Carolyn E. Cooper Communications

Project Workflow & Methodology

Web Site
Project Survey
(PDF format)

And if you want a faster, lighter look into determining your needs, check out my original worksheet and web development guidelines:

Cooking Up A Website

Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

My mother called it the 6 P's (okay, she actually had a 7th but she didn't use it in polite company). And as usual, my mother was right.

Like any other important aspect of an organization, project or business, an effective web site requires careful planning and preparation. Your web site may create the first impression of your business, non-profit or project. It will certainly create a lasting impression as we come to rely on web sites to provide basic contact and general information about businesses and organizations.

Step One: Defining the Project Using the Project Survey

The web site Project Survey can be downloaded in PDF format by clicking here. I developed my web site project survey through many years of research and work. Yes, it's big and nosey, but completeing it will save you time and money. The web site project survey will help you clarify exactly what you need, want and can afford as well as make certain your efforts and money aren't wasted. It will help me work more efficiently and effectively and find the right solutions to meet you primary objectives within the scope of your budget and timeframe.

Fred Brooks, in his book The Mythical Man Month established two important maxims for project development in general and computer projects in particular:

• "You can have it fast, you can have it cheap, you can have it right. But you can only have 2 out of the 3."
• "It takes nine months to make a baby, no matter how many woman you put on the job."

Fast

I'll be blunt. You can't have an effective web site in a weekend. Anyone who sells you one has taken your money. You can have an initial web presence in weekend, but that is merely a placeholder while the serious spade work is being done in the background. And even that is pretty much a waste of your money and the developer's time unless you already have a solid identity kit, clear positioning and an established target audience. I will help you establish a project timeline that can accommodate your immediate and long-range plans. In many cases, features can be introduced in sequence, allowing additional promotional opportunities to help you get the most PR bang for your web site development buck.

Cheap

Another of my mother's sayings was "If a deal looks too good to be true, it ain't a good deal." Be absolutely certain you understand exactly and in detail what work and features you are getting for any price quoted. And be suspicious of flat-rate "customized" quotes. If your web site needs to meet your unique needs and requirements, then an "off-the-rack" solution won't fit comfortably and you may find yourself having to make expensive alterations later. By using the web site Project Survey, you will be in a better position to understand what you need versus what you are getting in any job quote. So even if you aren't using my services, please take the time to read and complete the web site Project Survey. I won't guarantee to be the cheapest solution (I was taught to always avoid being cheap.), but I will help you find the most cost-effective solutions to meet your project goals. I believe in using appropriate technology and will never suggest cutting-edge or expensive solutions if something easier or less expensive works.

Right

Whenever possibly, I prefer doing it right. To be perfectly honest, if the two choices are "fast and cheap", I'll probably turn down the job. There are usually ways to cut costs and still do a project right and there are ways to do it right and still hit a tight deadline, but only the simplest of goals can be met by doing a web development fast and cheap. And doing it right the first time usually saves a lot of money over doing it over again... and again ... and again. Web site re-design is usually more expensive than initial development. And it's one thing to face a web site re-design because you're business, organization or project is growing beyond the intial site design; it's entirely different to face a web site re-design because the web site isn't working and is costing you money without bringing in a return on investment. I want to do it right so we both earn a return on our collective investments of time, energy and creativity. I like point to success stories.Your web site success is my success, too.

Click here to contact me today for an initial consultation.

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