The list of topics or issues to be covered for our individual web site project appears daunting at first glance: maybe even second glance. Today's class is a look at how to wrestle the project to the ground by creating a simple framework to manage all the information requested.

The underlying objective of this project is to see each of you plan a viable web site that will apply the various Internet marketing principles we've discussed over the term. To do that we start by using the most basic planning tool of all: a list.

Let's start with a hypothetical site (in class we used a b2b telecommunications company). We know it has the following sections (each requiring a landing page):

1. Home
2. Services
3. Products
4. News
5. About Us
6. Contact

There we go, six main pages and the beginning of our site framework or architecture. Let's expand the list:

1. Home
2. Services
   • Request a Service Call
   • Product Manuals
     • GE
     • Mitel
     • NEC
     • Nortel
   • Installation
   • FAQ
3. Products

   ... and so on

By creating a simple list where we indent sub-pages from their parent page we will eventually build a list of all our pages organized in a way that we can use both as our hierarchial site map and as our site architecture planning document (see attached).

The next step, and the next, is to increment each page's description with additional information as it is prepared or determined. Eventually, we'll have a complete outline of the planned site with key content items, asset requirements and specification for interactive elements—all from the framework of a simple list.

Sample document