Gathering specification

If client is enough computer skilled, it can be done with a case tracker (example Open Atrium pretty much user friendly). It allow a collaborative process of building specification (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 solve each case when he's happy with the solution.

Client questions

General question

- What the website is about, objectives, outcomes, benefits
- Who is going to use it (target audience)
- What will the content be
- Timeline, 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, medias upload
- Tagging
- Revision
- Content management
- Print view
- Emails notifications
- SEO, SMO, business monitoring
- Flash
- Payment systems
- ...

Roles & permissions

- identify roles, groups & permissions using permissions_specification_template

Design

- Colors, atmosphere, style
- Example of website like/dislike
- Different themes according to the period/events
- Ergonomic

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

- Documentation technical
- Documentation final user

Traning

- How many users
- Where
- Who

Website attendance

- Visitors forecast
- Content type

Ongoing support

- Security update
- Future development
- Refinements

Wireframe

Wireframe is the key for a good process gathering and has many advantages:
- It forced you to think about almost everything on the website and so ask the good question to the client.
- It allow developer 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 website page 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