Budget Planning for the Web

For many folks, the end of the calendar year means it's time to submit budget requests. Perhaps you're among the lucky few who have a comprehensive plan and budget for the Web. But if you don't, here are some guidelines to get you thinking about funding your Web operations.

First, make sure the scope is defined for the Web presence. Are you  responsible for funding the public-facing site, the intranet, an extranet or the whole shoot'n match? A documented Web operations strategy will help you define budget parameters so when you make the ask, you can clearly state that you're seeking funding for "X" Web property.

Next, state the goals for the Web property and the planned strategies and tactics for meeting those goals. This process will allow you to identify quantifiable success metrics and provide rationale for funding. For example, you may have a goal to migrate 50 percent of content into your CMS. Once you have the goal defined, describe the approach and resource requirements for meeting that goal (ex. tools, vendors, training, etc).

At this point, you can begin to assign costs to each line item. Make sure you take into consideration the costs for hardware, software, design, implementation and maintenance. Other cost considerations are training, communications and change management. Depending on your organization, you may also need to cost out internal head count in addition to vendor fees. Specifically, how many full-time employees (FTEs) will you need to accomplish the Web goals?

Web goals should include specific projects (i.e, a site re-design) as well as day-to-day operations. People are generally good about budgeting for projects but rarely do we see organizations that budget appropriately for the care and feeding of the Web presence. Your budget should account for all the things that are required for maintaining a quality Web presence. This should include daily upkeep of design and editorial content, ongoing usability and analytics, R&D, and maintenance of Web tools and infrastructure.

Depending on how your organization budgets, you may have a stand-alone Web budget or you may need to collaborate with other departments to make sure they're accounting for the Web in their budgets. This may involve working with IT to address software and hardware-related items as well as working with individual lines of business to ensure they have budget for Web projects and ongoing Web operations.

A detailed Web plan for upcoming projects and day-to-day operations will help everyone understand priorities and costs for the Web presence. Share the plan with your Web stakeholders to ensure buy-in and support for the budget. That will keep the process transparent and help set expectations for the coming year.