1. How to Get the Best Work out of a Web Design Shop Digital Loom Ben Di Maggio, Technical Director Victoria Merriman, Creative Director

2. Some assumptions about you You don't have a dedicated web technologist You’re very clear on your org’s goals You don't want to spend a zillion bucks

3. How to write a website RFP

4. How not to write an RFP Get hung up on a particular technology Create a list of unconnected features Forums Tagging Social media Document repository Etc.

5. Where are you now? What does your org do? Audiences Brand What’s good and bad about the current site? (Hint: don’t guess. Ask stakeholders.)

6. Where do you want to be? Goals for the next few years What should people be able to do on the site? What’s the competition like? Benchmarks for success?

7. The World Alliance to Caffeinate Undercaffeinated Peoples or, WACUP

8. How to pick a good agency

9. A good agency… Makes you feel smarter Listens carefully Has a solid portfolio Is loved by former clients

10. Questions to ask references What problems did they help you solve? How did they solve them? What were the challenges working with them? Are you happy with the website? Why/why not?

11. How to run the project

12. Where do websites come from?

13. 1. Discovery

14. 2. Information architecture

15. 3. Design

16. 4. Development

17. 5. Usability?

18. 6. Beta testing

19. 7. Launch

20. Your project manager S/he can get consensus S/he has the power to make decisions S/he has set aside time to make this happen

21. Some disappointing truths Prototypes are always imperfect Launch Day is exciting in both good and bad ways You have to write your content

22. How to write your content

23. Our 7 points of web writing 1.Common language 2.Be objective 3.Short 4.Scannable 5.Consistent tone 6.6 th grade level 7.Tell stories

24. Again, WACUP

25. Measuring website performance

26. Google Analytics Visits, not hits Unique visitors Top entry and exit pages Most-visited pages

27. Goals, on and off the site Use Analytics’ Goals feature How is the new site helping your org in the real world? Site metrics might suggest new goals

28. Thanks! More details at http://www.digital-loom.com/webshop