Web Design, 3 rd Edition 3 Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1

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 12

The Web Site Development Planning Process Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 13

Step 1: Define the Site’s Purpose  Web site goals  Web site objectives  Web site purpose Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 14

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 15

Market Segmentation  Geographic –Local, State, National, Global  Demographics –Age, Gender, Race, Ethnicity, etc.  Psychographics –Lifestyles, hobbies, etc. Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 16

Milk  Few features  Generally appeals to the masses  Name another product that does such?  They even segmented the market for milk Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 17

Who is this marketed towards? Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 18

Who is this marketed towards? Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 19

Who is this marketed towards? Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 110

Who is this marketed towards? Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 111

Who is this marketed towards? Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 112

Who is this marketed towards? Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 113

Who is this marketed towards? Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 114

Who is this marketed towards? Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 115

Who is this marketed towards? Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 116

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content  The home page is often the first page a visitor sees  Should include: –Who –What –Where  Search feature Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 117

Home Page Contents  Visitors will look for: –Who pays for this web site? Graphic logo and text name –What questions are answered with Summary text and images –Where questions are answered with Hyperlinks Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 118

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content  Web sites often include multiple subsidiary or underlying pages  Should include the same elements as its home page: –Name –Logo –Typeface –Color scheme Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 119

Visual Identity  Use design elements to exploit the power of branding on a home page Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 120

Brand  Organizations spend time and money defining, creating, and maintaining a positive and recognizable brand. Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 121

Take Brand Quiz  Open brand quiz (my assignments page)  First one done with most correct answers wins! Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 122

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 123

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 Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 124

Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 125

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 126

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 127

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 128

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 129

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content  Video –Video clips incorporate movement and sound –Extremely large sizes of video Downloadable vs. Streaming Video Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 130

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 Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 131

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 132

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 133

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 Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 134

Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 135

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 136

Step 4: Select the Site’s Structure  Outline your Web Site –Choose the method that you find most flexible and comfortable Linear / tutorial structure Random structure Hierarchical structure Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 137

Linear/Tutorial Structure  Presents information in a specific order –Training website Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 138

Random Structure  Arranges information without a specific order  Use only for small Web sites Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 139

Hierarchical Structure  Organizes information into categories and subcategories  Best used in organizational / topical Web sites Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 140

Hierarchical Structure Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 141

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 142

Web Design, 3 rd Edition 3 Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 1