[AppleOptionFour]

When you are putting together a website, what are the big picture questions you ask in the process? Alternatively, what are the main issues you address to make the site a success.

The things that come to mind for me are:

Consistency in design and user interface
Portability
Addresses the needs of the user

I feel like I am missing something though or not hitting the nail on the head.

[MacAtak]

I'd add the following to the list:

Standards Compliant
Simplicity
Is it attractive?
Will the user want to come back?

[Macola]

Originally posted by AppleOptionFour:

I feel like I am missing something though or not hitting the nail on the head.

The big one:

What does the client want?

Very often, it's not any of the three that you mentioned (and they are all excellent points).

[OptimusG4]

And more often than not, most will not understand standards support or even care because they feel Frontpage will do the work for them once you are out of the picture.

[ameat]

from a development/maintenance perspective, you should probably accept that something will ultimately change with time: navigation items, etc... structure your code so that it facilitates these changes, and doesn't get in the way. coding your site with semantic xhtml and css eases this, in addition to using various methods of including common code.

identify the key purposes that the site is attempting to address; weight items from there and design your interface around those items of importance.

plus what everyone else said...