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

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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  Provide keyword search capability for site’s pages Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 16

7. Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content  Web sites often include multiple subsidiary or underlying pages—provide details to summary  Should include the same elements as its home page: –Name –Logo –Typeface –Color scheme Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 17

8. Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 18

9. 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 19 Many visitors seriously dislike dealing with splash pages! (Include link to skip)

10. 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 110

11. 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 111

12. 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 112

13. 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 113

14. Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content  Video –Video clips incorporate movement and sound –Extremely large sizes of video Downloadable vs. Streaming Video Downloadable media must be downloaded in its entirety to the user’s computer before it can be heard or seen. Streaming video begins to play as soon as the data begins to stream (transfer) to the browser. Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 114

15. 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—animated movie using Adobe Flash CS3 ® software. Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 115

16. 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 116

17. Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 117

18. 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 e.g. Course and schedule information for a college Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 118

19. Step 3: Determine the Site’s General Content Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 119

20. 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 120

21. Step 4: Select the Site’s Structure  Outline your Web Site –Choose the method that you find most flexible and comfortable (storyboard, flowchart) Linear / tutorial structure Random structure Hierarchical structure Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 121

22. Linear/Tutorial Structure  Presents information in a specific order –Training website Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 122

23. Random Structure  Arranges information without a specific order  Use only for small Web sites Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 123

24. Hierarchical Structure  Organizes information into categories and subcategories  Best used in organizational / topical Web sites Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 124

25. Hierarchical Structure Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 125

26. 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 126

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