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This all revolves around a business’s ability to manage their daily workflow, as well as, giving customers streamlined simplicity within your ecosystem. A general rule of thumb for choosing an application to fulfill a feature is to keep the connectivity learning curve as simple as possible, for as many customers as possible.
Commonly called - User Friendly or Ease of Use.
A static website is delivered to a user exactly the way it's stored. That means that nothing on the page will change by the user and collaborators rarely change the content. Static websites are generally creating with no scripting. If desired, every page can be different, or designed to match the layout of type of content. A designer can use a style guide to adhere to branding rules, or add special effects, interactions or styles in a unique way, which is generally called a - Theme.
To understand this phase of your project, again, create your feature list first, then decide a functionality method. The application you choose to implement will be the medium of delivery. There are two ways to approach - adding functionality and features. You either write an application from scratch or use a 3rd party application. This is called - Integration.
Once you have a grasp on your features, and you know the functionality, it’s time to get the right application to integrate. Often called - Build vs. Buy.
Again, prior to committing any money to a project, decide if you want to build from scratch or integrate 3rd party for your business. It’s imperative to truly understand this concept. Without a doubt - This is the most expensive phase to manage.
Okay, we’ve got all the pieces in our head. We haven’t bought anything yet, but there’s logic forming. By now you know, Application Integration - is the technology that presents features and functionality. The final step is learning how to merge all the pieces - which is called - Connectivity.
The process of looking at specs (evaluating), navigating (clicking stuff) and testing (adding dummy content) - to see how all of your chosen applications will talk to each other, is often referred to as - Configuration.
Your entire technological system is part of one big box. Along with vendors, staff, customers, etc. This total setup of a is generally referred to as - an Ecosystem.
In Phase 3 - Content Type, under Features & Functionality, we talked about how to decide. That ties into this segment because your application choice can ultimately depend on the type of “Interface” they offer. With a weak, poorly designed interface, you may not see the benefits.
If the interface is cluttered, offering too much functionality, the learning curve can leave you feeling frustrated. In the end, the investment may cause unnecessary headaches. Research, research, research - then test on free trial - Always!.
- You tell their software, when A happens, then I want B to occur.
It may be challenging to know "who" to look for. Online, how do you find a service, company or individual when you don't know exactly what you're seeking? The info is written in developer type articles! The research can take weeks, or even months. That’s my specialty, bridging this gap. You will need help. Contact me and I’ll get you started at no charge. If you don't have research time, view my Pricing page for options.
This is why I inserted Ecosystem into the Connectivity Phase. It’s silly to keep saying feature, function, app, etc. From now on I’ll refer to the sections in Step 4 - Performance as your - Ecosystem.
This is a fluid, evolving process. Keep asking yourself, “Am I using the right tools to land more customers?” Again, that’s why Steps 1 - 4 require so much attention.
Let me say, Step 5 - Projections is absolutely the most difficult process in every single venture, no matter what it is. Content Copy is certainly the most neglected process, and for sure, the most challenging. I put this in the category of sales. It takes a village just to make one sale; no individual person that can make a sale on their own, you need a number of pipelines in the mix. Content Copy is the same. A number of elements must be present before documents are written. Do not take this phase lightly. Schedule time and truly think about what you really want to say.
This is very important. Information will start to flow, fight against taking every little statement here. Just bullet point your ideas. No paragraphs.
You can use dividers and give each section a name, so you know where it came from. This document will be very useful later on. After a month or so, you’ll never remember what you thought from day one. This page is a lifesaver!
After the top-level list is created. ONLY write for one section at a time. As you’re typing for one, your mind may wonder and you’ll think of ideas for the other item. DON’T DO IT. I promise it will break your flow. That’s why you have the Statements & Inserts page, add those ideas there. Use if often, your time management will prove efficient.
Choose your subject individually, handpick the audience, don’t select randomly. Be selective and targeted in your approach. Know why you asking a certain set of individuals. Make sure they align towards your project identity, to give you feedback from this type demographic.
Why Jotform and Wufoo? Because they allow multiple columns. If your form is long, users may not respond properly. it’ll seem easier when there’s 4 columns in 1 row. Almost every other form application service only allows 1 or 2 columns, if that. Some don't allow any!
If you want to get the most impact from this Initial Phase Plan and the Executive Summary before launch, you may need a few dollars to build or create a mockup to work alongside your feasibility approach.
