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E-Commerce and the Web. From a Webmaster’s Perspective By Chris Whitehead, MCSE Webmaster Columbus State University. Agenda. What a webmaster is How this relates to a typical day for me Specific issues/pet peeves Web site design guidelines Questions and answers. What is a Webmaster?.
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E-Commerce and the Web From a Webmaster’s Perspective By Chris Whitehead, MCSE Webmaster Columbus State University
Agenda • What a webmaster is • How this relates to a typical day for me • Specific issues/pet peeves • Web site design guidelines • Questions and answers
What is a Webmaster? • According to www.webopedia.com: • An individual who manages a Web site.
What is a Webmaster? (cont) • Depending on the size of the site, the Webmaster might be responsible for any of the following: • Making sure that the Web server hardware and software is running properly • Designing the Web site • Creating and updating Web pages • Replying to user feedback • Creating CGI scripts • Monitoring traffic through the site
Web Server Hardware & Software • Windows or Unix/Linux • Windows • NT/2000/XP • Internet Information Server (IIS) • Unix/Linux • Red Hat/Caldera/… • Apache/Netscape/…
Designing a Web Site • Iterative Process/Design by Committee • Storyboarding/Site Diagrams • Consistency • Navigation
Creating and Updating Web Pages • Download Speed • Browser Compatibility • Platform Compatibility • Accessibility Issues • Technology • Maintenance
Replying to User Feedback • All Sorts of Questions • How Accessible • Just-in-time Error Reporting
Creating Scripts • Automate • Form Processing • Daily Backups • Rotating Log Files
Monitoring Traffic • Check Server Logs Daily • Log File Analysis
Additional Items • Optimization • Security • Virus Protection • Backups
Design Guidelines Customer-Friendly Design Guidelines for E-Commerce by Joseph Feller • Nearly half of all consumer e-commerce revenues are lost to poor design. • An e-commerce website is an environment for creating and exchanging value. • When customers decide they want to learn more about a particular product, can every page of the site tell them about a particular product, can every page of the site tell them where the item is located, or at least get them to the right area of the store?
Design Guidelines (cont) • A customer-friendly site supports both planned and impulse shopping. • It is simply bad business to make customers wait. • When a page contains technology that requires a plug-in, not having alternatives can alienate customers. • Only if a site is extremely easy to use will anybody bother to stick around. • Provide a search interface on every page.
Design Guidelines (cont) • Purchasing system should have the following characteristics: • Fast loading, gracefully degrading, no ‘fluff’ pages • Usable, visible, clearly labeled control mechanisms • Flexible, allowing customer to make last minute changes • Demonstrated respect for customer privacy • Demonstrated reliability and security
Summary • Being a webmaster requires a diverse background and knowledge base. • Design with the user in mind. Questions and Answers