Chapter Objectives

Chapter Objectives • Describe the Web site development planning process • Complete Step 1: Define the site’s purpose • Complete Step 2: Identify the site’s target audience • Complete Step 3: Determine the site’s general content • Complete Step 4: Select the site’s structure Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

The Web Site Development Planning Process Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 1: Define the Site’s Purpose • Web site goals • Web site objectives • Web site purpose Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 2: Identify the Site’s Target Audience • Define the site’s target audience • Develop a target audience profile Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • The home page is often the first page a visitor sees • Should include: • Who (text name/logo) • What (is available/summary) • Where (links to other pages) • Search feature • Provide keyword search capability for site’s pages Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Questions a Website’s Home Page Should Answer • Who—who owns and publishes the site (look for name, logo, tagline • What—Summary text and images that show what is available • Where—easily identifies links to indicate where information is found Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • Web sites often include multiple subsidiary or underlying pages—provide details to summary • Should include the same elements as its home page: • Name • Logo • Typeface • Color scheme Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • A splash page uses images, animation, and sound to capture visitors’ attention and draw them into the site Many visitors seriously dislike dealing with splash pages! (Include link to skip) Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • Should include value-added content: • Relative • Informative • Timely • Accurate • High quality • Usable Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • Text • Primary component of a Web site • Guidelines to consider • Chunk text for scannability • Place explanatory or detailed information on linked underlying pages • Use active voice and a friendly tone • Remove transitional words and phrases like as stated previously, similarly, and as a result, which might not be relevant for the chunked text Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • Images • Most commonly included content element on Web sites • Can personalize and familiarize the unknown Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • Audio • Low-bandwidth alternative to video • Audio can persuade, inspire, personalize, motivate, or sooth Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • Video • Video clips incorporate movement and sound • Extremely large sizes of video • Downloadable vs. Streaming Video • Downloadable media must be downloaded in its entirety to the user’s computer before it can be heard or seen. • Streaming video begins to play as soon as the data begins to stream (transfer) to the browser. Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • Animation • Widely used to attract attention and liven Web pages • Adds interest and appeal to Web pages • Overuse of animations can become distracting and annoying • Animated GIF • Gives the appearance of moving pictures • Flash animation—animated movie using Adobe Flash CS3® software. Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • Multimedia • Add action, excitement, and interactivity to your Web site • Viewers are intrigued and entertained by multimedia presentations • Multimedia presentations can be interactive • Users can participate • Helper Applications • Plug-ins Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • Dynamically Generated Content • Served up to your Web site visitor triggered by a specific event • Frequently called up from a database • e.g. Course and schedule information for a college Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content • Organizing Web Site Files • Organize the resulting files in your Web site • Create folders on your computer’s local drive • Regularly create back ups Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Step 4: Select the Site’s Structure • Outline your Web Site • Choose the method that you find most flexible and comfortable (storyboard, flowchart) • Linear / tutorial structure • Random structure • Hierarchical structure Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Linear/Tutorial Structure • Presents information in a specific order • Training website Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Random Structure • Arranges information without a specific order • Use only for small Web sites Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Hierarchical Structure • Organizes information into categories and subcategories • Best used in organizational / topical Web sites Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Hierarchical Structure Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Chapter Summary • Describe the Web site development planning process • Complete Step 1: Define the site’s purpose • Complete Step 2: Identify the site’s target audience • Complete Step 3: Determine the site’s general content • Complete Step 4: Select the site’s structure Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

Chapter Objectives