A requirement defines--in specific and measurable terms--what you expect your website to do. If the requirement is well written, someone can test the website and identify where and how the website meets that requirement. There is no guessing.

Any serious look at your current website or a website you are developing should begin with the definition of requirements. They provide you with a critical tool for spelling out your expectations for the website.

When properly written and used, a requirement document becomes a road map in the development of your website. As the old saying goes, how will you know you've reached the end of your journey if you didn't know where you were going in the first place?

Requirements are equally critical in communicating with the person who is developing your website. During the development cycle, well-written requirements can give you confidence that the website you are revising or creating will successfully represent you and your business on the Web.

Last week's post discussed three types of requirements: business requirements, user requirements and functional requirements. Your business strategy and goals drive your business. They should also drive the development of your website.

It is always a good idea to begin by defining the business requirements for your website. They will usually give you an idea about both your user and functional requirements.

Before beginning to write specific requirements, it is a good idea to answer some simple questions for yourself.

Why am I creating a new website or reworking my current website? In other words, what is the purpose of the website? Not too long ago, it was enough to answer that question by saying, "I have to have a presence on the Internet." Today, you have to be much clearer about your expectations.

The Web has provided a huge new marketplace and has transformed most aspects of business. Is your website intended to support your business and image in a specific community? Are you selling products and services on the Web? Do you want to attract new customers? What do you want to provide to your existing customers?

If you already have a website, why are you revising or upgrading your website? What more do you want from the new site?

What are the business goals I want the website to achieve? You have financial and other short- and long-term goals for your business: profitability, volume, revenue, customer base, growth, market position and others. Define the role of your website in achieving those goals.

A website designed to sell products and services online will have an entirely different look and feel than a website in the same business that is intended to draw customers to a physical location within their community.

Most companies rely on a combination of online and electronic marketing strategies these days. The company website becomes the anchor of that online strategy.

This strategy may include a presence on various social media like Facebook, referral advertising from other websites, e-newsletters, guest posts or articles on other websites and ratings on various online directories. Think about how your website will embody your online strategy and how it will work with the other online marketing strategies you plan to use.

How will you evaluate the success of your website in achieving your goals? This may be the most important question of all. Google Analytics has an enormous amount of data. However, it requires some skill to interpret the data you find there.

You may want to consider incorporating website features that provide you with direct data about who is visiting your website and whether they are finding what they are looking for there. These elements might include signing up for an email list, using an online coupon, requesting information, calling your office or "Liking" you on Facebook.

These three questions are critical in deciding what you want from your website. They become the basis of what you say in your actual requirements. Look for specifics about how to go from these general questions to specific, measurable requirements that work for you and your website developers.

Please share your ideas, comments, questions and suggestions about this blog with us. Feel free to leave comments below or to email Judy at [email protected]. 

Judy Cobb is an independent writer and business writing coach whose clients have included Parsons Engineering, Mattel Toys, The Los Angeles Times and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She has specialized in developing training materials for instructor-led courses as well as interactive online courses and websites. She holds advanced degrees from Columbia University and Stanford as well as an MBA from UCLA's Anderson Graduate School of Management.