Site Development

For a web site development to be successful, an effective partnership must exist between the developer and the client.  Both parties play a vital role in ensuring the completion of the project within the time, cost and quality parameters agreed to.  The following descriptions outline what you can expect from your site developer and the important role you play.

DEVELOPER'S ROLE

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
As the developer of your web site, Net Noise will assume the role of project manager. Essentially this means that we will drive the project and includes (but is not limited to) the following tasks.

• Report to you on progress


• Consult with you during design


• Arrange meetings where necessary


• Ensure deadlines are met


• Ensure contractual obligations are adhered to


• Provide advice to you regarding important development issues
• Outsource portions of the project if necessary, and manage those contracts

DESIGN
The design phase of your site is the time when you as the client are encouraged to become as involved as you wish. In the early stages of design, all ideas are welcome and contribute to making your site better for your visitors.

We will seek your comments as we evolve the design of your site, particularly the page layouts and general navigation. Your input into the use of images, colour and fonts will also ensure both developer and client are happy with progress.

Depending on the arrangements negotiated, it may be possible for you to follow the development of your site via the internet in a password protected development environment.

DEVELOPMENT
Once the major design issues are signed off, it is then our responsibility to ensure the design and the functional components of your site are constructed to specifications. This stage of the project will require less input from you than the design stage. However we do encourage your involvement at all stages. Development includes but is not limited to the following tasks;

• Scanning and manipulating images for optimised rendering
  
• Coding pages to meet design specifications and functional requirements
  
• Uploading daily progress to the internet for client review
  
• Creation or editing of content if specified
  
• Search engine optimisation if specified
  
• Construction of site architecture including
navigation
• Creating and linking to other web applications (eg databases)

DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
If you contract our services to undertake web development for you, we recommend entering into a formal agreement for the protection of both parties.

PROMOTION
When your site is finished you are faced with perhaps the most challenging task of all, getting web users to visit. There are a range of strategies you should consider to promote your site. Obviously the approach you take will depend on the goals of your site. Regardless of those goals, Net Noise can assist you to develop a strategy that is right for you organisation.

In many cases this will include getting key search engines to index your site. The role search engines have in getting targeted users to your site is often dependent on your industry. There are other promotional avenues to pursue on the web and we can advise you on the best for your circumstances.

We would also encourage you to consider an offline marketing campaign, which could be as simple as printing your new internet address on your business stationary or for those with larger budgets, a cross media advertising campaign.

CLIENT'S ROLE

PRE-PLANNING CHECKLIST:
This checklist is here for your information and benefit. Take your time and do the parts you feel ready for, and maybe even inspired by! Call us if you need help. This is an opportunity for you to become as prepared as possible. Having your ideas laid out clearly in advance will lead to more efficient and more cost effective site development.

Consider the items below to help organise your ideas about your website. This is the time to let your imagination flow and to think of everything you could possibly want on your website. As you go through the list, write down your ideas and prioritise them. Then we can schedule a meeting to discuss your ideas. After the meeting, you will receive cost estimates for the development stages of your site.

YOUR AUDIENCE
Who do you want to visit your site? Different users have a variety of needs and expectations, and that consideration should influence the design.

• Browsers/surfers: Compelling graphics and content that will lead casual browsers into the site.


• Novices: Overview pages, site maps, glossaries, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) pages.


• Frequent users/information seekers: Fast-loading text menus, less complicated graphics.


• International users: Avoid jargon, don't use date abbreviations, consider language translations.
• Low vs High bandwidth users: Determines complexity of graphics that can be used.

WHAT DO YOU WANT? (from your visitors)
Contact information? Product purchases? Registering on your pages' Visitor statistics, etc.?

• Provide information or education to the public


• Provide entertainment


• Encourage customer or client contact (email, phone, or ordinary mail)


• Make product information, tech support, or price lists available


• Sell products from your website


• Other (explain as fully as you can)

YOUR DOMAIN NAME AND URL
A good reason to get your own domain name is to be easily found on the Internet. Your internet address or Uniform Resource Locator (URL) can remain the same even if you move the files of your website from one server (ISP or host) to another.

Your domain name can be whatever you like, any word or phrase not already registered by someone else, preferably something easy to remember. It should be short if possible, and no symbols are allowed except "-" (a hyphen).

Many service providers (ISP or host) will charge an additional fee to register a domain name for you plus a monthly rate to host it. Another thing to watch out for is that they do not list themselves as the contact person when registering your domain -- make sure you are the billing and administrative contact or you won't own your domain.

You can check out the availability of your preferred name at Domainreg if you wish or we can take care of all this for you. Your ISP or hosting company can also register your name for you. We can also advise you about minimal-cost alternatives to domain registration if this is what you desire. However be aware there are limitations to going down this path.

SURVEYING THE FIELD
When looking at your competition, write down any ideas you get from them. Write down the URLs (addresses) of sites you really like or dislike, and what it is about them that makes you feel that way.

Now make a list of your favourite websites' URLs, along with your reasons for liking them (looks, content, interactivity, ease of use, attitude, etc.)

List any ideas you have about the look of your website.

YOUR "CONTENT"
Now outline the way you might organise the "pages" of your new site, and think about the following:

Do you have photos, graphics, a logo, etc., that you will want to use on your site or will these things need to be created? Will existing items have to be scanned?

Make an inventory of existing and needed content so you can concentrate on the deficient areas. If you already have ads or brochures or other pertinent material, perhaps you can start with that text and adapt it for use on your website.

What will you want besides text and images? Interactive buttons, animations, in-depth page statistics, forms, guest books, chat, forums, etc.?

UPDATING THE SITE
Think about the updating and maintenance of the site: as your products and services or prices change, you will have to update your site. How often will you have to make such necessary changes? How often will you want changes to keep the site "fresh" and interesting to repeat visitors? Who will do this updating? If it is you or your staff, will that person need training?

Now consider these items and rank them in order of importance

• staying inside budget limits


• getting the site online ASAP


• easy maintenance


• re-using existing materials on the website


• quality of the site


• bringing back visitors again and again


• visitors using the site to interact with one another

POLISHING YOUR CONTENT
Now that you have thought about your audience, goals, competition, and priorities, you can whip your content into shape.

One point to consider: try to work as many of your keywords or phrases as you can into the text, as close to the top of the page as you can and still have it make good sense. The search engines look for this kind of thing in their page-ranking process.

THAT'S IT! Now call or email us and we'll arrange to discuss your ideas and plans and get started making things happen.