"...the reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first."
- Robert J. McKain
You don't have time to waste, and neither do the people using your web site. Establishing priorities in web site design, development and operation will save you a great deal of time... and cost, and effort.
1. Organization
The best web sites function based on user needs, so the first thing to do is understand those needs. Doing so brings clarity about information design, navigation and data requirements, which in turn determine how to manage technology and presentation.
2. Technology
Great web sites are built with attention to security, development speed and maintainability. That is, you need to ensure that your site can be built quickly, used only in the ways you intend it to be used and updated with minimal effort.
3. Presentation
Many web sites are created by thinking visually (how does it look?) rather than functionally (what can it do?). Great web sites focus first on what users do rather than what they view. With user needs and goals understood, the power of color, imagery and visual structure can be put to work to support user intentions.
