Topic 1: Understand the User
Although we may think because the client is paying us we only have to consider their wants and needs, this is entirely untrue, of even more focus should be the needs of the site user. The easiest way to do this seems to be by understanding the full needs of the user and adapting those to fit around the clients wants. If you are not meeting all user needs or giving them unwated hoops to jump through then you are giving the advantage to the competitor.
Topic 2: Importance of the Site Map
A complex part of web design is the informational architecture or how the information in the site will be layed out and displayed. An important tool to aid with this is the use of a site map, these can be on paper or implemented in software and give a visual on all the information that will be on a page of the website. Site maps help communicate ideas with the client to make sure you are on the same page, as well as help you catch any mistakes or missing information early on.
Topic 3: The Plan is a Living Document
It is important to remember that the plan is fluid and can change at any point. Whether that be changing the colors or adding in whole new sets of information, it can all change, so remember not to close your view off from previously "done" parts of the project. The plan will evolve just as the website does and that is okay, this is the way the best websites are created, through an adaptive and attentive plan.