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Building a Web
Workshop Objectives
Why the Web? Web Site Planning Web Site Building Web Design Publicizing Your Web Site Search Engine
Why the Web?
The growing number of web users Speed of locating information Cost-effective way to reach people instantly
Why the Web?
Allows people to Discover you Understand you Contact you Share articles and other written information
Why the Web?
Attract new members or clients Build a community through a message board Obtain funding through online donations “The source for information”
Web Site Planning
Clear Vision Why are you building a web site? Is it for the right reasons?
Concise Plan A good web plan will pose challenging questions
Organization Administrative operations Delivery of services to its community View of its community
Web Site Planning
What do you want? Investigate other web sites Ask questions Make lists
ContentFeaturesDesign elementsBookmark the good and the bad
Web Site Planning
Define your audience. Community Board members Potential Members Supporters Colleagues Sponsors Policymakers Volunteers
Are they online? Are they active? Who are you not
reaching now? Media Partners Donors Competitors Local Community
Web Site Planning
Develop a story about you. Identify material you want in the web site. Identify the material you may wish to collect by
the web site. Coordinate your online and print media design
strategies.
Web Site Planning
Evaluate the administrative implications of each feature. Look for opportunities Look at the workload you need to support your Web site
and determine how you will manage it. New content Updating and revising old content Evaluating usage Responding to information requests and feedback Managing the demands of a higher profile
Web Site Planning
In-house vs. outside development In-house
Be prepared for turnoverWeb design and management should not be dependent
on one individual Outside
Look for nonprofit experienceVolunteersColleges and University
Web Site Planning
Understand challenges and cost factors Revisit your wish list Implications
CostUser capacity to handle advanced applicationsLoading timesManagement requirements
Plan for future growth
Web Site Planning
Keep focused on your vision
Web Building
Audience Impact Identity Content Structure Domain Name
Web Building: Audience
Who is your web audience? How would they come to your site? What would they be looking for? Why would they return to your site? What level of technology does your audience
have access to?
Web Building: Audience
What will be the skill level of your audience? Beginner Intermediate Expert
How might this audience differ from the audiences you might want to target?
Web Site: Audience
Design for your audience Don’t mirror your organization Remember the “3 click rule” Label sections clearly and accurately Navigate easily Use shorthand (e.g., Feedback) Create an interactive environment (e.g., respond to a poll,
take a quiz, sign-up for a mailing list, send a letter to your legislator, pledge money, check your organization’s wish list)
Web Site: Audience
People scan, they don’t read Highlight keywords Sub-headings Bulleted lists One idea paragraphs Short statements Minimize graphics
Web Building: Impact
What overall impression, experience or look and feel do you hope to convey?
Is your website accessible to all your users? Does it use language that is easily
understood? Is it an appropriate visual representation of
your organization.
Web Building: Identify
Are there certain logos, colors, or photos that you want to include.
Are they visual cues that remind the user of your organization?
Web Building: Content
What content would be available on your website?
How much of this content can be gathered in digital format?
Which content lends itself to on-screen viewing and which needs to be available in downloadable or printable format?
Web Building: Structure
Do you need to construct the website so that content is presented to different audiences in different ways?
What are the most important elements to keep close to the top of the site?
What are the navigational concerns? Simplicity Consistency Robustness
Web Building: Domain Names
Extensions of your organization Signature Gateway Portable
Web Building: Domain Names
Be cautious in using free web hosts for your domain name. The web host will include their name in your
URL Could get lost on the net Lose credibility
Web Building: Domain Names
**http://www.techsoup.org/resources/ ** Web Hosting Services
http://www.aanshaw.com http://www.4charity.com/index.jsp http://www.texaswebdevelopers.com http://www.activematter.com
Web Design
Make sure you information is easy to access Provide an index or table of contents Include a navigational bar on all pages Keep your home page clean and crisp Limit graphics Provide contact information in several places Always use width and height tags for images Keep load time to under one minute
Web Design
Include a feedback link mailto: link Email address Forms
Web Design
Avoid Poor Designs Too many words
Choose words carefully Important words at topSynopsis with link to full textWhite space
Web Design
Poor Web Design Unreadable text
Tiny or cute fontsColors that don’t work together
Huge Pictures and Graphics Long pages Blinking, twinkling, twirling images in garish
colors
Publicizing
After you build your Web site, publicize. Two key audiences
Those you know Those you don’t know
Publicizing
Those you know Add your Web address to every piece of communication.
Business cards Letterhead Newsletters Brochures Press Release Fax Cover Sheet Action Alerts
Publicizing
Email messages List your Web address at the bottom of every
email message Make sure everyone in your organization adds
the address
Publicizing
Tell the media Tell your membership Cross-link with friends Communicate changes to everyone in your
organization
Publicizing
Those you don’t know Search Engines
GoogleAltaVistaFAST searchYahooOpen DirectoryLook SmartAsk Jeeves
Publicizing
Add your web site to search engines listing. You only need to visit their web site and follow
instructions. Descriptive Title
Organization Name Keywords Description – Mission Statement Don’t waste too much time on optimizing your
listings on various search engines.
Search Engines
Index your web site based on its relevance to a particular query or topic
Rank - based upon the repeat use of keywords Number of hits SeachEngineWatch - Tips on how to get your site
on the top search engines SelfPromotion.com - Tips on getting noticed
Resources
CompuMentor A nonprofit organization specializing in technology
assistance for community-based organizations and schools. CompuMentor offers technology planning, implementation, and support services.
http://www.compumentor.org/
Resources
Helping.org After you get online, start using email, or build a
Web site, you'll want people to know you're here. Here are recommendations for publicizing your online efforts.
http://www.helping.org/nonprofit/publicizing.adp
Resources
EPage A list of the various search engines and subject
directories that will list your site http://ep.com/faq/webannounce.html
Resources
Web Development Resources http://www.onenw.org/bin/page.cfm/pageid/81 http://www.unesco.org/webworld/infotraining/html-res.html http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/campus/1924/ http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/keywords/2r.html http://hotwired.wired.com/hardwired/wiredstyle/toc/index.html http://www.htmlgoodies.com/
Summary
Strong Vision to Guide You Plans to Control the Process Collection of Documents for your Web Site List of Ideas, Wants, Wishes Resources – Start with TechSoup.org