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What Makes A Successful Web Site? Navigating the Process

What Makes A Successful Web Site? Navigating the Process. Monday, December 17, 2001 | Case V Conference: Chicago.

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What Makes A Successful Web Site? Navigating the Process

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  1. What Makes A Successful Web Site?Navigating the Process Monday, December 17, 2001| Case V Conference: Chicago Bart Caylor, Principal, Brainstorm Design, IndianapolisTed Hattemer, Director of New Media, The Ohio State UniversityChris Williams, Director of Public Information, Anderson University

  2. Introduction Web sites are here to stay. Their influence grows daily. What makes a successful site? This session will provide a review of some of the best college Web sites and what makes them good. We will discuss practical advice on how to make your site better, regardless of the size of your school.

  3. Bart Caylor Principal, Brainstorm Design Brainstorm is a graphic design firm that has an equal focus on multi-media and web-site development as well as traditional design. Bart has managed websites and other projects for clients such as The University of Notre Dame, Anderson University, RCA, Motorola, Bryan College, Institute for Study Abroad, Cornerstone University, The Indianapolis Speedway, and Pearson Education. Brainstorm's experience in designing integrated marketing plans, web sites, collateral, packaging, point of purchase displays, campaigns, identity programs, direct mail and multi-media presentations has proven to be a successful key to our client's communications. Bart is active as Alumni Council member at Anderson University.

  4. Ted Hattemer Director of New Media: The Ohio State University Ted Hattemer has been with University Marketing Communications since January 1999. Prior to that Ted served as Web Editor for the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES),where he produced the first CFAES Web Site, and the CD-ROM/Web Site "Ohioline." Prior to that, Ted was an Associate Editor for CFAES, and an Editor at Macmillian/McGraw-Hill and Glencoe Publishing. He received his Bachelor of Arts with a major in English from The Ohio State University in 1991. Ted's main responsibilities Director of New Media include being the on-site advocate for Ohio State Web visitors and their interests, liaison to other Web developers within the university, and advocate for Ohio State's interests in recruitment, matriculation, and retention of quality students, faculty, and staff. In addition Ted serves on various committees, directing the technology path for Ohio State.

  5. Chris Williams Director of Media and Electronic Information, Anderson University Chris Williams has been with Anderson University as Director of Media and Electronic Communications since 1995. Prior to that Chris served as Director of Public Relations for Kruse International, a for-profit firm in northern Indiana. He received a Bachelor of Arts with a specialization in Public Relations from Anderson University in 1992 and earned a Master of Business Administration with honors from the Falls School of Business at AU in 2000. Chris’s main responsibilities include serving as the chief spokesperson for the university with members of the media, coordinating selected special events with the Office of University Relations, and directing the ongoing development of the university’s public Web site. Chris serves on several campus committees at AU and provides communication support and counsel to a variety of organizations within the City of Anderson.

  6. The Website-Vehicle Analogy Preparing to embark on your website journey requires understanding the capabilities your chosen “vehicle:” • How it Looks: Aesthetics • How it Handles: Logistics • How it Performs: Technology • Heed the Warning Signs

  7. How Your Website Looks

  8. How Your Website Looks: Aesthetics The appearance of your final product • Quality Design: Visual Appearance • Design vs. Download: Delivery Appearance • Market-Driven: Appropriate Appearance • Brand Issues: Consistent Appearance

  9. Aesthetics: Quality Design The visual appearance of your final product • First Impressions • Quality design permeates all society • Competition is not other schools, but culture and industry (MTV, Mountain Dew, Etc.) • Perception is often reality – especially in compressed time • Quality Control: Proofing content, etc. • Resources • Professional team members • Options: Art Department, Etc.

  10. Quality Design:Bennington College | Bennington , Vermontwww.bennington.edu

  11. Quality Design:Butler University | Indianapolis, Indiana www.butler.edu

  12. Aesthetics: Design vs. Download The delivery appearance of your final product • Does the appearance distract from the experience of the site? • How long does the site take to download? • What is your audience? Where are they connected? • Are images optimized?

  13. Design vs. Download:Institute for Study AbroadButler University | Indianapolis, Indianawww.isa-butler.com

  14. Aesthetics: Market Driven The appropriate appearance of your final product • Are you serving a site that is relevant to your audience? • Will your audience react to the site? • Is there a clear call-to-action? What is the end purpose of the website? • What are you communicating?

  15. Market Driven:Xavier University Undergraduate Admissionswww.xavier.edu

  16. Market Driven:Columbus College of Art and Designwww.ccad.edu

  17. Aesthetics: Brand Issues The consistent appearance of your final product • Is your message consistently presented throughout the site? • Are logos and corporate guidelines utilized? • Does your website work with other communications? • Does the design reflect the brand?

  18. Brand Issues:Bowling Green State University | Bowling Green, Ohio www.bgsu.edu

  19. Brand Issues:The Ohio State University | Columbus, Ohiowww.osu.edu

  20. Aesthetics: Checklist The appearance of your final product • What is the first impression worth? • Know how to optimize and keep your site slim • Know your audience and work toward that end • Keep your brand prominent and consistent • Develop a plan and put it in writing

  21. How Your Website Handles

  22. How Your Website Handles: Logistics The ease of use of your final product • Organization • Intuitive Paradigm • Types of Navigation

  23. Logistics: Organization • Easy • Logical • Appropriate use of content vs. other

  24. Organization:University of Dayton | Dayton, Ohiowww.udayton.edu

  25. Logistics: Intuitive Paradigm • Logical • Following conventions • Ease of Use • Respect the Expectations

  26. Intuitive Paradigm:Amazon.com

  27. Logistics: Types of Navigation • Global • Secondary • Tertiary, Deeper • Ancillary • Redundant • Portal • Discovery

  28. Types of Navigation:Anderson University | Anderson, Indianawww.anderson.edu

  29. Logistics: Checklist The navigational use of your final product • How easy is your site to use? • Is it intuitive? • Is the navigation consistent, and expected? • Are you utilizing several kinds of navigation to make it user centric? • Develop a plan and put it in writing

  30. How Your Website Performs

  31. How Your Website Performs: Technology The delivery of your final product • Know your needs • Know your limits • Passive vs. Interactive • Dynamic vs. Static • Flexible vs. Reactionary

  32. Technology: Know Your Needs • First Answer Questions: • Anticipated Traffic • Audience Needs and Expectations • Audience Makeup • Daily updates? News focused? • Match your needs with the technology • Frames • Flash • Java • DHTML

  33. Technology: Know Your Limits • First Answer Questions: • Anticipated Traffic • Audience Limits and Expectations • Server Issues • Hosting Issues • Match your limits with the technology • IS Department/Server farm • T1 vs. T3 vs. Napster • Packeteer

  34. Technology: Passive vs. Interactive • Will your content be accessed daily for reference? • Is it important to drive traffic to site? • Are there tools that will drive traffic back to your site? • Are you customizing the experience based upon the user? Identifying plug-ins?

  35. Passive vs. Interactive:Ohio State University | Columbus, Ohiowww.osu.edu

  36. Technology: Dynamic vs. Static • How often does your content change? • Have you identified areas on campus that will not change

  37. Technology: Flexible vs. Reactionary • Do you need to update information immediately as it happens (sports, news, etc.) • Do you have to call others to make changes • What is the process?

  38. Dynamic vs. Static & Flexible vs. Reactionary:George Fox University | Newberg, Oregonwww.georgefox.edu

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