Have You Been Bitten By the Bug?
Written July 9th, 2008 by Katrina GriffinDo any of you suffer from the web developer bug? At first, I thought it was just me. I would develop a web site and once I was finished decide there were a million things I wanted to change. So, I would take the time to make the enhancements, then step back and decide there were yet more things I could do with the site that were more exciting or more functional. It’s a never-ending vicious cycle that I get caught up in.
In talking to several of my friends in the same profession as myself I have found… that it’s not just me! We all struggle with this. In one way or another we have been bitten by “the bug.” So, how do you deal with this? Do you just let it take over or do you try to tame it?
Bridging the Gap
Instead of falling into the never-ending vicious cycle, take a quick step back and identify the issues you have with the site. Is it usability? Lack of functionality? Spoon-fed content that just tells people what your outdated marketing team wants them to hear instead of what they are really looking for or really need? Once you’ve identified the issues you are currently experiencing with your site, take a look at the opportunities these issues have presented to you. (While this may be difficult for the pessimists out there…it is important for the idealists to think of opportunities realistically.) For example, if you aren’t satisfied with the level of functionality offered through your site, then you have been presented with the opportunity to add new functionality to your site. What new functionality would you like to see on your site and of the items on this list what would be the most valuable for your organization?
This brings us to identifying the stakeholders. Is your organization the only driving force to your web initiatives? I hope not!! In most cases this would include current patients, future patients, family members of patients, employees, physicians, and the organization as a whole (whether you work for a single hospital or hospital system). Keep in mind that with web initiatives your stakeholders can vary widely by page and section of your web sites. Ask yourself, how do the opportunities affect your site and your various stakeholders? How do these opportunities affect the patients (future or current)?
Once you’ve done this, put yourself into the future and imagine what your site would be like if these opportunities were realized. Now create a set of goals to reach this vision. When creating your goals be sure they are SMART goals. What are SMART goals? Goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Creating these types of goals can, at times, be a bit more challenging, but they ensure success, so I strongly recommend using this strategy.
So far in this process you have strategically identified the issues you had with your Web site, taken a look at opportunities presented by these issues and set a few attainable goals. Now, take a look at the current condition of your Web site and where you have envisioned you want it to be. Use the goals you have created and map out your plan to reach this vision. I find it helpful to set smaller milestones for myself in order to provide me affirmation and motivation to reach my goals. Be sure to identify any challenges you think you may stumble upon during the process of upgrading this part of your Web site and prepare a plan in advance to handle these challenges. By doing this you prepare yourself for success.
If you have followed all of these steps, you have successfully completed a gap analysis for your web site! Now you have been armed with the tools to resist the “web developers bug,” and you have put some method and strategy behind your web developing madness!
