writing a mission statement

I have only one hard and fast rule about developing web sites: I never, ever begin work without a written mission statement and project goals.

It's tempting, especially when working under time pressure or on a small-scale project, to skip this step. You figure: I know what I'm doing, and my team knows what they're doing. I don't need a formal mission statement. But you do. Even the smallest project one that's measured in days instead of months is measurably improved when you have the site's purpose in writing. And on more significant projects a new site or a major redesign it's perilous to proceed without it.

The mission statement, you'll learn, is a web team's best friend.

The written mission statement

• Clarifies what you're creating so everyone shares the same vision

• Clarifies your objectives so everyone agrees to the same goals

• Prevents the project from slipping off course a major risk with web projects

• Insulates you from the whims of others by accomplishing the above

Of course, these advantages don't come free. Mission statements are notoriously hard to write, because they need to be both pithy and meaningful, capturing the essence of a site's purpose in just a few words. They should explain what you're doing and who you're doing it for.

Every mission statement should include

• Who the site is for

• What the site does

• How the site differs from its competition

Keep in mind, however, that the mission statement is for your staff, not your customers. It needn't (and I'd argue shouldn't) appear on your web site itself.

a model mission statement

Mission statements are notoriously difficult to write. So when crafting one for your site, it helps to have a model.

Try this Mad Lib-like template:

_____________________ (site name) is a ______________________ (noun describing site) offering ______________________________________ (type of service) to _______________________________________________ (adjective describing audience) ____________________________________________ (noun describing audience) who _____________________________________________ ("need" or "want") to _______________________________________________ (need filled by site).

Unlike competing sites, which ______________________________________________ (description of competition, highlighting faults), ____________________________________________ (site name) will ______________________________________________ (verb-based purpose, distinguishing site from its competition).

The resulting mission statement should look something like this:

MySistersGarden.com is an online gardening center offering information, advice, and products to discriminating gardening enthusiasts who want the best possible products for their outdoor garden. Unlike other gardening sites, which provide either information or products, but not both, MySistersGarden.com will offer a comprehensive suite of garden-planning tools to assist in all phases of garden planning, from plant selection to landscape design to product purchase to year-round maintenance.

"If you cry 'Forward!' you must without fail make plain in which direction to go."

Anton Chekhov