| Web sites serve many purposes and in today's | | | | information usually want it immediately and |
| fast-paced world of instant information, you | | | | generally will not spend time searching |
| have about 2.2 seconds to capture a visitor's | | | | through page after page to find it. The key |
| attention before they are off to another | | | | here is to provide enough information to grab |
| site. My Web Fundamentals Series begins with | | | | their attention and once you draw them in and |
| the foundation; building an effective web | | | | contact has been initiated, that's when a |
| site and takes you through a step-by-step | | | | more in-depth dialog can begin. Content is |
| approach to planning and building a web site, | | | | also relevant for the placement in search |
| then progresses into helping you launch a | | | | engine results (again this topic will be |
| successful web campaign. This article touches | | | | covered in more detail in next month's |
| on a variety of topics and is not meant to be | | | | issue). |
| an all-inclusive source but rather a basic | | | | |
| guide to arm you with knowledge and resources | | | | Important Pages to Include |
| for building your own site or researching web | | | | |
| development companies. | | | | Privacy Policy. Make this page accessible |
| | | | throughout the site. I suggest a bottom link |
| The Planning Phase | | | | on every page. A good example of standard |
| | | | policy can be found at |
| Before you begin to build, understanding the | | | | |
| purpose of your web site is key. Some | | | | Contact Us. Make this page easy to find and |
| questions you may start with are as follows: | | | | access. You'll want to make it as easy as |
| Is your web site informational only? Will you | | | | possible for interested parties to contact |
| need ecommerce functionality? Who is your | | | | you. NOTE: If you intend to apply for |
| target market - is it for general audiences, | | | | programs such as the BBB Online Privacy Seal |
| specific to a geographical area or vertical | | | | or TRUSTe, full disclosure of your contact |
| market? What is the message you're trying to | | | | information is required. |
| convey? Who are your competitors? To get a | | | | |
| better overall picture, you might also try | | | | Site Map. If you have a large site, a site |
| brainstorming with colleagues or soliciting | | | | map assists visitors in finding the specific |
| feedback from your customer base. | | | | information they are looking for. In |
| | | | addition to human or manual navigation, a |
| Once the purpose of the site is determined, | | | | site map is a useful tool for web crawlers |
| the next step would be to determine the | | | | (spiders). This will ensure that all of your |
| site's structure such as navigation, customer | | | | pages get indexed in the search results. |
| logins and access, secondary menu items. At | | | | Google offers a free site map tool. |
| this stage of development, think of your site | | | | |
| as a document with main headings and | | | | Terms (Optional). This page depends on the |
| sub-headings. Main headings or menu items | | | | products or services you are providing. If |
| should consist of general overview type | | | | you are building an informational or brochure |
| information, sub-headings or menu items | | | | site, it is probably not necessary to |
| should contain details on specific items | | | | include. However, if you're offering |
| provided in the overview pages. | | | | downloadable information, 3rd party links or |
| | | | products it is advisable to not only have a |
| In conjunction with the structure of your | | | | terms and conditions page but to have it |
| site, start thinking about the design and | | | | reviewed by a lawyer to ensure your liability |
| content that will be added. This process can | | | | is covered. |
| in and of itself require a separate planning | | | | |
| session. Some items you'll need to consider | | | | Choosing a Hosting Provider |
| when designing: web standards (W3C - | | | | |
| Usability, syntax), cross-platform browser | | | | There are several hosting options available |
| compatibility (will my page appear correctly | | | | and with that much competition, the least of |
| on Firefox (Mozilla), Internet Explorer, | | | | your worries would be price. Things to |
| etc.), page loading time - are graphics and | | | | consider when selecting a hosting provider: |
| images optimized? (This will be covered in | | | | amount of space and bandwidth, dedicated or |
| more detail in next month's issue, Part 2: | | | | shared hosting, Windows or Linux (Linux is |
| Understanding the Importance of Search Engine | | | | open source and Windows is proprietary) and |
| Optimization). | | | | features such as scripts, ecommerce |
| | | | capability, SSL, SQL databases. |
| Tips for Using Graphics and Images in Your | | | | |
| Web Site: | | | | Build vs. Buy |
| | | | |
| • Graphics and images should have a | | | | This depends solely on three (3) factors: |
| purpose and be placed strategically with | | | | How comfortable you are with your skill set, |
| corresponding text. They should only be used | | | | what type of site you are planning to build, |
| to help convey your message. | | | | and the time you have to spend developing and |
| | | | maintaining your web site. The web is an |
| • Site colors should help establish | | | | ever-changing environment, professional |
| your corporate identity or brand. | | | | developers make it their business to stay on |
| | | | top of their industry so you can stay on top |
| • Consistency in colors and structure | | | | of yours... no bias here :-). |
| should be used throughout the site. | | | | |
| | | | I hope you enjoyed this month's featured |
| Content is king. Keep your content concise | | | | article. Stay tuned for next month's issue as |
| and relevant - remember the 2.2 second | | | | I delve into the topic of search engine |
| factor. People searching for specific | | | | optimization. |