Common Mistakes Functional Web Specification
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Internet Business -> subcategory Web Design.
Common Mistakes in Functional Web Specification
Title:
Avoiding Common Mistakes in Functional Web SpecificationSummary:
Enhance your functional Web specification process by steering clear of typical pitfalls during the design phase, ensuring your web projects are delivered on time and within budget.Keywords:
Functional Specification, Web Specification, Design Specification, Prototyping, Stripped PagesArticle Body:
An ineffective functional specification can significantly delay web projects like websites, intranets, or portals, leading to increased costs and unmet expectations. Whether your project is a custom development or built on packaged software, the functional specification is crucial in preventing delays and unforeseen expenses. The following are common mistakes to avoid:
1. Vague or Incomplete Functional Specifications:
The most frequent error companies make is having unclear or incomplete specifications. Anything that is ambiguous may lead developers to implement features differently from what site owners envision. For example, if HTML title tags for bookmarking web pages are not clearly specified, developers might omit them or implement them incorrectly. Similarly, details like error handling for online forms or ALT texts for images must be clearly defined to comply with laws such as the disability act Section 508. These seemingly minor details can result in significant costs if corrections are required post-development. To prevent such issues, consider organizing a usability best practice workshop for the web team or have an external consultant review the specifications.
2. Unidentified or Uncommunicated Future Enhancements:
It's vital for the web committee to identify major future site enhancements and communicate them to the development team. Ideally, the developers should know the roadmap for the next few years. This foresight allows them to make informed decisions and create a flexible solution that can accommodate future changes, ultimately saving costs in the long run.
3. Misalignment with Internal Resources:
Too often, site functionality is viewed only from a visitor’s perspective or in terms of corporate benefits, neglecting the impact on internal resources. For example, features like content maintenance for business managers on intranets require careful consideration of resource allocation. If not planned correctly, these functionalities might remain unused. The web committee must analyze the impact on resources and align functionality with available support.
4. Wish Lists vs. Actual Needs:
Functional specifications should align with actual user needs and business requirements. Often, project committees generalize individual preferences without substantial evidence, particularly in internal applications like intranets. Conducting comprehensive internal surveys and categorizing employee profiles based on their interaction with the intranet helps prioritize critical functionalities. This ensures that the most relevant features are included in the next release, maximizing return on investment.
5. Lack of Visual Support:
Text-based descriptions of web applications can lead to misinterpretations. Complementing specifications with visual aids such as screenshots or HTML prototypes, especially for key navigation pages, minimizes misunderstandings and aligns expectations, avoiding disappointments post-launch.
By avoiding these common mistakes, whether developing web applications internally or through an external provider, you can streamline the functional specification phase and enhance the overall success of your web projects.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Common Mistakes Functional Web Specification.
You can browse and read all the articles for free. If you want to use them and get PLR and MRR rights, you need to buy the pack. Learn more about this pack of over 100 000 MRR and PLR articles.