Associate value with functionality

Whether you are creating a new website or revitalising an existing one, one of the most important decisions you will make is choosing the functionality that will be most beneficial to your organisation. If it doesn't benefit your organisation, then it is of no value. None! Leave it out!!

With the myriad of continually emerging gadgets and wizardry, you may find yourself overwhelmed by buzz words such as "widgets" and "feeds". To stave off premature ageing, side-step the jargon and focus on the key deliverables of your site.

In an ideal world you might want your new site to boast all of the coolest technologies available. However, you are more than likely working within the constraints of a very real budget. So, how do you choose between desired features and those which will be the really beneficial ones. Firstly, ensure the visual design and SEO haven been allocated adequate attention as they are the foundation stones which will ensure your site reaches as wide an audience as possible and endures the test of time. Functionality aside, these are of particular value to your organisation. Then, highlight the features which you think your organisation will most benefit from. These are the features of most value. Depending on the nature of your business these may be a customer newsletter, an e-commerce gateway or a website blog etc. No matter what you have chosen, by associating value with functionality, you will achieve the best value for your website expenditure.

Related tags: Planning