WEB SITE LIFE CYCLE

A web site in many ways resembles other types of corporate information

systems. Each web site has a limited life span, similar to the water fall

software life cycle model. One major difference is the emphasis on content

development in multimedia applications. The phases of web site

development are as follows: idea formulation, general web site design,

detailed design of web site, testing of an implementation and maintenance.

(1) Idea Formation: During the idea formulation phase, specific targetmarketing

program, content goals and objectives must be set. Since a web

site development project can become very time consuming and a major

capital investment to owners of small businesses, it may be more effective to

identify opportunity of specialized markets big companies have ignored.

Furthermore, the profile of netizens must be carefully studied [Choi99] to

find out who is surfing the net and what these people are looking at. Small

businesses should be aware of the dynamics of the on-line market place and

develop strategies and plan accordingly. The ideas of this phase can pave the

foundation for developing a comprehensive plan for web site design.

(2) Web Site Design: Web site should be integrated into the company's

backbone information system so that the web site can grow along with the

business. To be successful, companies must integrate e-commerce into their

overall business strategies and processes. Moreover, content needs to be

targeted to specific user's needs. Visitor's information should be collected so

that the company will be able to tailor the web pages to the specific needs of

the interested customers. Furthermore, it is important that the web site can be

surfed fast and efficiently. In addition, the users should be involved by

providing an opportunity for them to input suggestions and complaints. The

development of navigational cues and the user interface is of critical

importance. The actual design tasks can be out-sourced for a small company.

Also a new web site should be linked to as many search engines as possible.

This can increase the chance that the web site is visited. Financial

infrastructure should be developed properly as well.

(3) Testing: Once the implementation is complete, the company should

conduct a pilot to test its integrity and effectiveness. The pilot provides an

opportunity to obtain feedback from functional groups, customers and

business partners. It ensures the quality and usability of the site.

(4) Maintenance: It is essential that new content is developed and the web

site is kept refreshed. Timeliness is the key on the web. Moreover,

appointing a web master to manage the site on a day-to-day basis is

imperative. Web master can trouble-shoot any error such as a link to a

defunct web address, track the traffic of the web site, use reader feed back to

build a loyal following and ensure server maintenance and security. Also,

this person or persons should make sure that the company's web site supports

the latest versions of popular browsers.