Website Design Worksheet

Type of web site desired:

The Goal and Purpose of the Web Site
Please provide answers to applicable question below regarding your business and website.

Give reasons why your business clearly beats the competition?..
What is your USP (unique selling proposition)?
What does your company do?
How does your business and products benefit your target audience?
What can your business offer your visitors, what's in it for them, how can you help them?
What problems do your prospects have that your business solves?
What is your vision for the web site?
How will visitors interact with the web site?
What are the specific short-term goals for the website (in the first year reduce customer service workload, generate more sales?)
What is your current level of on-line business and what are the expectations for future on-line sales?
What are the long-term goals for the website (in the first 1 to 3 years).
Do you have a brick and mortar store or other off-web location?
How do you see the website and off-line business working together?
What are the weak points of each and the strong points that can be exploited?
What are the major purposes for the website (establish an Internet presence, provide information, sell products online (ecommerce), provide customer service, etc.)
What are the needs your business satisfies for your customers?
What words or images will impart those needs?
What analogies can be used to explain offers in simple, understandable terms?

Style of web site you would like:

The Design and Layout of the Web Site
Approximately how many pages will the web site have?
In order for your site to appeal to your primary audience, what style or "voice" will you use (conservative, hip and trendy, etc.)?
Think of of website URLs with designs or schemes that appeal to you and give reasons why.
Consider the fonts to be used on the web site. It is unwise to use more than 2-3 major fonts.
Consider some of your competitor website URLs

______________________________________________________________

Please list at least three Internet addresses of websites that you have seen and really liked since you have been thinking about starting your new website. If you haven't had the chance to do some site surfing yet for ideas, you really should. Just go to www.google.com or your favorite search utility and type in a couple of words that describe your business. Please feel free to include notes about what you liked at each of the sites you list.

Favorite sites:

Additional features:

Contact details


Full name
Business name
Telephone
Mobile
E-mail
Fax

Business information

Type of business:
If other, please specify:
How long have you been in business?
Type of web site desired: The Goal and Purpose of the Web Site Please provide answers to applicable question below regarding your business and website. Give reasons why your business clearly beats the competition?.. What is your USP (unique selling proposition)? What does your company do? How does your business and products benefit your target audience? What can your business offer your visitors, what's in it for them, how can you help them? What problems do your prospects have that your business solves? What is your vision for the web site? How will visitors interact with the web site? What are the specific short-term goals for the website (in the first year reduce customer service workload, generate more sales?) What is your current level of on-line business and what are the expectations for future on-line sales? What are the long-term goals for the website (in the first 1 to 3 years). Do you have a brick and mortar store or other off-web location? How do you see the website and off-line business working together? What are the weak points of each and the strong points that can be exploited? What are the major purposes for the website (establish an Internet presence, provide information, sell products online (ecommerce), provide customer service, etc.) What are the needs your business satisfies for your customers? What words or images will impart those needs? What analogies can be used to explain offers in simple, understandable terms?
If you are interested in selling products on your web site, approximately how many items would you sell online?
What is the average sale price of items you offer for sale?
How much profit would you like your web site to generate?
What is your budget for your web site development? Estimated Budget for the Web Site Purchasing a web site is somewhat similar to purchasing a car. You can buy a car for $10,000 or $35,000 - the difference in price is one of performance and options. A 5 page Informational only web site can start as low as a few hundred dollars, but a web site that is completely e-commerce enabled, with real-time credit card processing, a shopping cart, and a separate technical specs database system will be more in the range of a few thousand dollars. And there are many variations in between. The best thing to do is tell us which TWO of the three following variables is most important to you when considering your website. We will provide the third variable based on the two you choose: Size, Quality, Price Consider setting up a maintenance budget for the web site. Consider setting up a marketing budget for the web site (including search engine registration campaigns).
Who are your average customers?
Other (please specify, i.e. retirees, students, disabled, mothers, etc.)
How many customers do you currently have?
What do you mostly hope to achieve with your website?

Website specifications

Which pages do you want to have on your web site? Splash Homepage - with a different look and layout than other pages Homepage Elements: A large image of your primary product or service. An image of your building, offices or showroom. An image featuring your people with products or at work. A collage of images that are clickable links to other parts of the site. An industry or quality related image to convey a theme. An illustrated image or design such as your company logo. A list of the products and services your company offers. ________________________________________________________________ Other page options: Company info Products / Services Useful links / Resources Contact info Guestbook Testimonials Feedback form Members only area Calendar of events Event registration form FAQ area Photo gallery Competitions Case studies Associations / Partners / Alliances Press releases Jobs postings e-Voucher News Discussion Forum Site search engine (recommended for large sites) Site map / Index page Online portfolio of previous work and/or customer references. Online tour of your showroom and/or office. Personal pages for key employees including photo, greeting and e-mail link. A customer service page.
Other pages required: Content for the Web Site Consider the following when planning content for the web site: 1. Photos (prints, slides, negatives) 2. Text 3. Brochures 4. Business cards 5. Flyers 6. Product shots 7. Product samples 8. Press releases 9. Price and part lists 10. Frequently Asked Questions 11. Shipping and handling charges and constraints 12. Warranty policy 13. Privacy policy 14. Return policy 15. Guarantees 16. True and believable testimonials 17. Endorsements from known sources 18. Credits 19. Bios 20. History 21. Education 22. Certifications 23. Awards 24. Case studies 25. Photos of yourself, staff and location 26. Transcripts of interviews 27. Industry recognition 28. Map and directions 29. Hours of operation 30. Locations locally, nationally or internationally Do you have a business slogan or catch phrase? How will you use it to your company's advantage on the web site? Consider the features of your products and/or services. List their strong points. Consider the major topics for your site (i.e. Products, Services, Information, How to Contact us, Galleries, etc.). Consider types of components to include other than still photos and text (e-commerce, affiliate programs, virtual reality images, java applets, backend database integration, survey forms, feedback forms, opt-in newsletter management, referral forms, etc.). Consider credit cards the site will accept (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover). Consider including unique content on your site. Since most surfers are seeking information, the best sites are those that become hubs or portals. A site that contains large amounts of information (not readily available elsewhere) directly related to the product or service being sold may be far more successful than one that that only offers a product or service. Will you use an affiliate program? What can be done to add value to products and services? What are your delivery policies? Consider any special shipping and handling charges or constraints on international orders. Consider using a survey form to gather information from your visitors Will there be password protected areas for dealers, members and/or downloads? Will you join any affiliate programs and link those sites to your website? What type of e-commerce solution do you require? What type of opt-in mail list gathering will you use?

Style
Style of web site you would like: The Design and Layout of the Web Site Approximately how many pages will the web site have? In order for your site to appeal to your primary audience, what style or "voice" will you use (conservative, hip and trendy, etc.)? Think of of website URLs with designs or schemes that appeal to you and give reasons why. Consider the fonts to be used on the web site. It is unwise to use more than 2-3 major fonts. Consider some of your competitor website URLs ______________________________________________________________ Please list at least three Internet addresses of websites that you have seen and really liked since you have been thinking about starting your new website. If you haven't had the chance to do some site surfing yet for ideas, you really should. Just go to www.google.com or your favorite search utility and type in a couple of words that describe your business. Please feel free to include notes about what you liked at each of the sites you list. Favorite sites: 1. 2. 3.
Does your business have a logo?
Images
No. of images:
Animation:
e-Commerce:
Amount of text:
Text format:
Domain name:	(ex: www.twintel.net)
If your domain name is already registered, what is your URL (web address)?
Web site hosting:
If you have not done so yet, you need to determine a tentative name for your website. You may want to use your existing business name. But your website focus may be broader or narrower than your organization name implies. In that case, look for a name that is descriptive, unique, short and memorable. It is always a good idea to have your own domain name instead of using just a "sub" name to someone else's domain. Search engines are more favorable to indexing your site and your name becomes easier to remember to your clients. Keyword-rich domain names are also favorable to search engines Consider the level of hosting that will be required (this may need to be determined during the design phase)
Additional features:
Time frame
Ongoing web site management and promotion needs
Marketing the Web Site Web surfers have short attention spans, and may not remember your site and will probably not return unless you give them a compelling reason to do so. How can you encourage repeat visitors and referrals? Consider preparing 30 words or phrases that describe your business. Pick words/phrases relevant to your business. List all keywords that would link search engines to your website. Phrases should be both specific and general. . Consider writing a 25 word description of your business to be displayed and used in search engine submissions. Describe what your business offers, to whom it if offered and a succinct reason your business should be considered. Consider the audience demographics - who you want to reach and how this will be accomplished (age range, profession, interests, etc.)
Will you require us to manage and promote your web site after the initial set-up?