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MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009 Week #4 Web Site Development, Pt 1
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009Week #4Web Site Development, Pt 1
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Getting a Web Site StartedSite developers need to take many steps before they can begin to build a siteIt begins with an idea Why are we building the site? (What is its scope?)What is its purpose? What are we good at? Whats our message? Who is our audience? What do they want/expect?
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Getting a Web Site StartedOnce the concept is clear, establish the objectives of the site. Will it be:To generate direct revenue through e-commerce capabilities?To generate indirect revenue by enticing visitors to contact the company and engage in a business relationship?To build brand recognition (which ultimately leads to generating revenue)?To generate advertising revenue?To bring together like-minded people?To allow for the expression of opinions?To share ones creative talents or be entertained?To provide information?Etc.
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Getting a Web Site StartedNext, conduct a thorough needs assessment. Typical skills and resources include:Content developmentGraphic designProgrammingProduct inventorySite hostingMarketingThese resources cost moneyThe level of financial resources needed depends on the complexity of the overall idea for the site and the depth of programming required (more skill reqd = more $$$ needed)A proposal and/or budget are generally prepared for review
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Understanding the AudienceIn order to develop a successful Web site, you need to understand:Your potential audience (your target market)The audience most likely to visit the site and consume / use your products or servicesWhat does the audience want?What will the audience respond to?What will make the audience take action?This requires a detailed market analysisThis information is included in the online marketing strategy (the strategy that the company employs for gaining more customers and revenue using online methods)Read the Interview With Lee Rainie (Case Study, Page 268-271 for insights into how people use the web)
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Understanding the AudienceTarget markets are defined by demographic and psychographic data:Demographic data provides information by standard and specific population characteristics, such as age, marital status, gender, race, and religion (usually secondary, quantitative data)Psychographic data defines audiences by personality and lifestyle characteristics, such as types of hobbies, recreational sports played, hours per week spent online, and shopping/spending habits (generally primary, qualitative data)There are any number of methods for collecting this data (focus groups, phone or in-person interviews, surveys, etc.)With this information, you can segment your market and target your ideal customer by designing a site that meets their needs (see Online Marketers Segmentation Guide, linked from the LearningPlan)
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Development DecisionsBusinesses can handle site development one of two ways:Internally by having their own (experienced, skilled) employees create the siteExternally, by hiring another firm to build it for them There are pros and cons associated with both in-house development and outsourced development including time to develop, costs, expertise, professionalism, control, etc. (see pg. 272 for a full list)
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Information and Interaction DesignInformation design (architecture) is the term used to describe how information is laid out on a web siteThe sites purpose must be clear on the homepageMain content sections should flow from the home page (and be accessible from every main section page for consistency)Secondary pages (sub-sections) should flow from related main content pagesIdeally, your audience profiling would include usability analysis (what would people want from your web site and where would they expect to find information?)Design around your audiences expectations/needs, NOT around your companys organization / wantsIts not about YOU, its about THEM!
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Information and Interaction DesignInteraction design is how users will navigate the siteWeb sites are non-linear (users can go anywhere from anywhere even to someone elses site!)Navigation and hierarchy (architecture) must make finding information easy for site visitorsNavigation must serve information in such a way that visitors are led to pages that you most want them to viewNavigation is not simply links from one page to another, but the specific and planned organization of links that provide the organizational structure of the siteNavigation can be provided through a number of different methods; links are usually text and/or graphic buttonsGenerally sites use buttons in one area (top/left) and duplicate them with text links at the bottomNever try to surprise your users by using unclear navigational clues (mystery meat navigation
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Navigation Schematics (Flowcharts)Start with a schematic that shows how the content of a site will be organized and broken down into tiersOnce established, the navigation should remain exactly the same on all pages, to avoid confusionWithin each category, other topic-related pages (known as the second tier of the site) may be requiredLower tiers of a site are usually accessed through a separate navigation system for each category, or as drop down items from the main navigation
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Navigation Schematics (Flowcharts)A basic schematic that shows the categories of information that are directly accessible from the Home pageNote that the home page is its own top level tier and main content flows down from it
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Navigation Schematics (Flowcharts)The schematic has expanded to show the pages that are accessible from each category. These are second tier pages; navigation to them would be accessible only from their parent page
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Samples of Navigation in Different SitesMain content is always available through consistent navigation (usually at the top) on each (main) page; secondary navigation generally appears as a drop down list or side navigation bar on parent pages
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Other Navigation OptionsSearch engines invite users to type in a word or phrase that they wish to search for within a siteYou can have a programmer write a search engine for your site or pay a site like Google for the privilege of piggy backing your site search on their servers using their toolsSite maps re-create the original schematic on the site (like a table of contents) of the site must be updated whenever a site changesA tag cloud is a collection of tags (or keywords) that are popular among users of social networking and social bookmarking sites (but not popular among users!)See Flickr tag cloud: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/Breadcrumbs are an aid to determining ones location within the site, by showing the path of links the visitor took to get to the page they are on (not navigation per se, but helpers for where you came from and how to get back)Mohawk uses breadcrumbs on their second and subsequent level web pages
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Laying Out Your PagesSuccessful site and page layout accomplishes very specific goals:Makes the purpose(s) of the site clearPromotes the brandProvides easy access to informationLeads the user to specific areas of interest or areas that you want them to seeProvides an attractive, aesthetically pleasing environment for the user
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Laying Out Your PagesSites will typically have different layouts for the home page and for all second tier pagesSites tend to be more graphic heavy on the home page, where the pages need to catch the users eye and entice them to browse furtherIn the lower tiers, pages tend to be more copy or content heavyOftentimes, detail pages (product descriptions, for example) have their own (third) design/layoutConsistency is key do NOT confuse the user by changing things frequently!!!Do not trick the user with confusing navigation or inconsistent navigation (KISS)Learn good design by studying bad design at www.webpagesthatsuck.com
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Home Page vs. Second Tier Page
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Page Layout (contd)In developing the layout, developers often try to design sites for the lowest common denominatorthe worst viewing conditions (old monitors, low resolution, old browsers, outdated operating systems, slow connections, etc.) that could reasonably be expectedIf it doesnt load on a dial-up connection (54.4kbps) in under 10 seconds, you lose your audienceDevelopers need to put important information above the foldwhere any page might be cut off by the bottom of the browser windowThe area above the fold is considered the most valuable real estate on the siteIn a perfect world all web content would be visible without scrolling!If you have too much to say on one page, consider sub-dividing content into multiple pagesThe average user spends 3 seconds glancing at a page and generally they scan rather than read
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Content DevelopmentContent is kingPeople go to a web site to accomplish something; I.e., to find information and/or research and/or buy somethingAll information presented on the site must support the brand messageInformation for a web site may be taken from (existing) print copy, may be written fresh, and/or may be partially generated by user comments (testimonials, forums, etc.)SPELLING AND/OR GRAMMAR ERRORS ARE UNACCEPTABLE!Text content is best presented in (very) short paragraphs and bulleted (or numbered, if in order) listsImagery (graphics) are used to support/explain the textUsers make a decision about whether to continue viewing a site in less than 10 seconds
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
SummaryAll sites begin with an ideaYou must know the objectives of the site (WHY?????)Understanding the audience is vital for both the site and the brandMarketers have several tools for collecting market data on a specific audience, which is defined by the demographic and psychographic traits its members share in commonSegmentation and targeting is key to a sites successSites can either be developed in-house or by hiring a third party developerNavigation needs to be planned in advance and be consistent throughout the siteCreating a page layout that fully engages site visitors is similarly important, as is developing appropriate content
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
Homework (before Fridays lab)Read Chapter 8 in the text and the handout on 12 Web Site Decisions Your Organization Will Need To Make (linked from the LearningPlan)Study all the Review Questions (pg 293-296) except #8, 9, 11, 12, 13 for the Quick Quiz on Friday (the first THREE minutes of the class please be on time. Note that any changes to answers will result in the question being marked as wrong. Take the time to read and consider each question BEFORE you answer it!)Thoroughly familiarize yourself with the RapidsTransit text document (linked from the LearningPlan) thenDraw a rough draft of a navigation schematic (flowchart of information architecture pages and flowof information on the site) based on the content (where do you think things should go and how should content be organized?) A consensus of ideas will be used to develop a final flowchart for our site on Friday.Review/evaluate the three main competitors web sites (see the LearningPlan) for ideas, insights into your potential audience, etc. (We will not be doing the target market analysis well assume its already been done and we know who our audience is and what they want!)Lab on Friday is mandatory attendance (5 marks for showing up and completing the follow me tutorial, which will be used next week and the week after). If you dont attend, you must catch up with (and obtain working files from) another student. You wont be able to do follow-up labs without the files and the instructor will NOT provide them to you.
MRKT10028 Web Marketing, Fall 2009
