What is the key to a successful web site? Fancy graphics? Great Links? Cool Java Applets? Quick downloads? Registering with search engines? The right Domain name? Contests?
While these may all be contributing factors, the answer is really more basic. (But it's not easy.) The planning that goes into a web site is what ensures its success. You need to know the reasons behind your web site and its design.
If you can answer the following questions, you can begin to design an effective web site.
Why Do You Want a Web Site?
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Who Is Your Audience?
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What Are Your Resources?
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If you can't answer these questions, or just don't like the answers, chances are your web site will not be very useful and, probably, will not be designed very well either.
There's one other question you will need to answer ....
In the movie, My Dinner with Andre (either you loved it or hated it), one character states emphatically, "You can't just be! You have to do something." Metaphysics aside, all web sites carry out an active function for their audiences. The internet is, after all, interactive.
A survey of the WWW shows that there are four basic functions for web pages: to inform, to direct, to connect and to sell. (By "sell", I mean to deliver a product or service, usually for a fee.) A site may make use of any or all of these. Below is a quick description and some sample web sites to consider.
In the Information Age, the WWW (and soon the WWW2) is meant to be the quickest and cheapest way to deliver information. You want to know the weather report for your home town? It's on the WWW. Interested in stock reports? Medical treatments? Tax advice? Location of your high school sweetheart? (Careful, it works both ways.) It's all on the WWW.
However, notice that I wrote that the WWW is meant to be the quickest and cheapest delivery method. This depends, in large part, on how you design your web site. Simply put, the best sites focus on easy and quick access to information for their audience. For example:
Mirriam-Webster Online is a good reference
web site. The purpose is simple, provide an on-line dictionary, thesaurus
or other language tools. But the functional design and presentation make
it easy and fun to use.
The Oregon Labor
Market Information System is a public information site. Despite the
range of viewers and the scope of information, it is easy to use because
of good site planning.
Now Do This ...!
Some sites go beyond providing information and direct the web audience to take action. This follow-up is often beyond the WWW. The trick for these sites is to clearly explain or show what should be done and how. It is also important for these sites to motivate the audience to act. Some good examples:
E! Online is designed like many of
the news/media web magazines. But beyond the gossip and trivia, there is
a strong commercial message focusing on movies, videos, cd's, etc. As the
site says, "..find, buy, rent...."
The Chronicle of Higher Education
uses a surprisingly effective method of bringing potential readers to its
subscription offices. By providing access to headlines and very brief summaries,
the on-line version shows non-subscribers what they are missing. If you
want more information after the teaser, you must subscribe. (Subscribers,
by the way, have full access to the periodical on-line.)
In this "connect" approach, the web site is more aggressive in guiding the web viewer. Through the use of interactive functions, the audience is directly connected to the point of business. The advantage here is the web site itself maintains contact with the potential customer.
Like many job search site, Cool Works
is primarily a referral service. It links, via the web, summer and seasonal
job seekers with employers. Unlike many job search services, this one is
very simple to use.
Because of the size of the University
of Alaska system, their web site must connect their students to the
appropriate campus. This web site uses very effective locating tools, linking
interested parties to a specific campus or branch. At the campus sites,
the audience can access the usual education information.
The primary methods of delivering services electronically via the WWW are forms (usually server-side scripts) and direct downloads to customers. Once a product or service is shown on-line, the web viewer is asked to respond on-line. In a sense, the pitch and the sale are continuous. (Any car salesman can tell you this is the key to it all.) There are many sites that have designed good on-line businesses. Here are a couple:
Amazon Books may be the most effective
on-line business currently on the WWW. In some ways, it is easier to browse
this virtual book store than go down the street to an actual one. (Of course,
true bibliophiles will miss the smell of print on paper, at least, until
Microsoft develops a virtual smell plug-in.) Amazon is consistantly (and
constantly) winning design awards.
Hotmail is a true on-line service.
This web-delivered service provides free e-mail to members, relying on
advertising and sponsorship to cover costs. Even a free service won't work
unless it is easy to use. The Hotmail design is pleasing and simple.
Of course, most sites utilize a combination of approaches. Here are a few sites that do a number of different things online:
Some organizations set up "jump stations', linking to their various
offices or divisions. Pathfinder
is Time-Warner's pointer to several of their on-line publications.
Online retailers may take very different approaches to on-line business.
Compare Sears, with its direct style,
to Nike and it's image-driven site..
Many colleges and universities utilize on-line forms for admissions, registration,
billing, etc. Seattle Pacific University
combines a upbeat presentation style with on-line access to Banner and
other services . Chemeketa Community
College offers on-line classes and a public ISP through it's Chemeketa
Online program.
Ready to plan your own site? Check out Geo's Web Corner, A Web-ster's Guide and Tools of the Trade for ideas and resources.
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