When planning a new software development, I often use a simple tool to help me analyze 3 things:

1.      Who is going to use the application/website?
2.      What do those people expect to get?
3.      What do those people expect to provide?

I call it the “Give-Get” matrix and I usually use MS-Excel to write it.  Here’s a sample for a fictitious Church member web portal:

This template helps to identify simple needs from each perspective.  From this matrix, you can identify overlapping functionality, assess the need for moderation/approval on each function, and evaluate how you are serving your audience(s).  You can also use this tool to evaluate existing software.