iCountry Media

At the beginning of the planning stage, we have to determine your user scenario. Are you trying to reach a global, national, regional, or local audience? Before we can construct a site, we have to know who will be accessing it as well as how (dial-up, DSL, mobile device). The wider your audience is, the broader your site's accessibility must be. Global sites require translation tools and present site-wide accessibility challenges. Some things never change. The old adage "know your audience" is still good advice.

What are the goals and expectations for the site? Profitable Websites have one thing in common--developers who understand that the interactivity of Web 2.0 isn't a substitute for well-written, well-organized content. A high level of interactivity combined with attention-getting, regularly updated content can increase the traffic to your site, which translates into higher advertising revenue for your company.

Once we have established the goals, content management needs, and user scenario, the layout and design process begins in earnest. What should your Web site look like? Let's throw some ideas around and see what sticks.