Lifecycle of a Web Site

When was the last time you had your web site reviewed and updated? If you can’t remember, it has probably been too long. Web sites should be dynamic documents that grow and change as your business grows and changes.  They should also be reviewed annually to check on design, information architecture, and to make sure it is still working for you and, most importantly, your customers.  A typical web site goes through the following phases:

• Planning — you start by planning for a new web site and continue planning for changes you need to implement to meet your goals and that of your audience. This includes identifying the types of content you need to show on your home page, how your menu structure is laid out, and what calls to action are implemented throughout the site.
• Design — the graphic design step in the process will help make sure your site is current with standards, accurately represents your brand, and, most importantly, is organized so your customers and clients can find the information they need.
• Development — the development phase is where the first two phases come together to produce your web site.
• Launch — this phase includes testing the site, especially with some favorite customers, to make sure it meets your needs and that of your customers. Then, you launch the site for the rest of the world to see.
• Maintenance — once a web site is launched, it must be maintained.  This includes updates to content, announcements of importance to your customers, new content to keep people coming back, and the addition of new features.  During this maintenance phase, you are already starting the planning phase for the next iteration of your web site.

These phases provide a higher level view of the process. There are a number of sub-steps in each phase to create a successful website. However, the most important piece is that you keep planning and you keep reviewing to make sure that your web site meets the needs of your customers.