Web Strategy & Planning

Building with purpose. Transforming your vision into a successful digital platform through clear strategy and thoughtful planning.

Transforming your vision into a successful digital platform requires more than just code. It demands a clear strategy, thoughtful planning, and a deep understanding of your goals.

In today's digital landscape, a website or web application is a critical business asset. But simply having one isn't enough. To truly drive results – whether it's generating leads, streamlining operations, enhancing your brand, or selling products – your digital platform needs to be built with purpose. This starts long before the first line of code is written. It starts with strategy and planning.

With over 15 years of experience guiding businesses and collaborating with agencies, I've seen firsthand the difference a strategic approach makes. It's the foundation for building solutions that not only function flawlessly but also deliver tangible business value and resonate with your target audience.

Why Strategy Matters More Than Ever

In a world of countless tools, frameworks, and trends, a clear strategy cuts through the noise. It ensures that:

Resources are Focused: Development efforts align directly with your most important business objectives.
Risks are Mitigated: Potential challenges are identified and planned for early on.
Solutions are Fit-for-Purpose: You get a platform tailored to your unique needs, not a generic template.
ROI is Maximized: Every feature and function contributes to achieving measurable results.
Future Growth is Considered: The platform is built with scalability and future adaptations in mind.

Skipping the strategic phase often leads to projects that drift off course, exceed budgets, or fail to deliver the expected impact.

My Approach: Collaborative & Pragmatic Planning

I believe the best strategies are built collaboratively. My process involves working closely with you and your team to:

Define Clear Objectives: What does success look like for this project? What specific business problems are we solving?
Understand Your Audience: Who are we building this for? What are their needs, pain points, and expectations?
Map User Journeys: How will users interact with the platform to achieve their goals (and yours)?
Scope Features & Functionality: Prioritize features based on impact and feasibility (using techniques like User Stories).
Select Appropriate Technology: Choose the right tools (Laravel, WordPress, specific APIs, etc.) based on the project's unique requirements, budget, and long-term goals – not just the latest trend.
Outline a Phased Roadmap: Break down the project into manageable stages with clear deliverables and timelines.

Interactive Project Roadmap Builder

Available Phases

Drag phases onto the timeline.

Project Timeline

Drag phases here

Estimated Duration: 0 weeks

(Conceptual - adjust sliders)

This interactive tool helps visualize the typical phases of a web development project. Drag and drop phases, explore common activities within each, and adjust complexity sliders (conceptual) to see how scope can influence the overall timeline. It provides a transparent overview of the development journey.

Connecting Goals to Features

A key part of strategy is translating high-level business goals into concrete website features and technical approaches. What does "increasing leads" actually mean in terms of website functionality? How can technology "improve operational efficiency"?

Business Goal -> Feature Mapper

Select a business goal on the left to see which website features and strategies typically help achieve it.

Select Your Goal:

Relevant Features & Strategies:

Select a goal to see related features.

Select common business objectives using this tool to see which website features, integrations, or development strategies directly contribute to achieving them. This helps clarify the purpose behind specific technical choices and demonstrates how a bespoke solution delivers targeted value.

Web Strategy & Planning FAQs

I want to focus more on the idea of myself as a Web Strategist than just a developer. This means I aim to be involved in the entire project lifecycle: project planning, mapping out the development (as well as being involved in it), and also deployment, which includes planning out maintenance, updates, and potential retainer agreements.

My approach involves scoping, technical planning, stakeholder calls, and creating thorough documentation. I focus on the complete cycle of planning, development, and deployment. I also like to make use of 'user stories' when starting a project. This process involves writing or sketching out, in collaboration with the client, the goals of the project and what needs to be delivered in the finished product.

I generally communicate with clients over Slack if I’m working with an agency. Email is fine for most other things. I keep project tasks tidied away in a Trello board, usually with lists for pending tasks, items I’m working on (with estimated completion dates), tasks ready for review, and deployed items. Video calls are also great, and I’m very happy client‑facing.

We need not create code which functions perfectly in all scenarios. We only need to create code which works well enough to satisfy a suitable number of the users, a suitable amount of the time. The principle in action is that things don’t always need to be very good. They only need to be good enough. Acceptance criteria, defined at the start, determine what 'just good enough' is. Once those are met, the core deliverable is achieved efficiently.

I’ve fully embraced AI tools. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude help me quickly scaffold and test ideas, especially in TDD workflows. I lean on AI to adapt and refine unit/integration tests, making coverage more fluid. I also regularly use AI to help catch up on projects, summarise meeting notes, and generate structured to-do lists. For sensitive client work, I use local LLMs like Deepseek to generate ideas or sanity-check implementations without relying on cloud APIs.

Beyond the Build: Long-Term Strategy

Effective web strategy doesn't end at launch. It includes planning for:

Maintenance & Security: Keeping the platform updated, secure, and running smoothly.
Performance Monitoring: Tracking key metrics to ensure optimal user experience.
Analytics & Iteration: Understanding user behavior and using data to inform future improvements.
Scalability: Ensuring the infrastructure can handle future growth.

I offer ongoing support and retainer options to ensure your digital asset continues to deliver value long after the initial build.

Ready to build with purpose? Let's discuss your vision and craft a strategy that turns your ideas into a powerful, results-driven digital platform.

Ready to Elevate Your Project?

Let's discuss how tailored strategies and development can achieve your online goals.

Start a Conversation