The 12 key steps for a successful web project

Developing project objectives is a fundamental step in creating a web project. Clearly defining objectives ensures that the overall vision is shared by all stakeholders and that expectations are aligned. The challenges of this step are multiple: ensuring a smooth start to the project, guiding recommendations and decisions throughout the process, and maximizing the project’s chances of success.

Understanding the needs and expectations of stakeholders, such as customers, users, and the development team, is essential for determining relevant and achievable objectives. This understanding helps ensure better overall satisfaction and allows for the implementation of tailored recommendations based on the identified objectives.

Benchmark

Benchmarking involves analyzing your competitors’ best practices to establish benchmarks. This analysis allows you to understand the project’s environment and context and to draw inspiration for your site’s design (loading speed, user experience, effectiveness of action buttons, etc.).

Competitor analysis

Identify their content, design, and marketing strategies. Also examine their offerings, pricing methods, and competitive advantages.

Functional analysis

Identify the key features of your competitors’ websites and the technical solutions they use (WordPress, Prestashop, Shopify, etc.). This may include advanced search tools, user management systems, social media integrations, chatbots, or specific e-commerce features .

Harvesting needs

For a thorough requirements gathering, consider the following:

Stakeholder interviews

Organize meetings with potential users, internal teams, and external partners to gather their expectations, needs, and challenges. These meetings can take the form of one-on-one interviews, focus groups, or online surveys.

Prioritization of needs

Rank the collected requirements based on their importance to the project objectives and available resources. You can use techniques such as the Eisenhower Matrix or the MoSCoW method to prioritize requirements.

Drafting of specifications

Incorporate priority needs into a clear and detailed specification, which will serve as a guide for all project stakeholders. The specification should include information on project objectives, expected features, technical requirements, budget, and timeline.

Web project tree

The sitemap defines the organization of the content and pages of your website or application. This structure should be designed to make it easy for users to access the information they’re looking for. The sitemap is a key element in ensuring an optimal user experience. To create a detailed sitemap, follow these steps:

Identification of contents

List all the types of content you want to include on your website or app, such as articles, videos, images, forms, and products.

Organization of content

Group content into logical categories, considering how users will navigate your site. Create headings and subheadings to structure information in a clear and intuitive way.

Content prioritization

Determine the relative importance of each piece of content and organize them accordingly. The most important or most viewed content should be easily accessible