Steps for getting ready to work through a planning process:

1. Assess the attitudes of individuals within your organization toward the Web and what they would like to get out of your site

2. Obtain a commitment from the President/chief executive to defining a plan for a Web site (not just the site itself) and to the resources needed

3. Make sure that one individual is assigned overall responsibility for development and implementation of the Web plan.

4. Form a Web Team composed of the key individuals who will make decisions with regard to the Web site and those who will play a role in implementation

5. Encourage all members of the team to browse the Web and think about how your organization could use it

6. Conduct a formal or informal assessment of the needs of your constituents (e.g., members or customers) and of likely key target audiences

7. Schedule a planning session for the team to develop a Web Plan and invite a few outsiders, such as:

• individuals representative of likely target audiences
• one of more Web site developers who you might use for your site
• others with Web expertise.

9. Hold the planning session, using a facilitator if possible, and work through the Web planning process.

Also see suggestions for follow-up on the planning session and implementation of the Plan and Web site design and evaluation.