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How usable is your web site

David Strom, david@strom.com

MPA Seminar

10/1/98

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Outline

• Making navigation easier

• Using portal posting sites

• Managing and developing web content

• Static vs. dynamic content

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Making navigation easier

• Understand the kinds of search tools available

• Using site maps, navigation bars, consistent paths

• Being able to “breadcrumb” back out

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Good and bad site examples

• Subaru vs. BMW

• Amazon vs. Barnes and Noble

• Cheaptickets.com vs. Expedia

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Commonly available search utilities

• Altavista.com

• Infoseek’s Ultraseek Server

• Glimpse (glimpse.cs.arizona.edu)

• Netscape Catalog Server

• Microsoft Index Server• More at: webreview.com/wr/pub/pt/Search

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Using portal posting sites

• submit-it.com

• register-it.com

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Dealing with their behavior

• Some use <META>, some use <TITLE>

• Keep descriptions at top of your home page short and sweet

• More at: webreview.com/97/10/17/webmaster

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Keep them out of your site

• Exclude cgi-bin, test directories

• Create a robots.txt file that starts with – User-agent: *– disallow: /cgi-bin/

• This doesn’t always work

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Another kind of site: tracerlock

• Keeps track of who is saying things about you

• www.peacefire.org/tracerlock

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Managing and developing web content

• Find a managing editor

• Run a test web

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Find a good managing editor

• Understands English syntax, grammar

• Detail-oriented

• Knows enough HTML to be dangerous

• Understands the differences between print and electronic publishing

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Standardize on the right content

• Navigation tools, icons

• Images, colors, sizes

• Type, backgrounds, white space usage

• Contact info and placement of links

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Contact information is critical!

• Same format

• Every page

• So people can find you in the real world

• Should include phone, fax, email, postal address

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Are content publishing products useful tools?

• Good for getting a web created• But you have to live inside them forever• It is easy to have broken links• You still end up adjusting their code manually• WYS is not always WYG!• Sometimes it is better to just use Wordpad,

FTP the files!

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Typical products

• Microsoft Front Page, IIS

• Netscape Web Publisher (part of Enterprise Server)

• Astra SiteManager (merc-int.com)

• WebAnalyzer (incontext.com)

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Maintain a test web

• Check and validate your links, spelling

• See your site from different browsers

• Make sure navigation makes sense

• Mirror your web locally for backup

• Try out changes before going to production

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Pick your management style

• Divide and conquer: different departments author different pages

• Control freak: one person responsible for group of pages

• How do you implement change controls?

• What happens when you have multiple webs and locations?

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Static vs. dynamic content

• Some static pages still necessary

• What kind of database expertise is needed?

• What technologies to use?

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Various dynamic content technologies

• Cold Fusion (www.allaire.com)

• Microsoft’s IIS, Active Server Pages

• Other database-driven webs

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Panelists

• Bob Matsuoka, Soho Internetworks, bob@sohonet.com

• Paul Pugh, MediaTruck, ppugh@mediatruck.com

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Discussion topics

• What kind of programming expertise is needed?

• What parts of your site remain static?

• What are the benefits and drawbacks of each technology?