Building a website: Writing a Spec

By Sue Fidler, Third Sector, 7 May 2008

Sue Fidler explains how to write a specification of requirements for your site.

Once you have worked through the content management system decisions (Third Sector, 23 April) - your objectives, audiences, content, navigation and functionality - you are almost ready to write your specification of requirements. The only thing left to add to it is your accessibility standards.

You should definitely include a text-only version of the site for people with screen readers and intelligent 'alt tags' to images and links. The use of cascading style sheets should mean that your site will adjust to fit the viewer's browser settings, therefore resizing text to their requirements. For advice, visit the RNIB (www.rnib.org.uk/webaccesscentre) and AbilityNet (www.abilitynet.org.uk/web).

You should now have everything you need to tell web developers what you want. Add in your email and a deadline for submissions, and you have a tender document.

There are lots of web developers out there, and many of them have worked with charities. Organisations such as the NCVO, CharityComms and Internet4Charities provide listings. If in doubt, ask your peers or join the charity webmasters' forum - a Yahoo group - to get advice.

Issue your tender with a two to three-week reply deadline. Select at least two of the respondents to interview. Ask for a demo of the CMS and discuss their charity experience, design process and project management. Once you have selected a supplier, always check references. It is also worth asking for a list of client sites. If you want something different and all their designs are the same, you may have a problem.

At the end of all this they should give you a fixed-price quote, a timeline and delivery date, help you arrange hosting and give you a price for ongoing support and upgrades.

- Sue Fidler is an independent charity ICT and internet consultant.