In my eight years as a Web designer, I can't count how many times I've gotten a call like this. It used to turn into a lengthy question-and-answer session about the World Wide Web (and with the great demand for Web sites, who has time for this?).

Then I got smart and developed this planning guide. So instead of giving free educational seminars over the phone, I can offer this guide or direct them to this website which will answer many of their questions and invite them to call back so we can set up a (productive) meeting.

More and more people are becoming Internet-savvy and know what they want. But there are still those who have heard the hype about the Web and just want to be on it. They can let the technology confuse their planning processes.

Someone suggested once that asking the above question is similar to going to a printer and saying "I want a brochure, how much will it cost?"
Of course, the printer must know how many pages, what size, how many colors, what paper stock, and other specifications before the company can quote a price.

But with all the excitement about the Web, people can forget that developing a site requires the same preparation as for other media.

The following guide has proved to be very useful for helping clients to give me the information I need about their Web site content, so that I can provide them with a quote. Both client companies and Web site designers can benefit from reviewing its checklists.