Gathering specifications

If client is computer skilled enough, gathering specifications can be done with a case tracker. It allows a collaborative process (every stakeholder can comment and be notified).
Identify and break down the main tasks, create a case for each and assign the client to it. Client has to change the case into 'Resolved' status when he's happy with the solution and so signing off on it.

Client questions

General question

- What is the website about, its objectives, outcomes and benefits?
- Who is going to use it (target audience)?
- What will the content be?
- Time-line, schedule?
- Who will be in charge of managing the website?
- Other website references?
- Budget?
- Deliverable?

Features

- Search, user?
- User registration?
- Signup, captcha?
- WYSIWYG?
- Files, images, media upload?
- Tagging?
- Revision?
- Content management?
- Print view?
- Email notifications?
- SEO, SMO, business monitoring?
- Flash?
- Payment systems?
- ...

Roles & permissions

- identify roles, groups & permissions using permissions specifications template

Design

- Colors, atmosphere, style?
- Examples of website that client likes/dislikes?
- Different themes according to the period/events?
- Ergonomic?
- Supported browsers? See some arguments to avoid Internet Explorer 6 support.

Hosting

- Where (country, data center...)?
- Expected load?
- Production environment type?
- Backup, frequency, rotation, place, SQL binary logs?
- Load balanced?
- SQL replication?
- Redundancy?
- Uptime guaranty, SLA?
- Monitoring?
- Domains name?
- SSL?

Documentation

- Technical documentation?
- End user documentation?

Training

- How many users?
- Where?
- Who?

Website attendance

- Visitors forecast?
- Content type?

Ongoing support

- Security update?
- Future developments?
- Refinements?

Wireframe

Wireframe is the key for a good process gathering and has many advantages:
- It forces you to think about almost everything on the website and so asks the client the right questions.
- It allows developers to visualize the website and so avoid questions to project manager.
- Client will not be able to claim out of scope elements.
The wireframe should include all the main pages of the website and not only the homepage.
It should not include the design.

Some tools:

- OpenOffice.org (Drawing)
- Axure, powerful tool allowing you to create user interaction
- Collaborative & online wireframe tools

Example of a wireframe page