Web site development: Basics & MS FrontPage

What I hope to demonstrate n n Basics of a good web site n n How to most effectively communicate via the Web n n How to create a web site with FrontPage

A website should focus on what your visitors want!   Less than 50% of experienced users are able to have a productive browsing experience due to content complexity on first page distracting graphics unclear navigation

90% of commercial websites are poorly designed, and satisfy an executive committee rather than the website visitor   A commercial website's first web page space allocation was analyzed: 31% were buttons of the browser 10% was advertisement 15% was white space 23% was navigation 20% were contents!

  Even if 90% of websites are bad, that doesn't mean that 90% of browsing experience is bad;   people spend time on good sites and go back to them

Elements of a good web site   Identify   audience   objective of web site   identify content with keywords

Elements II   Structure content break the web site into areas of “interest” logically sequence these components (linear outline) and their correlations (non-linear construction)

Elements III   Navigation simple, accessible design straight-forward menu clear navigation and links

Elements III   Navigation a visitor should always know/locate where he/she is within the site how to go back to the index page when linking out of web site to another web site

Elements IV   Documentation (footer)   URL address   Person responsible for this page   Person’s credentials   Affiliation (institutional logo)   Last updated date

Elements V   Symbiotic graphics and text consistent color scheme for all pages browser safe palette (rule of 51) 72 dpi images minimal animation, if at all

Elements VI   Continued development impression web site is actively maintained news items search feature for complex sites site map for complex sites review/correct/update/etc.

n Questions… n FrontPage/website development...