think so many television commercials
these days always include the web address of the product they are promoting? The key thing to
remember is: Anywhere you post your company name, post your web site address along with it.


Some other ideas to advertise your web site offline:


         Letterhead AND envelopes
         Personal brochures about you and your company/farm or organization
         Your resume
         Newsletters sent to your clients (either email or in print)
         Signature tag of all email messages (no matter to whom they are sent… friends, family,
         colleagues, etc.)
         At the end of your voice mail/answering machine message (i.e., …. “and be sure to visit my web
         site at www.yourbusiness.com”.
         Fax cover sheets (many people forget this one!)
         Flyer on free local bulletin boards (grocery stores, discount chain stores, shopping malls, dry
         cleaners, etc.) – print a flyer on bright yellow paper detailing your web address and your
         company. BE SURE to include your email address as well as your telephone number! Tack the
         flyer to bulletin boards all over your town. Keep a supply in your car for handy access.
         Magnetic car signs (many office supply companies will make these for you at a very reasonable
         rate)
         Neighborhood directories
         Bus stop benches
         Printed on mouse pads (give one to your clients at Christmas or on their birthday instead of
         sending flowers)
         T-shirts (white T-shirts can be imprinted with a one-color design for a nominal price). Think about
         how great it will make you feel to see YOUR web address “walking around town”.
         Business card (As simple as this sounds, it is often overlooked)
         Your business sign




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        - 14 -
4M Web Design Website Planner



5.0      SUGGESTED NEXT STEP

The next step is to review others sites, speak with industry sources and send this planner back to us so
that we can review it and give you an accurate web site proposal.


You can either email this planner to us as an attachment, or print it and mail it to us.


If you are emailing it to us, please do so as an attachment to info@4mwebdesign.com and put in the
subject line “Website Planner Attached”.


If you are printing this, or you have already printed it and wrote your answers, please mail this planner to
us at:


4M Web Design
701 Hughes Dr.
Hamilton, NJ 08690


Note: If printing, you can save ink and paper by just printing out the appendix.


The Internet is a sometimes mystifying and complicated world - we welcome any questions or
suggestions you may have regarding this planner. We can be contacted at (609) 575-1263 or email
info@4mwebdesign.com.




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        - 15 -
4M Web Design Website Planner




                                       APPENDIX A
                  WEBSITE PLANNER WORKBOOK




© 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved.                      For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com
                                                        - 16 -
Website Planner Workbook




           Company:                                                   Contact Name:
      E-mail Address:                                                            Phone:
       Web Address:

Do you have access to the internet at your home?      Yes       No
Are you in charge of every aspect of the website, including content gathering?      Yes   No
Have you planned a website before?       Yes     No

1.    COMPANY DETAILS

What is the type of industry of your business?

Please briefly describe your company or organization so we can learn more about it.



What is your mission statement?



Who are your current customers?



What Information are they looking for?



How does your company currently market itself?




2.    COMPLETIVE ANALYSIS

     I have no competitors

Seeing what your competitors have done is a great way to improve your image over theirs. Let us study
what they've done, and together we can improve your image over theirs. Please name the companies that
you are in competition with, if they have a webpage, please list it within, and tell us what you think of
their webpage. If you would like to list more then 4 of your competitors, you can use a separate sheet of
paper or photo copy this one.




                                                        Page 1 of 9
Website Planner Workbook



Name of Competitor:
Competitor URL #1

Likes, Dislikes, and Feedback:




Name of Competitor:
Competitor URL #2

Likes, Dislikes, and Feedback:




Name of Competitor:
Competitor URL #3

Likes, Dislikes, and Feedback:




Name of Competitor:
Competitor URL #4

Likes, Dislikes, and Feedback:



How would your like your web site to differ from your competition?




3.    DOMAIN NAME AND HOSTING

 Domain Name               Domain Name Desired                  Already Registered

 1.                                                                        1st Selection
 2.                                                                        2nd Selection (if 1st choice is in use)
 3.                                                                        3rd Selection (if 1st & 2nd are in use)
 Need Web Hosting                Yes             No
 Specify Other Provider:                                         Provider Web Address:

How much are you currently paying per month for your hosting?

How much are you currently paying per year for your domain?




                                                       Page 2 of 9
Website Planner Workbook



4.     SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS OF EXISTING WEBSITE (RE-DESIGN ONLY)
What are your reasons for a redesign of your current site?



Objectives of current site:



Current site achievements (detail statistics, etc):



What features of the current site would you like to keep?



What features of the current site don't you like?



Which products or pages are most popular?



What do visitors of your current web site say?



How many pages are on your current site?

5.     GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)
What are the primary purposes of the site?

     Online store
     Online brochure for your company or organization
     Online community
     Educational
     Other -

What are your immediate (short term) goals for the site?



What are your long term goals for the site?




                                                        Page 3 of 9
Website Planner Workbook



6.    PROPOSED SITE PLAN AND LAYOUT
Below is a flowchart diagram. Your main page to your website is where “Home Page” is written on the top box. In the
boxes below write the pages that your website will contain. If this is a redesign of a website, place the pages you
currently have on your existing website, then cross out the pages that you would like removed and add any additional
pages. (If you have more pages than spaces available, write them below, or write them on a separate sheet of paper). If
you’re artistic, you can always make your flowchart diagram on a separate piece of paper and attach it with this website
planner workbook.




Total number of pages decided upon:




                                                        Page 4 of 9
Website Planner Workbook



7. YOUR WEB SITE DESIGN

Specify as many websites as you like that show color combinations you like.


http://
http://
http://
http://
http://


List as many websites as you like with a "look and feel" that you want for your site.


http://
http://
http://
http://
http://


List as many websites as you like which have a similar structure and layout to the one you want to develop.


http://
http://
http://
http://
http://


List as many websites as you like that come closest in functionality to the one you want to develop.


http://
http://
http://
http://
http://

8. SITE FEATURES

(check all that apply)

    E-Commerce               E-mail Newsletter          Contact Form             Blog            Forum

    Membership Area          Other –




                                                         Page 5 of 9
Website Planner Workbook



9. SITE CONTENT

    You supply all content in its finished form.
    You supply the initial draft of content, we will edit it.
    We supply the initial draft of content; you will review and approve it.

10. PHOTOS / MEDIA / SOUND

You must own the copyright to, or have permission from, the copyright owner to use any photos, sound, or media you
send us. If you have photos of your own that you would like to place on your website, you may send them to us by
mailing the photos so that we may scan and return them, or by sending the digitized images on a diskette, CD, or via
email.

Stock photos can also be obtained from multiple websites (Some free, some for which you must pay).

Some of these websites include:
Getty Images (http://www.gettyimages.com)
iStockPhoto (http://www.istockphoto.com)
Inmagine (http://www.inmagine.com)
Stock.xchang (http://www.sxc.hu)
PictureQuest (http://www.picturequest.com)

The following is a list of possible items that you will need for your website. Check the items on the list that apply to your
needs:

    I have graphics, photos and/or artwork that need to be scanned.
    I need assistance in choosing graphics and artwork
    I need a new custom graphics and/or artwork design
    I currently have videos that need transferred onto my website
    I would like sound played on my website.
    I need a staff member at 4M Web Design to take photography of our business (Local Only)

11. MARKETING YOUR WEB SITE

Would you like us to undertake promotion and optimize your site for search engines?          Yes       No       Not Sure

If yes, which service(s) are you interested in?

    Search Engine Submission                    Keyword Targeting                       Online Press Release Campaign
    Pay Per Click Management                    Reciprocal Link Management              E-Mail Campaign Management
    Web Site Analytics and Reporting            Social Media Marketing
    Other –




                                                            Page 6 of 9
Website Planner Workbook



12. KEYWORDS

If you were your own customer, what words would you use to find you in a search engine?
For example, a training company might answer "teamwork training, management training, executive coaching,
communications training, train the trainer, conflict resolution, managing change, training, strategic planning, facilitation
skills, meetings, risk and empowerment”

Pinpointing these accurately is VERY important to the success of your site, as they are used in your web pages as key
words. People looking for what you have to offer will search for key words on the Internet.

In priority order, list the 20 most important keywords from your answer above. If you would rather 4M Web Design
analyze the best keywords for your website, check here:


   1.                                                         11.
   2.                                                         12.
   3.                                                         13.
   4.                                                         14.
   5.                                                         15.
   6.                                                         16.
   7.                                                         17
   8.                                                         18.
   9.                                                         19.
 10.                                                          20.

13. SITE DESCRIPTION

Please write a carefully constructed 25-word sentence containing the most important keywords describing
your business / website.




                                                          Page 7 of 9
Website Planner Workbook



14. MAINTENANCE
On average, how often will new content be added and/or updated to your website?

                 12 hours/month              6 hours/month                 3 hours/month         1 hour/month



Who will be maintaining your site after it goes live?

    4M Web Design           Employee        Full Staff       Other

If 4M Web Design will not be maintaining your website, please answer the following:

If other, please explain:



How proficient or experienced is the person(s) that will be maintaining your website in web development?




Will the person(s) need training from 4M WEB Design?              Yes        No     Not Sure


How will the website be updated by the person(s)?            Own Software         Software by 4M Web Design        Other

If other, please explain:



Who will monitor and respond to e-mails?

15. LOGO DESIGN
Do you require a new or re-designed logo?                      Yes           No

16. CORPORATE IDENTITY
Do you require Corporate Identity services?                    Yes           No

If yes, which service(s) are you interested in?

    Letterhead          Business Card             Envelope              Invoice & Quote Form         Annual Report Design
    Other –

17. ADVERTISING DESIGN
Do you require Advertising Design services?                    Yes           No

If yes, which service(s) are you interested in?

    Print Ads        Flyers & Posters             Direct Mail Pieces          Brochures & Booklets        Sales & Media Kits

    Electronic Press Kits               Product & Package Design                  Presentation Folders


                                                             Page 8 of 9
Website Planner Workbook



18. FEEDBACK

Is there anything else you feel we need to know to better serve you in your web development needs?




Do you think this planner helped you with planning out your website? If not, what can we add to make it better?




Do you think this planner asks all of the necessary items for us to design your website? If not, why?




Was there anything that confused you while using this planner? If so, what?




Did you learn anything by using this planner? Anything we could have done to expand your knowledge even more?




Additional Comments:




                                                         Page 9 of 9

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Website Planner Workbook

  • 1. WEBSITE PLANNER WORKBOOK Prepared by 4M Web Design www.4mwebdesign.com
  • 2. CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 GETTING STARTED ....................................................................................................................... 2 2.1 WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A WEB SITE DEVELOPMENT FIRM ........................................................................ 2 2.2 DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT PROCESS .................................................................................................... 3 2.3 ORGANIZING & GATHERING INFORMATION ........................................................................................... 5 2.4 E-COMMERCE & ONLINE SHOPPING .................................................................................................... 6 2.5 WEB SITE HOSTING ............................................................................................................................. 7 2.6 DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION ............................................................................................................ 7 3.0 PLANNING YOUR WEB SITE ........................................................................................................ 8 3.1 THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN PLANNING YOUR WEB SITE .................................................................... 8 3.2 PLANNING THE NAVIGATION OF YOUR WEB SITE .................................................................................. 10 3.3 THINGS YOU CAN INCLUDE IN YOUR WEB SITE ..................................................................................... 10 4.0 MARKETING & DEVELOPING YOUR WEB SITE ....................................................................... 11 4.1 ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A WEB SITE ................................................................................................. 11 4.2 MAKING YOUR WEB SITE EFFECTIVE ................................................................................................... 12 4.3 MARKETING YOUR WEB SITE OFFLINE ................................................................................................. 14 5.0 SUGGESTED NEXT STEP ........................................................................................................... 15 APPENDIX A WEBSITE PLANNER WORKBOOK ................................................................................... 16
  • 3. 4M Web Design Website Planner 1.0 INTRODUCTION After much thought and consideration, you finally took the plunge and decided it was time to have your own web site. That’s a great accomplishment in itself. However, now it’s time to actually plan your web site. This can be a very tricky process, but don’t worry; we’ve made it easy with this Web site Planner. We will take you step by step by taking your planning to new levels from the beginning to the end. We wrote this planner for you, our clients, because successful web sites are built on strategy and planning. Whether you're building a web site for your business or your organization, you need to start with a plan. An effective plan starts with quality information, and to get quality information you need the right questions. Use this planner to help nail down your web site goals and collect the materials necessary for web development. The more time and effort your organization devotes to this information gathering process, the more likely you are to build an effective, customer-driven, and well-staffed web presence. Be prepared for a little writing; this is quite a hefty planner. Remember, successful web sites are built on strategy and planning. To find out what to do after you have completed this planner, go to the page titled “Suggested Next Step”. Regards, Lee Micai Lee Micai 4M Web Design Need Assistance? If you need assistance with this Web site Planner Workbook, you can take advantage of one of our web site specialists. Your web specialist will guide you through your planner and help you work out a plan of action to get your web site on-line quickly and easily. To contact one of our web specialists, just go to our web site at www.4mwebdesign.com and click on the “Contact” link. ALL SUPPLIED INFORMATION IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com -1-
  • 4. 4M Web Design Website Planner 2.0 GETTING STARTED 2.1 What to look for in a web site development firm How do you choose a web designer, when there is such a difference in price? The most general way to look at it is that cheapest is not always the best. Make sure you sit down and see what they are offering, check out their portfolio, and any additional costs you might be responsible for in the near future. Here are a few tips on what you might like to assess: Experience - This might encompass their knowledge of your industry, the skills they have developed, or the number of previous web sites they have developed. Ability - Has the developer demonstrated an ability to complete the complexity of your site? Remember, the best indicator of future performance is past performance. Accessibility - Is the developer accessible to you to discuss strategy, plan the site, or even answer questions? Physical closeness often provides a sense of increased accessibility. ‘Fit’ - By ‘fit’ I mean do you feel comfortable with the developer and do they have the same sort of values in business as you? Referrals - Ask for at least three. If there is any hesitation or delay in getting the names and numbers of happy customers, then that’s a red flag. Contact them and question their experience and the success of the site and the developer in meeting their expectations. Assess the input - Aside from what you identify what you require, does the developer provide some suggestion based on his/her previous experience and expertise? Price - There is such a range of variables that come into play here that it would be pointless to even start a list. Compare the various quotes you receive and make a judgment call on the best value for money. Suggest a guarantee to your developer. What’s the reaction? © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com -2-
  • 5. 4M Web Design Website Planner 2.2 Design & Development Process We work closely with our clients to design and develop projects. Before beginning a project, we will put together a detailed project schedule outlining specific deliverables & dates of delivery from 4M Web Design to you, as well as time frames for your feedback and approvals for each stage of the project. Each project phase affects the subsequent phases and depends upon the specific deliverables & project milestones through which the project will progress. Client approvals are required for each stage of the project. The following steps outline 4M Web Design approach. Phase #1 – Planning Meeting During the planning stage, we spend time getting to know you and your business or organization. We may ask you to provide copies of your current marketing materials & we will ask you a lot of questions. During this stage, we may assess your: Overall Business Strategy Marketing Objectives Target Audience & Customers Competition Project & Design Preferences Web site Hosting requirements Available domain names eg: (www.yourcompany.com) Current and future budget determination Search Engine Optimization Site maintenance options Phase #2 - Proposal, Contract and Web site Planning Work Sheet We produce a Proposal for review (if needed), a contract that outlines the estimated completion date, task and payment schedule and a Web site Planning Sheet which is a questionnaire designed to enhance communications between 4M Web Design and our clients. We require a 33% deposit to commence work. Once the Contract and Web site Planning Sheets are signed, and a 1/3 deposit is paid, basic site design concepts will begin. © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com -3-
  • 6. 4M Web Design Website Planner Phase #3 - Concept, Design and Site Architecture After we have gathered the information, goals, and objectives needed for the project, we begin to conceptualize the design & develop the overall structure for the project. During this stage, constant communication is key! 4M Web Design will require feedback & approval on Design Concepts & Mockups, Navigation Map, and, if we are writing or editing content for the project, a complete list of the pages to be written or edited. Our goal is to make your site easy to navigate, fast loading, and aesthetically pleasing. Phase #4 - Production After your approval of phase 3, the work necessary to complete the project will begin, and the second thirty-three percent (33%) of the total amount will be paid. We begin to build your site according to the Design Concept & Mockups previously shown. The Production Phase is often the longest phase of the project process. We build all pages and propagate with content and graphics, we code & develop all technical requirements (database, e-commerce functionality, etc), and we also create the “bells and whistles” for the project (GIF animation, Java-Script, Flash, Shockwave etc.). Text (if provided by client) is also required at this stage. Phase #5 - Testing Testing, testing, testing and yes, more testing! Once the project has been built it will be thoroughly tested to ensure it is error-free. We check cross browser compatibility and resolution. We also take the necessary time to do a complete site check. We then turn it over to you to review and test. Revisions, if needed, are made to the project based on testing and feedback. Phase #6 – Final Approval and Launch! Once you have approved your new web site and any revisions, we will publish your site to the space on your web server. Publishing a web site is a lot easier than publishing a book, or even printing a brochure. Once the files are copied to your web server space, your web site is instantly "live" for the entire world to see. Final payment of the remaining thirty-four percent (34%) is due at this point. We also make a copy of your site and put it onto a CD for backup storage purposes. © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com -4-
  • 7. 4M Web Design Website Planner Phase #7 - Submission to Major Search Engines We submit your site to the major search engines and directories like Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. Phase #8 – Follow Up We will contact you a few weeks after your site has been online to make sure everything is running smoothly and to get any feedback you’ve received. We may also solicit a Client Testimonial. Phase #9 – Updates One of the worst things is to let your site not be updated with the latest information. If your business experiences changes, releases new financial reports, has new job opportunities, or is offering new services or products, you need to let your visitors know. Your customers and visitors expect to see the latest information about your business. We offer professional, guaranteed web page maintenance on an as-needed or monthly basis. 2.3 Organizing & Gathering Information Gathering information for your web site can be confusing. Questions arise such as “Where do I put this information?”, “What do I put on this page?”, etc. Here are a few ideas of what to use to get you on your way: Logos you have gathered (on disk or otherwise) Text you have prepared yourself Company Information Catalogs Brochures Manuals Photographs you have taken or gathered related to your company or organization © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com -5-
  • 8. 4M Web Design Website Planner 2.4 E-Commerce & Online Shopping What do you need in an e-commerce web site? E-commerce Facts: Online Credit Card Acceptance Secure Server to Accept Credit Cards The worldwide internet population is 6 billion people Merchant Account in 2008. 55% are comfortable with online credit card Internet Gateway transactions and 45.5 billion dollars will come from Shopping Cart annual revenue from e-commerce web sites. The following information is to help give you a brief idea of what is needed in order to start the development of your online store. If we are not building a E-commerce web site for you, you may skip this section. 1.) Tell us about your product and/or service How many products do you have? Do your products have a code associated with them? Do they have attributes such as different sizes and colors? We want to follow your existing business model as closely as possible in order to maintain a brand online that is consistent with your real-life business. 2.) Shipping Costs How do you calculate your shipping costs? Some people do by range, others by weight. If you have an existing system to calculate your shipping we'll need to know all about it in order to incorporate it into your online shopping cart. 3.) Weight If the weight of your product determines shipping cost, then we'll need the weight of each product going into your online store. 4.) Pictures Do you have pictures of your products? If so, do they need to be optimized and/or resized for proper Web viewing? We'll need to know about the pictures and artwork you have about your product/service. 5.) Product Description For every product we'll need a description. Concise and eye catching copy that is full of adjectives is usually the best for attracting the attention of potential shoppers. © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com -6-
  • 9. 4M Web Design Website Planner 2.5 Web site hosting Web site hosting (also known as hosting) is the business of housing, serving, and maintaining files for one or more web site. Each web site must be located on a server, which is a powerful computer which is constantly connected to the internet, making your web site available on a continual basis. When someone visits your site, their computer downloads the web pages from the server on which it resides. If you’re not sure on where to host your web site, we have partnered with 1and1 web hosting to provide our clients with the reliable and affordable web hosting solutions. 2.6 Domain Name Registration A domain name is simply a system for providing a human-memorable name for a particular computer on the Internet. Properly speaking, computers have numerical addresses similar to phone numbers. The domain name system provides a translation from a name to the appropriate number (similar to a directory assistance for the Internet). For example, www.4mwebdesign.com is much easier to remember than 498.178.89.226. Why you need a domain name There are several advantages to a domain name: Your web service and e-mail addresses can be consistent (e.g., www.yourcompany.com and info@yourcompany.com). A domain name is shorter and more memorable than a URL under your ISP's domain name (e.g., www.yourcompany.com vs. www.verizon.net/yourcompanyname). Most importantly: You have the freedom to move your web hosting and e-mail at will from one Internet Service Provider to another without having to change your URL and email addresses. If your URL is www.verizon.net/yourcompanyname, you have to be a customer of Verizon. If you become unhappy with the service you are getting and want to switch, you'll have to change your URL and email, throwing away all the work you did to publicize the first web site. If you have your own domain name, you're not stuck. The 3 top level domain names are .com, .net, & .org. There are also several domain extensions such as .us, .edu, .gov, .info, and more. Dot Com domains are usually the best choice, if available. Organizations should use .org, while commercial businesses should use .com, .net or .us, depending on the availability of .com’s. © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com -7-
  • 10. 4M Web Design Website Planner 3.0 PLANNING YOUR WEB SITE 3.1 Things to think about when planning your web site Here are some things to think about when planning your web site: Planning: What advantages would you like to gain from your web site? What disadvantages do you think you may encounter? How do you plan to overcome those disadvantages? Target Market: Who is your primary target market? Who are the main customers you wish to reach? Who is your secondary target market? (If any) To whom do you sell or want to reach primarily? Other businesses or to the general public? How will your web site compare to the way your business / organization currently operates? Are you planning an online brochure to enhance your marketing or showcase your product / service? Would you like to receive orders and sell merchandise over the internet? Setup: Have you selected a domain name for your web site? Is it currently registered? Will your site need a security certificate? Will you be processing credit card transactions? Advertising and Promotion: How will you generate demand for your product or service? Will you offer banner ad space? Will you offer referrer bonuses? Will you offer contest-based promotions? Will you offer coupons for using the web site? Will you be participating in email marketing? On what other media will you be advertising your business? Will you be adding your web site information to that media? © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com -8-
  • 11. 4M Web Design Website Planner Customer Service: Who will be answering email generated by the web site? Will your customers have a phone number at which you can be reached on the web site? Functionality: Which functional features should your web site offer? Consider: blog e-commerce/shopping cart site search customer service/support tech support discussion forums newsletter catalog/information order forms feedback form member logon password protected areas SSL-encrypted areas Information: Which informational elements should your site contain? Consider: about us page contact us page copyright notice privacy statement disclaimer sitemap © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com -9-
  • 12. 4M Web Design Website Planner 3.2 Planning the navigation of your web site Here is an example of a site navigation tree. Review it, as you’ll be making one of these for your own site later in this planner. Each box shows a single page from your web site. There are 13 boxes all together; therefore there will be 13 separate pages within your web site. 3.3 Things you can include in your web site The possibilities of items that you can include in your web site are endless. Here are some examples: Testimonials from satisfied customers. If you have letters or emails with praise, be sure to get your customer's permission before placing them on your web site. A Privacy Policy if you are collecting information or addresses for an opt in email list. Copies of any logos, business cards and letterhead so the web site can be designed consistent with your other marketing tools. A brief history of the company and the key employees and owners. Include pictures of the owners or founders if you would like those on the web site. Any other published brochures and other typed material that you feel would be helpful and informative for people visiting your web site. Pictures of products you are selling. Before and after pictures are also helpful when working with home improvement type products and services. A return policy if you are selling a product. For attorneys and medical practitioners: a disclaimer advising the visitor that there is no client relationship and any advice given or construed in the web site is not meant to take the place of seeking actual counsel by a professional in the field. Other ideas include Links page (links to outside web sites), Contact Us page, About page, What’s New page, Partners page, Affiliates page, Tips, Hints, or Useful Information page, Resources page, etc. © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com - 10 -
  • 13. 4M Web Design Website Planner 4.0 MARKETING & DEVELOPING YOUR WEB SITE 4.1 Advantages of having a web site This is a big question with a multitude of answers; here are the main key point advantages of having a web site: Development & distribution costs are extremely low When you compare the cost of establishing a web site to what it costs to promote your business in print or on the air, you'll see that a web site is the cheapest form of marketing. A radio campaign featuring several 30-second spots per week for three months could run you $10,000 - $15,000. That gets you five minutes per week of exposure for three months in the local area only. Newspaper and magazine ads are similarly highly priced, and they only last for the life span of that particular publication. A web site has virtually limitless space. You could put up a brochure web site with dozens of photographs and several thousand words for under $5,000 for the first year, and keep it up and running for a few hundred dollars per year after that. What would it cost to run a newspaper ad of this size for a year? Imagine how much it would cost to produce a catalog for 200 different products, and keep it in consumers' hands for an entire year. You can accomplish this with a web site very easily, with low development cost and almost no distribution cost. Web sites are in full color - a palette of 16.7 million colors for your photographs alone. A web site is accessible worldwide. There are no physical limitations to broadcast areas as in radio and no circulation region restrictions as in newspapers or magazines. You can keep your web site more current more affordably than any other media; you can update a web site immediately, and as often as you like. Imagine you sell products whose prices fluctuate. With a web site, you can change these prices every time they go up or down, so your marketing materials are always accurate. Web sites are economical and not limited by size. This means a small business can present as large or creative of an image on the Internet as a bigger company - with the right design team. A web site also allows easy and safe communication between the consumer and you so that anyone who visits your site can contact you at any time by sending an email. Unlike communications that originate from other forms of advertising, consumers who send emails don't have to deal with many problems of everyday business: pushy salesmen, remembering to call during business hours, having to battle crowds to get to your stores, spending time waiting on voice mail or © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com - 11 -
  • 14. 4M Web Design Website Planner getting the wrong information. It's convenient, easy, and safe for the consumer. Email is also convenient for you. You can respond to all your customer inquiries at the same time, and do it when you have a free moment - not in the middle of rush hour when someone calls up to ask for product information or directions to your location. You can save money on tech support and answering questions. If your employees spend a lot of time answering the same questions and sending out the same material, you can reduce that labor cost significantly by providing the information on the web site. For instance, a client can avoid having to mail or fax information for over 1,000 phone call solicitations in a one-year period simply by providing the information on their site. That improves on labor costs and provides a real cost savings in reduced long distance phone bills (for faxes) and postage. Your web site can also take orders while you sleep as people can place orders on a web site at any time, day or night. But most importantly, no salesmen manning the store, no utilities, no insurance, no payroll...computers don't need a benefit package or overtime. For every second of every day, your web site is working for you! As to your choice for web site design, if a designer can't tell you why a web site is a unique marketing tool as we have here, how successful will their web site be? Are they helping you to develop a marketing mechanism or are they selling special effects? Is it an intelligent tool for driving business or an overpriced, turbo-charged business card? Make sure you choose a designer with marketing expertise, experience and skills. 4.2 Making your web site effective Everyone always asks how they can make their web site more effective. Here are some key points that you should focus on in order to be more successful on the Internet and with your web site. 1. Find A Role For Your Web site The single most important tip is to decide on what role of your web site should play in your marketing program before you order it. Do you want to educate the market about your products? Provide a 24-hour information resource for current customers? Showcase your products? Generate requests for literature and leads? If you set objectives and stick to them, your web site will be a success. 2. Offer The Reader A Compelling Reason To Contact You Turning a web site visitor into a customer is the most-overlooked aspect of web-based marketing, even on the biggest commercial sites. You want those who visit your web site to buy. The easiest way to accomplish this is to engage them in a two way dialog, so you can market to them on your own terms. Get them to volunteer their name so that you can inform them of specials, product upgrades, events, and new products via e-mail or regular mail. How do you get them to volunteer their name? Offer them something! A free catalog, a free quote, a free analysis, a free reprint of an editorial article -- anything your buyers might find of value. Other methods might include weekly drawings for free gifts (T-shirts, free product, etc.), or other promotional giveaways. © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com - 12 -
  • 15. 4M Web Design Website Planner 3. Get Right To The Point People are not patient. Studies have proven that people will read long ads and marketing materials, but only if it's clear there's "something in it" for them. Be concise. Be quick. Be interesting. Don't beat around the bush with long introductions or unrelated information. Tell your customer what they want to know and they'll stick around for more! 4. Focus On Your Audience Remember, your web site should appeal to the interests of your audience, no one else matters! Focus on your target audience and put yourself in their shoes. If they're interested in your product because it saves them time, then focus on convenience; don't start your pitch with a laundry list of less-important features. Focus on the key benefits of your product and leave the details for later. 5. Market Your Web site Would you open a sales office in a distant city and then not tell your clients in the area that it had opened? Of course not. Think of your web site as an automated sales or service office on the Internet and let your "universe" of potential buyers know that it's available to them. Put your web address on your stationery, business cards, ads, brochures, and other sales materials, use a rubber stamp if necessary. Be creative! For example, send out an "birth" announcement on a postcard. You should also remember to keep your domain name easy to remember. There shouldn’t be any dashes or numbers if it isn’t necessary. The general rule of thumb is the name should either be the company name or something that will be so easy to remember that if you gave your business card to someone and they lost it, they should still be able to find the web site. 6. Make Your Web site Useful Make sure the information your prospects or customers want is available. For example, web sites are ideal ways to disseminate the latest information about your product. You can include specifications, case studies, success stories, white papers, or testimonials. And don't forget to include important contact information like your toll-free ordering line, customer service number, or how to get technical support. Make people want to come back to your web site, make it “sticky”. It should be updated continuously, with events and news. Your site should also give them the incentive of coming back (e-mailed newsletter, product specials, contests, etc.). 7. Make It Easy For Viewers To Respond You'd think this was obvious, but it's overlooked far too often. You absolutely must make it easy for a reader to express their interest in your web site. Plaster your 1-800 number across it, make sure there's a link to your e-mail system, and treat visitors with the care you show any other prospective buyer. I have seen sales-oriented web sites that never once listed a phone number or a "click to send e-mail" button. © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com - 13 -
  • 16. 4M Web Design Website Planner 4.3 Marketing your web site offline You should not always rely on search engines for heavy traffic. It is much harder to get your web site included into a search engine than it was years ago. Actually, many more people are visiting web sites for which they have seen the web address in writing. Why do you think so many television commercials these days always include the web address of the product they are promoting? The key thing to remember is: Anywhere you post your company name, post your web site address along with it. Some other ideas to advertise your web site offline: Letterhead AND envelopes Personal brochures about you and your company/farm or organization Your resume Newsletters sent to your clients (either email or in print) Signature tag of all email messages (no matter to whom they are sent… friends, family, colleagues, etc.) At the end of your voice mail/answering machine message (i.e., …. “and be sure to visit my web site at www.yourbusiness.com”. Fax cover sheets (many people forget this one!) Flyer on free local bulletin boards (grocery stores, discount chain stores, shopping malls, dry cleaners, etc.) – print a flyer on bright yellow paper detailing your web address and your company. BE SURE to include your email address as well as your telephone number! Tack the flyer to bulletin boards all over your town. Keep a supply in your car for handy access. Magnetic car signs (many office supply companies will make these for you at a very reasonable rate) Neighborhood directories Bus stop benches Printed on mouse pads (give one to your clients at Christmas or on their birthday instead of sending flowers) T-shirts (white T-shirts can be imprinted with a one-color design for a nominal price). Think about how great it will make you feel to see YOUR web address “walking around town”. Business card (As simple as this sounds, it is often overlooked) Your business sign © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com - 14 -
  • 17. 4M Web Design Website Planner 5.0 SUGGESTED NEXT STEP The next step is to review others sites, speak with industry sources and send this planner back to us so that we can review it and give you an accurate web site proposal. You can either email this planner to us as an attachment, or print it and mail it to us. If you are emailing it to us, please do so as an attachment to info@4mwebdesign.com and put in the subject line “Website Planner Attached”. If you are printing this, or you have already printed it and wrote your answers, please mail this planner to us at: 4M Web Design 701 Hughes Dr. Hamilton, NJ 08690 Note: If printing, you can save ink and paper by just printing out the appendix. The Internet is a sometimes mystifying and complicated world - we welcome any questions or suggestions you may have regarding this planner. We can be contacted at (609) 575-1263 or email info@4mwebdesign.com. © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com - 15 -
  • 18. 4M Web Design Website Planner APPENDIX A WEBSITE PLANNER WORKBOOK © 2009 4M Web Design + SEO - All Rights Reserved. For more information visit www.4mwebdesign.com - 16 -
  • 19. Website Planner Workbook Company: Contact Name: E-mail Address: Phone: Web Address: Do you have access to the internet at your home? Yes No Are you in charge of every aspect of the website, including content gathering? Yes No Have you planned a website before? Yes No 1. COMPANY DETAILS What is the type of industry of your business? Please briefly describe your company or organization so we can learn more about it. What is your mission statement? Who are your current customers? What Information are they looking for? How does your company currently market itself? 2. COMPLETIVE ANALYSIS I have no competitors Seeing what your competitors have done is a great way to improve your image over theirs. Let us study what they've done, and together we can improve your image over theirs. Please name the companies that you are in competition with, if they have a webpage, please list it within, and tell us what you think of their webpage. If you would like to list more then 4 of your competitors, you can use a separate sheet of paper or photo copy this one. Page 1 of 9
  • 20. Website Planner Workbook Name of Competitor: Competitor URL #1 Likes, Dislikes, and Feedback: Name of Competitor: Competitor URL #2 Likes, Dislikes, and Feedback: Name of Competitor: Competitor URL #3 Likes, Dislikes, and Feedback: Name of Competitor: Competitor URL #4 Likes, Dislikes, and Feedback: How would your like your web site to differ from your competition? 3. DOMAIN NAME AND HOSTING Domain Name Domain Name Desired Already Registered 1. 1st Selection 2. 2nd Selection (if 1st choice is in use) 3. 3rd Selection (if 1st & 2nd are in use) Need Web Hosting Yes No Specify Other Provider: Provider Web Address: How much are you currently paying per month for your hosting? How much are you currently paying per year for your domain? Page 2 of 9
  • 21. Website Planner Workbook 4. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS OF EXISTING WEBSITE (RE-DESIGN ONLY) What are your reasons for a redesign of your current site? Objectives of current site: Current site achievements (detail statistics, etc): What features of the current site would you like to keep? What features of the current site don't you like? Which products or pages are most popular? What do visitors of your current web site say? How many pages are on your current site? 5. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY) What are the primary purposes of the site? Online store Online brochure for your company or organization Online community Educational Other - What are your immediate (short term) goals for the site? What are your long term goals for the site? Page 3 of 9
  • 22. Website Planner Workbook 6. PROPOSED SITE PLAN AND LAYOUT Below is a flowchart diagram. Your main page to your website is where “Home Page” is written on the top box. In the boxes below write the pages that your website will contain. If this is a redesign of a website, place the pages you currently have on your existing website, then cross out the pages that you would like removed and add any additional pages. (If you have more pages than spaces available, write them below, or write them on a separate sheet of paper). If you’re artistic, you can always make your flowchart diagram on a separate piece of paper and attach it with this website planner workbook. Total number of pages decided upon: Page 4 of 9
  • 23. Website Planner Workbook 7. YOUR WEB SITE DESIGN Specify as many websites as you like that show color combinations you like. http:// http:// http:// http:// http:// List as many websites as you like with a "look and feel" that you want for your site. http:// http:// http:// http:// http:// List as many websites as you like which have a similar structure and layout to the one you want to develop. http:// http:// http:// http:// http:// List as many websites as you like that come closest in functionality to the one you want to develop. http:// http:// http:// http:// http:// 8. SITE FEATURES (check all that apply) E-Commerce E-mail Newsletter Contact Form Blog Forum Membership Area Other – Page 5 of 9
  • 24. Website Planner Workbook 9. SITE CONTENT You supply all content in its finished form. You supply the initial draft of content, we will edit it. We supply the initial draft of content; you will review and approve it. 10. PHOTOS / MEDIA / SOUND You must own the copyright to, or have permission from, the copyright owner to use any photos, sound, or media you send us. If you have photos of your own that you would like to place on your website, you may send them to us by mailing the photos so that we may scan and return them, or by sending the digitized images on a diskette, CD, or via email. Stock photos can also be obtained from multiple websites (Some free, some for which you must pay). Some of these websites include: Getty Images (http://www.gettyimages.com) iStockPhoto (http://www.istockphoto.com) Inmagine (http://www.inmagine.com) Stock.xchang (http://www.sxc.hu) PictureQuest (http://www.picturequest.com) The following is a list of possible items that you will need for your website. Check the items on the list that apply to your needs: I have graphics, photos and/or artwork that need to be scanned. I need assistance in choosing graphics and artwork I need a new custom graphics and/or artwork design I currently have videos that need transferred onto my website I would like sound played on my website. I need a staff member at 4M Web Design to take photography of our business (Local Only) 11. MARKETING YOUR WEB SITE Would you like us to undertake promotion and optimize your site for search engines? Yes No Not Sure If yes, which service(s) are you interested in? Search Engine Submission Keyword Targeting Online Press Release Campaign Pay Per Click Management Reciprocal Link Management E-Mail Campaign Management Web Site Analytics and Reporting Social Media Marketing Other – Page 6 of 9
  • 25. Website Planner Workbook 12. KEYWORDS If you were your own customer, what words would you use to find you in a search engine? For example, a training company might answer "teamwork training, management training, executive coaching, communications training, train the trainer, conflict resolution, managing change, training, strategic planning, facilitation skills, meetings, risk and empowerment” Pinpointing these accurately is VERY important to the success of your site, as they are used in your web pages as key words. People looking for what you have to offer will search for key words on the Internet. In priority order, list the 20 most important keywords from your answer above. If you would rather 4M Web Design analyze the best keywords for your website, check here: 1. 11. 2. 12. 3. 13. 4. 14. 5. 15. 6. 16. 7. 17 8. 18. 9. 19. 10. 20. 13. SITE DESCRIPTION Please write a carefully constructed 25-word sentence containing the most important keywords describing your business / website. Page 7 of 9
  • 26. Website Planner Workbook 14. MAINTENANCE On average, how often will new content be added and/or updated to your website? 12 hours/month 6 hours/month 3 hours/month 1 hour/month Who will be maintaining your site after it goes live? 4M Web Design Employee Full Staff Other If 4M Web Design will not be maintaining your website, please answer the following: If other, please explain: How proficient or experienced is the person(s) that will be maintaining your website in web development? Will the person(s) need training from 4M WEB Design? Yes No Not Sure How will the website be updated by the person(s)? Own Software Software by 4M Web Design Other If other, please explain: Who will monitor and respond to e-mails? 15. LOGO DESIGN Do you require a new or re-designed logo? Yes No 16. CORPORATE IDENTITY Do you require Corporate Identity services? Yes No If yes, which service(s) are you interested in? Letterhead Business Card Envelope Invoice & Quote Form Annual Report Design Other – 17. ADVERTISING DESIGN Do you require Advertising Design services? Yes No If yes, which service(s) are you interested in? Print Ads Flyers & Posters Direct Mail Pieces Brochures & Booklets Sales & Media Kits Electronic Press Kits Product & Package Design Presentation Folders Page 8 of 9
  • 27. Website Planner Workbook 18. FEEDBACK Is there anything else you feel we need to know to better serve you in your web development needs? Do you think this planner helped you with planning out your website? If not, what can we add to make it better? Do you think this planner asks all of the necessary items for us to design your website? If not, why? Was there anything that confused you while using this planner? If so, what? Did you learn anything by using this planner? Anything we could have done to expand your knowledge even more? Additional Comments: Page 9 of 9