What are some of the items or questions to consider for a web site or portal development project? Is the management and development for a web site and portal project different from other development projects?

The answer is yes and no. Best Practice processes apply to web site and portal development but the skill sets, tools/techniques and tasks differ. Let’s briefly identify each development process/activities below. The skills sets required beyond the typical application development process is content/information managers, editors, HTML/XML coders, creative design specialists, etc. Different tools are used (Dreamweaver,Illustrator,Photoshop,Frontpage, html editors, etc.). More collaboration is required by both internally and external resources across business units, other functional areas, vendors, and other stakeholders. If a web site or portal has, and usually does, functional applications and databases, the development process for each has to be considered for integration into the web site or portal.

Content, information, its preparation, development, updating security/privacy add several more tasks and a variety of resources. Because in essence you want a web site and portal to inform, educate, as well as increase revenue, decrease costs, and satisfy the customer/users. etc. (the audience). And it’s not just content, it may also be about how, or for, information and data used or exchanged to enable or to facilitate commercial transactions, buying, selling, etc. (e-business/e-commerce)

A web site or portal is an extension of the company, its image and branding. Bottom line, many web sites and portals connect customers, employees, prospects, suppliers/ vendors, trading partners, business (alliance) partners and others. And some of the functional areas involved are Sales, Marketing, Engineering, IT, Customer Service, Finance, Manufacturing, etc. Whether for personal use, research, e-commerce they are still serving an audience: know your audience, and the business and personal goals for your site/portals. After knowing what business you are in, the focus should be the customer, audience, and processes.

Items/questions to be considered when developing a web site or portal (not in a prioritized order)

Concept/initial planning:

• What is the project and does it support and is it aligned with the company’s business and financial goals, plans/strategies, and objectives (measurable)?
• Is there a Knowledge Base of lessons learned and successful projects information from previous project and programs?
• Who is the web site or portal serving (audience and users (customers and other users)?
• The web site or portal must be easy to use and navigate.
• The web site and portal must be secure and protects privacy.
• Content must be up-to-date (content), up dated frequently, accurate and available.
• The web site and portal must be organized and easy to read
• The download process must be quick
• The web site and portal must engage its users and audience
• Will there be a database(s)?
• Will there be active applications used within and throughout the web site/portal?
• Will the web site be an intranet and extranet?
• Measure (using appropriate metrics) for the development process (e.g., each process/activity/tasks).

Development Plan

Requirements Analysis – (verifying each function/feature/testing)

• Understand more of the business problem and case.
• Identify and define business and system/web/application/database/information/infrastructure/network/tests requirements.
• Estimate user volume and systems’ capacities.
• Know what information and content will be contained in the web site/portal.
• Measure volume and flow of traffic.
• What features and functional requirement are identified and defined for the web site and portal.
• What are the requirements for the supporting infrastructure and network (Assess the network and infrastructure).
• What application processes are required and require integration.
• What information and data is stored, retrieved, archived and used within the web site/portal.
• Conduct interviews, reviews, analysis to establish and acquire the above information
• Further develop initial planning
• Prepare and develop a specification that is used by and for architecture and detail design
• Prepare prototypes and mockups

Design

• Design flexible, secure and scalable architectures (vendor or home grown).
• Don’t lose site of the customer, users, the audience.
• Design information and data structure to be easily captured and manipulated.
• Design an information and application Architecture.
• Develop (advance the design) Prototypes and Mockups.
• Provide an overall site map.
• Detail design for applications and databases.
• Design a complete and comprehensive testing process.

Implementation/Coding and Programming

• Code the web site – HTML/XML coding, scripting.
• Code the application – Programming for applications and databases.

Testing/Validation

Testing features & functions (Consider appropriate testing: module, unit, component, integration, usability, system, etc.). Determined during requirements and design phases).

• Simulate user base.
• Test Features and functions, including applications and database with simulated and actual input data/information.
• Test upper and lower limits.
• Test navigation and user friendly functionality.
• Perform usability testing with all the necessary users
• Perform User Acceptance Testing.
• Test based on industry standards and guidelines.

Deployment

• Deploy to server(s).
• Supply discs.
• Integrate into the production network.

Maintenance/Support

• Set up for warranty and after warranty (see the next statement).
• Determine if retainer is applied for several days a month for as required.
• Discussed follow-up process.