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A web project plan is a document that is created after the strategic
plan for
the project have been set and brings the strategic goals come to life.
Using the parameters set by your strategic plan (goals, budget,
due date, the method of measuring success, etc.), it defines the
following for
achieving the business goal.:
- project scope
- a more detailed timeline
- a breakdown of how the budget will be spent
- costs of outside consultants
- material costs.
Who is Responsible for Creating a Project Plan?
Web projects and web project planning of the past were
typically handled by marketing, communications or IT departments.
Unfortunately, no single one of these disciplines carried the
combined knowledge and experience to produce an effective web site.
Today, web projects are handled by web departments
or web specialists. This is generally a team with
representatives from all over the company having the cross-disciplinary
knowledge to complete a web project effectively and
efficiently because they have come to learn the web as a new form
of media.
Why not just have marketing, communications or IT run the
project?
The purpose of maintaining a web department -- or working with
a web specialist -- is that it deflects the special interests
placed on any one discipline. For example:
- Marketing thinks that if the site is positioned well or
"cool," it will be successful.
- Communications thinks that if it's properly designed and
written that it will be successful.
- IT thinks that if it's easy to maintain it will be
successful.
Web specialists understand how to balance the interests of
all parties involved -- that all parties need to be
served.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that a web site is created to help you:
- create a platform for operating your business
- save money
- make money
- inform (save money)
- improve accuracy (save money)
- improve performance of a process (save money)
- improve the customer experience (make money)
- entertain (make money directly or via advertising)
If it doesn't do one of these, then the web site is not
doing it's job. Web departments and web specialists have the
experience required to aim for these goals.
They shed light on commonly overlooked issues specifically
related to the web medium, such as compatibility, usability,
search engine safe design, web-safe colors, file formats and naming conventions, etc.
Therefore, to prepare you for the unique challenges of web
projects, I offer project planning services to turn your strategy
into a complete web solution.
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