The emedia team recently held a Lunch 'n' Learn as a part of TECHWEEK on what one should consider before starting a website. In this presentation, we emphasized what a key role the client has in website development, even when working with a web development team (like us).
There are several important elements that the client must be responsible for when it comes to developing a website, and we'd like to take this opportunity to explore them with some of you who could not attend our presentation. Firstly, the client must be able to see the ultimate purpose of the website, what the company is trying to accomplish by creating a web presence. The purpose will drive the rest of the website. The client also needs to be the guardian of the content, ensuring that all content is of good quality and relevance. Good content is the most important element of any website, so it is essential for the client to approach the creation of good content (whether through hiring a copywriter/content developer or through writing the content yourself) with a sense of the great responsibility that it is.
While the client is also responsible for articulating potential problems, they should go to the web development team to generate solutions. A good web development team will be able to offer solutions that a client may not think of, but some of these more creative solutions will never be explored if the client says, "I need a forum on my website" instead of "I want a way to interact with clients on my website."
The development of a website is a collaborative process in which both the client and the web development team are key players. The client should never forget how important their role is just because they hired a team to do the technical work.