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Web Sites As a Team Effort

Other than personal sites, most web sites are developed by teams. You are likely to be part of a team that includes experts in marketing, information architecture, graphic design, writing and editing, programming, server administration, and project management.

These specialists bring a range of perspectives to the table. Their differences of opinion can help spark the brainstorming sessions by which you answer questions such as:

• Is the site we are planning useful? Why do we expect visitors to come to our site?
• How can we help visitors find the information they need? Can we give them ways to help each other?
• How do we want to organize our content?
• How can we create a coherent and cohesive look for our site?
• Can we tailor content for different audience types?

And once your site is live, don't be too quick to disband your development team.

Web sites are not a one-off task like a company brochure. When you print a brochure, it's done. You can't change a typo, add content, or alter the color scheme, except at great expense. You distribute it to customers, or let it gather dust in a closet.

A web site, on the other hand, is a perpetual work in progress. Your team can expect to do these tasks on an ongoing basis:

• Add and change content
• Test and fix bugs
• Insert and update links
• Respond to visitor comments
• Track visitor activity
• Promote the site

There are many ways you can track the tasks that continue after a site is launched.