I recently had a client ask this question: I was talking with a group of smart young techies about my upcoming website. They immediately asked if I had my “Systems Plan” (a 17-page in-depth blueprint) for my website finished already. I had never heard of this before, but I do want to be sure I am covering all my bases, especially when it comes to creating a good user experience. Do I need a Systems Plan before I go any further?

My response:  The type of Plan they were referring to is one that you would put together for a large corporate type of site. It involves a lot of “path analysis” (the different paths users could take through the site) and detailed descriptions. I’ve been involved in several of these. It’s a lot of work but necessary when you are turning over the programming of the site to multiple teams of people. If you were going to develop a site for a large multi-national corporation, you would use a Systems Plan.

You already have a plan (aka website blueprint) for your website, but it’s based on others’ experience and testing. In the typical one-person, one-product type of site we create for online marketing, there is generally only one path – optin page, sales page, payment page, delivery page. Naturally there are variations of this, but it’s all very simple.

If you are building an authority blog, then it takes a bit more planning, but even then it is very simple, with multiple branches based on keyword families.

Generally there is only one person directing the website development. There may be one or two other people involved. But it’s a simple process to outline and manage.

So no need for a Systems Plan. You already have the plan!

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