1. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com 1 Websites

2. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com2 What is a website? A website is a set of text and graphics on the Internet Organized into interlinked webpages Click on link and jump to another page

3. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com3 Why a website? (1) Provide information  Contact details, list of staff, Provide access to documents  Newsletters  Annual reports  Technical documents  Research results  Press releases

4. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com4 Why a website? (2) Show visuals  Photos, diagrams, etc. Allow interaction  Allow people to ask questions  Get feedback  Sell products Archive and retrieve information  Reliable filing system  Most recent version always available

5. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com5 Advantages of websites Quick Always available Available anywhere (with internet access) Lots of space Easy to update Very cheap Different formats: text, images, audio, video Interactive, dialogue possible

6. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com6 Disadvantages of websites Org needs computer, software, skills, connectivity Users also need computer, skills and connectivity Access can be slow Access only in cities, only for richer clientele Hard to get people to visit your site

7. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com7 Creating a website You create website on your computer You upload it to the Internet Users visit the website and download information from it Users can interact with site (eg, post comments, send email, fill in forms)

8. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com8 So do you need a website? Yes! Even if it’s only one page Absolute minimum  Your organization’s name  What it does  How to get in touch Perhaps part of larger site (eg, parent organization or ministry)

9. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com9 More than the minimum? Publications News, events Description of activities, services and outputs Information about your organization’s topic area Links to other sites and useful information Organizational structure Staff list Online services Etc…

10. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com10 What you need for a website Equipment Services Software Design Content Management

11. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com11 What you need for a website Equipment  Computer, modem, phone line Services  Internet service provider account  Webhosting account (this gives you a domain name eg www.mamud.com www.mamud.com Software  Web design software (FrontPage, Dreamweaver…)  Graphics software (Photoshop, Corel, Photodraw…)  Uploading software (FTP) (Filezilla, WS_FTP…)  Web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox…)

12. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com12 What you need for a website Design  Structure of site  Format, styles, layout Content  Text and graphics to put on the website  Constant updates Management  Skills to gather and rewrite info for web  Skills to design site  Skills to manage computers and use software  Organizational structure to get info from different units  Funding

13. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com13 Designing a website 1. Who is audience for your website? 2. What are your website’s objectives? 3. Decide general design, appearance and layout 4. Decide on content 5. Decide on software to use 6. Decide who will create and maintain the site 7. Create site 8. Upload 9. Test 10. Launch site 11. Manage 12. Update

14. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com14 Do it in-house, or contract it out? Questions  Do you have the resources (staff, skills, computer, connectivity)?  How much work will it take? (complex, frequent updates)  How much will it cost? Alternatives  Do it all in-house  Contract out the design, then do updates in-house  Contract out all design and management

15. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com15 Do it in-house, or contract it out? Design and manage the website yourself if…  Small, simple website  Few updates  Skilled computer operator  Good connectivity  Big organization with necessary staff and skills Contract an outsider if…  Large, complex website  Frequent updates  No computer skills  Poor connectivity

16. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com16 Website content Useful and of interest to users Rewrite info for web  Short, “chunked” text  Use headings, bullets, boldface Avoid long pages Simple, easy navigation Provide access to documents: journals, newsletters, reports, etc  PDF or HTML formats

17. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com17 Website content Update regularly to keep site fresh  Separate content into “stable” and “changeable”  Consider using a blog for news Use graphics  Use attractive images (photos, graphics)  But use sparingly  No fancy moving graphics

18. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com18 Announcing your website Register with search engines (Yahoo, Google…) Put web address on letterhead, business cards, signboards, publications, news releases… Announce website to members, clients and partners Announce website in meetings, events, visits Put web address on signature line of emails Ask other webadmins to put link to your site

19. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com19 Evaluating websites Information available?  Does the site tell you what you want to know? Easy to navigate?  Is it easy to find the information you want? Easy to read?  Can you understand what is said? Downloads quickly?  Does the info come up immediately, or you have to wait?

20. Paul Mundy and Bob Huggan www.mamud.com20 A possible website structure Home ActivitiesAbout usPublicationsSearchContactNewsLinks History Mission Services Staff directory Newsletter Reports Farmers’ guides N Region W Region C Region