Think about budget and time
After the strategy questions, you’ll have an idea of the content and features you’d like. The following questions will give you an idea of the resources you might need, like the budget and time.
Will the site grow?
Is the site likely to need more complex features in six months, or will it stay more-or-less the same? If it remains a simple portfolio or information site then you can use simpler technology that is cheaper and easier to maintain. If you think it will grow and need new features, then it might be best to choose a more complex technology from the start.
How much time have you got to maintain the site?
It’s easy to get excited and ambitious at the start of a web project, but think realistically about how much time you have. Time-dependent content like blogs, news and events need to be updated regularly, and add up to a lot of work. This is especially true if you want a picture to go with each item. It’s time-consuming to find good pictures.
If you’re not sure if you have the time or personnel, and if these features are not critical, then avoid them at first.
Where will you get photos?
You will probably want a site design with photos and illustrations. Where will these come from? Bear in mind that authenticity is an important concept on the web. Are you happy to use generic stock images that anyone can use, or images that are unique to your site and your organisation?
Can you afford ongoing costs?
If you want a more sophisticated system, with a shopping cart or a log-in area, there will be more ongoing maintenance and hosting charges, not just an initial setup or redesign charge.
Beware of lobster pot pricing
A common business model is to offer a free or cheap tier of a service, and then whack the price up as soon as you need anything extra. By this time you have committed to the system, and you discover the system is hard to move from, so you’re trapped.
Some Wordpress plugins and services like Webflow, Wix, Netlify and SquareSpace work like this. Of course, it’s fair to charge for products, but be aware that moving from one pricing tier to another can mean a big price jump.
When researching website services, look at what you get in different price tiers. Also, if you need any addons/plugins, like an integration with Mailchimp to show your newsletters on your site, then how much is that? Does the addon/plugin work on a freemium model as well? Will it be enough to stay on the free tier, or would you need to pay more?
How long will the site last?
Sometimes a site is created for a project that only lasts three years. This is especially true in academia. In this case, you need to use a technology that you can just leave after the project ends, and that doesn’t need maintenance. WordPress, for example, requires ongoing maintenance, so may not be the best choice here.
Is AI going to help?
Don’t assume that AI can do everything for you, and therefore make the site cheap. It may save time in the short term, but the site or new features will still need planning with human beings, and it will need ongoing coordination with them to update or add new content. Also, the code and text will still need checking by someone who knows what they’re doing.
Try thinking in terms of web governance
When thinking of the cost and scope of your project, you might want to consider the four themes in web governance:
- Development: the design, coding and testing of the site or new features for the site. Who is going to do this? Is it going to be ongoing?
- Maintenance: making sure problems are dealt with, and that content is kept up to date. Who is going to do this?
- Leadership: who is going to decide what content and features are needed, and take overall responsibility for the site? How much time will this take?
- Infrastructure: who is going to look after the technology the site runs on (e.g. the server and website software)? This cost may be covered in your hosting package, or you could choose a system that does not require frequent updates.