Smart Debt Coach Website - Strategic Plan

Generated from: 00-Specs.md
Business Objective: Launch MVP website for US financial advisor lead generation and Smart Debt mission establishment

Phase Overview

Phase 1: Foundation & Infrastructure (Week 1)

Objective: Establish solid technical foundation for Smart Debt Coach website

Business Rationale: Create the “beachhead” - a lean, focused foundation that enables rapid iteration and deployment. Focus on technical infrastructure that supports the core mission of US advisor education.

Key Deliverables:

1.1: Monorepo Foundation Setup
1.2: Design System Implementation
1.3: Core Site Structure & Navigation

Success Criteria:

Monorepo deploys successfully to Cloudflare Pages
Design system reflects professional financial industry standards
Core navigation structure supports planned content
All sites build and deploy without errors
Mobile responsiveness verified

Dependencies: None (foundation phase)

Phase 2: Content & Core Features (Week 2-3)

Objective: Build essential pages and lead capture functionality

Business Rationale: Implement the three core goals: communicate the mission, capture leads, and validate the concept. Focus on US financial advisors as the primary audience.

Key Deliverables:

2.1: Homepage with Mission & Lead Magnet
2.2: About/Mission Page with Cancer Pledge
2.3: Smart Debt Myths eBooklet Landing Page
2.4: Lead Capture Integration (Web3Forms + n8n + Sendy)

Success Criteria:

Homepage clearly communicates Smart Debt value proposition
Lead magnet achieves >5% conversion rate on organic traffic
About page establishes credibility and trust with advisors
Lead capture flow works end-to-end with proper segmentation
All content optimized for US financial advisor audience

Dependencies: Requires Phase 1 completion (foundation infrastructure)

Phase 3: Launch Preparation & Optimization (Week 4)

Objective: Optimize for performance, SEO, and prepare for public launch

Business Rationale: Ensure the site meets professional standards expected by financial advisors and performs well in search results for Smart Debt related terms.

Key Deliverables:

3.1: SEO Optimization & Analytics Setup
3.2: Performance Optimization & Testing
3.3: Content Review & Professional Polish
3.4: Launch Preparation & Domain Configuration

Success Criteria:

Lighthouse score >95 for Performance, SEO, Accessibility
Website loads in <2 seconds on all devices
SEO optimized for “smart debt financial advisors” and related terms
Google Analytics 4 and Cloudflare Analytics configured
All content reviewed for accuracy and professionalism
Domain properly configured with SSL

Dependencies: Requires Phase 2 completion (content and functionality)

Strategic Decisions (From Phase 1 Analysis)

Branding & Design

Decision: Blue theme with current logo (temporary, reversible)
Rationale: Avoid paralysis, focus on launch over perfection

Technical Approach

Decision: Astro + Svelte + Tailwind with shadcn-svelte components
Rationale: Modern, performant stack aligned with FOSS preferences

Content Strategy

Decision: 100% US-focused content (no internationalization in Phase 1)
Rationale: Aligns with strategic plan for US advisor focus

Lead Generation

Decision: Free “Smart Debt Myths eBooklet” as primary lead magnet
Rationale: Leverages existing content, provides value, builds trust

E-commerce

Decision: No shopping cart for Phase 1, use Stripe Payment Links if needed
Rationale: Simplifies launch, 95% solution with 5% effort

Risk Assessment

High Risk

Content Quality: Financial advisor audience requires high credibility
Mitigation: Thorough content review, professional polish, SEC/FINRA compliance check

Medium Risk

Technical Complexity: Monorepo + multiple integrations
Mitigation: Phase approach, extensive testing, APE parallel execution
Lead Generation Performance: Must achieve >5% conversion rate
Mitigation: A/B test lead magnet offer, optimize form placement and copy

Low Risk

Domain Configuration: Standard DNS setup
Mitigation: Document process, use Cloudflare’s automated SSL

Resource Allocation & Timeline

Phase 1: Foundation (Week 1)

Time Estimate: 20-30 hours total
Focus: Technical setup and infrastructure
Parallel Execution: 1.2 and 1.3 can run after 1.1 completes

Phase 2: Content & Features (Week 2-3)

Time Estimate: 35-45 hours total
Focus: Content creation and lead capture implementation
Parallel Execution: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 can run in parallel after foundation

Phase 3: Launch Preparation (Week 4)

Time Estimate: 15-25 hours total
Focus: Optimization, testing, and launch preparation
Parallel Execution: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 can run in parallel

Total Project Estimate: 70-100 hours over 4 weeks

Integration with Smart Debt Mission

Mission Alignment

Primary Goal: Support Smart Debt mission of client-first advisor education
Cancer Pledge: Prominently feature 50% profit pledge to cancer research
Credibility: Position as thought leader in responsible leveraging education

Future Expansion Foundation

Smart Debt Academy: Site structure supports future course offerings
Content Marketing: Blog structure ready for advisor education content
Product Integration: Foundation supports future Smart Debt App integration
Community Building: Lead capture enables building US advisor community

Success Metrics

Technical Performance

Website loads in <2 seconds on all devices
Lighthouse score >95 for Performance, SEO, Accessibility
Mobile usability score >95%
Zero critical accessibility issues

Business Performance

Email capture conversion rate >5% from organic traffic
1000+ monthly organic visitors within 6 months of launch
Proper segmentation of US vs non-US leads
Professional design credibility for financial advisor audience

Strategic Performance

Clear communication of Smart Debt mission and value proposition
Trust-building through cancer pledge and personal story
Foundation established for future Smart Debt Academy and products
Lead generation system validated and optimized

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