Be prepared to describe the current website. This is an important part of the meeting and it will take some preparation to have all of the following information prepared.
Create a visual site map - A visual site map is a document that shows symbols for web pages and website sections and lines between the symbols that shows links between content.
It isn’t required to show every page of your website, but for the purposes of planning a visual site map is very helpful. You may simplify your visual site map by showing sections instead of individual pages where it makes sense.
Put your homepage at the top of the document and secondary pages (usually represented in your website’s main navigation) are organized on a lower line. There are a number of applications that can be very helpful when creating a visual site map, but even a piece of paper and pencil can get the job done. Popular tools for creating visual site maps include diagramming tools such as Visio and OmniGraffle, but for simple visual site maps PowerPoint will do in a pinch.
Review Website Infrastructure - Be prepared to review the website infrastructure with regards to the following items:
- Web platform (ex. LAMP, .NET, J2EE)
- Applications (ex. CRM, marketing automation, etc.)
- Custom scripting
- Hosted services
- Publishing systems (ex. CMS)
- Data center
- Web developer tools
Lead Generation - Be able to share what content on the site is restricted and what content is available to everyone. If there is content that requires a visitor to fill out a form or provide a password, be prepared to review in general terms the restrictions or permissions that are necessary to access content and where on the site this content resides.
Review History - Each website has its own legacy. How did the site evolve? Where are the pain points with the current website? What is currently working? Do you have any reporting such as website analytic reports or website surveys? How much traffic does your website see in a day? Are there any identifiable trends?