The Planning Process

1. The Planning Process

2. Business Web Site DesignSteps in the Planning Process • Software • Purpose • Audience • Organization • Links • Page Length • Graphics • Image Maps • Navigation • Netiquette • Security • Quality Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

3. Business Web Site Design SOFTWARE • Microsoft Word • Adobe Site Mill/ Page Mill • Microsoft Front-page • Netscape Composer • Other HTML editors Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

4. Business Web Site Design PURPOSES • Providing a Service • Search Engines • Selling a Product or Service • Marketing (hooking the user) • Presenting Information to an Interested Audience • Providing a Collection of Links Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

5. Business Web Site Design AUDIENCE • Who will be using your pages? • Customers? • Employees of your company? • People familiar with your subject matter? • People just learning the things you will be discussing? Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

6. Business Web Site Design ORGANIZATION Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

7. Business Web Site Design HyperLINKS • Menu of Web Site Links [ Product Info | Purchasing Info | Cool Links ] • Use Paragraph Form for Links to another Web Site: • Informational Link: This link will take you to the home page of California State University Northridge • Limited Information Link: http://www.csun.edu Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

8. Business Web Site Design PAGE LENGTH • Try to keep your pages to the length of a window. • The user may not realize there is more information below • Displaying large blocks of text. • May be longer than one window • Be sure to use Targets to help the user navigate the page. Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

9. Business Web Site Design GRAPHICS • How many graphics should you include? • The more graphics a page contains the: • slower that page will load. • hard drive space needed will increase significantly! • Use Graphics that are CRITICAL to the information content of your page. Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

10. Business Web Site Design IMAGE MAPS Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

11. Business Web Site Design NAVIGATION • Include a “Menu of Links” (or Navigational Header) for your Web Site • Consider including this Menu at the top and bottom of your pages. • Put a title header on each page. • Keep the color scheme consistent on all of your pages. Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

12. Business Web Site Design NETIQUETTE • Do not insult people. • Be careful of multiple interpretations of your writing! • Do not publish “registered” or “copyrighted” material without the permission of the owner. • Do not publish links to someone else’s pages unless you are sure they want the exposure. Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

13. Business Web Site Design SECURITY • Keep “company proprietary” information secured behind a firewall. • Use a “Secure Feed” when asking for a customer’s Credit Card as a form of payment! • New Software Packages designed specifically for this function. Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

14. Business Web Site Design QUALITY • Test EVERY Link • Keep your Web Site up-to-date • Check your spelling • Write for ALL Internet Browsers • Most third-party software packages will do this for you! Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

15. Business Web Site Design QUALITY continued • Put a link leading to a comment mechanism on every page. • Link to Email • Make it easy for your audience to give you feedback. • RESPOND to people who do comment on your pages Creating a Business Web Site By Paul Lazarony

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