There’s a reason why any organization has a Web site developed, and for most there are several reasons. They may need the site to sell a product or service, educate a customer, gain information from a large group of people, provide an online productivity tool, etc. The list of what is done on the Web is growing fast as capabilities expand, it is almost limitless.
With everything that can be done on the Web it is very tempting to want to do it all, or at least do any hair-brain idea that one thinks is good. The problem is this leads down a road to the Weberswamp, and is the cause for so many failing sites on the Internet. The key is to understand what a particular Web site is for, and prioritize it’s features accordingly. Here’s a few rules:
- Know the main objective/goal of the site
- Communicate that through the site
- Create everything necessary to accomplish the stated objective
- Prioritize features that will support the objective of the site
- Scrap anything that does not support the objective
One big thing to remember is that just because someone has a really good idea does not mean it should be part of the site. Be honest with yourself about what the user wants.