You Have a Website!

1. You Have a Website! Now what? a wwworkshop hosted by Tom Feist, CIW Master E-commerce Developer Webmaster, Tidewater Community College 20 May 2008

2. Overview • “Novelty factor” of a website • The importance of content/layout • Tips for user-friendly experience • Linking & its impact on usability • E-marketing basics • Questions

3. The “Novelty Factor” Congratulations! • A “little” website • Cute and cuddly • Everybody wants to help with it • Fights over who gets to hold it

4. The “Novelty Factor” • The “little” website grows • It needs attention • Everyone gets tired of its constant needs • It makes messes that we have to clean up • Extra work What to do?

5. Content is King • Consider the QUALITY, not QUANTITY of web content • Proofread your content • Careful word choice/usage (Common Errors in English) • Use pronouns sparingly • “Welcome to our web page” • “Sue and Emily like reading. She thinks it is fun.” • Additional writing resources

6. Our Interaction with Websites • Web users do not READ they SCAN • Arrangement of content very important • Inclusion of graphics very important Source: Jakob Neilsen’s Eyetracking Study

7. F-Pattern Example

9. User-Friendliness • Goal: make your job easier while improving visitors’ experiences • Avoid duplicating information • Avoid link rot • Good practices for user-friendly design • Open links in new windows with warning only • Do not hide or overuse PDF files

10. Simple, Straight Talk • Not answering people’s questions • Use short, direct text • “Marketese” is text with little substance • Today’s students are especially savvy to “marketese”

11. A “Marketese” Example • Nebraska is filled with internationally recognized attractions that draw extremely large crowds of people every year, without fail. In 1996, for example, some of the most popular places tourists clamored to see were Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors), Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166), Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum (100,000), Carhenge (86,598), Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002), and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,446). (69 words)

12. Removing “Marketese” • In 1996, six of the most-visited places in Nebraska were: • Fort Robinson State Park • Scotts Bluff National Monument • Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum • Carhenge • Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer • Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park 38 words -55%

13. Three-Click Rule Myth Source: User Interface Engineering, www.uie.com • Easy to get caught up in a fascination with number of clicks • In reality, it makes no difference to satisfaction!

14. Information Scent Trails • Avoid “click here” • YouTube(:55) • My “click here” sample • Good link text • Answers the question “What”? • Importance to search engines

15. Non-Linear Linking • Never assume that a visitor followed a normal linear path to your page • A to B to C to D • They can jump in anywhere • Always link to your section and/or unit homepage

16. E-Marketing • Things you can do as a content manager • Collect feedback from your site and respond to it in a timely manner • Write to inspire trust • Get linked!

17. E-Marketing (continued) • Search Engine Marketing (video; 2:44)

18. Summary • “Novelty factor” of a website • Content is King • Content’s arrangement is important (F-pattern) • Keep content simple, free of “marketese” • User-friendliness • Number of clicks not important, information scent trail is • Descriptive link text helps visitors and search engine marketing • E-marketing basics • Search engine optimization • Collecting & responding to feedback

19. QUESTIONS?

20. Resources • Writing for the Web • Don’t speak in pronouns • Writing for the Web • 10 Tips for Good Web Writing • How people read on the Web • How Users Read on the Web