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Chapter 6: Initiating the Final Project

ESSENTIAL OUTCOMES

6. Students prepare, construct and design a Final Project Web Site by:a. Identify the story, niche market, demographics, branding, buying patterns of their final

project Web siteb. Sketching a model template for a Websitec. Pinpointing major characteristics of an effective Websited. Viewing best and worst Websites

p to this point, you have been creating Web pages with very little information about the specific process of actually creating a Web site. The following information will provide you with a basic understanding that a Web designer has to undergo in order to create a

functional Web site. With your final project, you will have to start with identifying the story, the theme, and then define the demographics and niche for your Web site before you can even begin to write code in Notepad++. You will start with defining your theme (i.e. sports, recipe, designing clothes, etc.) and then define your story before sketching a template for your Web site. After your template has been created, you can start adding information based on your storybook. So at this point, it is very important that you start to think about the factors that will help you define the overall purpose and goal of your final Web site. In regards to the them of your project, you may NOT use any Web site theme that we used in class. You also may not have the same theme as your neighbor. All Websites should be unique and creative; thus, if your Website is similar or the same as other people in the class, you will lose points.

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1. Telling a Story

Before Web designers can create a Web site, they must first have a client. The client pays the Web designer to tell the business’ story…to create a storybook that identifies the theme, purpose and functions of the Web site. In other words, the designer must discuss and help the client articulate the story and the manner in which the story will be told. This includes the text, the images, the logo, the links, and the overall design of the Web site. Some clients will already have ideas and will be able to articulate accurately the vision for the Web site; however, not all clients can articulate a vision, and thus, it is up to the Web designer to assist the client in getting their thoughts onto paper. Even if a client has an idea on how they want their Web site to look, they will still need guidance in the process of setting up an effective, user-friendly, responsive Web site. Once the client has articulated ideas, the Web designer can begin to sketch out a design which strives to identify the function and the purpose/goal of the Web site.

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Thus, the Web designer must first meet with the client to discuss the theme, purpose and the goal for the Web site. A goal can be as simple as “providing information” or as detailed as “providing products or services” for users to purchase online. It is very important that Web designers have a clear understanding as to what a client wants in relation to a functional Web site. Even though a Web designer is trained to design highly functional and responsive Web sites, a Web designer must also keep in mind that the wants and desires of the client comes before the desires of the designer. As stated in Chapter 1, a Web designer must develop effective and positive interpersonal skills in order to deal with all types of clients. One of the hardest skills to develop for Web designers is the ability to accept constructive criticism and feedback from co-workers and clients.

Designing Web sites can be difficult, especially when the client’s ideas do not conform to Web design protocol. However, it is up to the Web designer to assist and help the client move forward while at the same time, accepting critique, criticism and concerns from their co-workers and clients.

2. Contractual Agreement

When obtaining a new client, Web designers need to make sure that the client signs a contractual written agreement (terms and condition of the work to be done). Never perform work for any client without have some form of written agreement—generally, verbal agreements do not hold up in court, so stay away from using them. For more information on contractual agreements, visit the WebdesignLaw.com.

Some of the items that need to be included in a contractual agreement are as follows:

1. Web site proposal2. Fees and Charges3. Changes4. Client’s Responsibilities5. Confidential Information6. Liability7. Responsibilities for Web maintenance8. Term and Termination

It is important that a client and a designer have clear communication into the length of time it will take to create a functional Web site as well as to know what their responsibilities are in relation to the design and creation of that Web site. As a designer, you will also need to clarify what happens after the site is up and running on the Internet. Who will do the file maintenance for the Website? File maintenance is the updating of the Website in order to keep it as current as possible. Will the client do file maintenance, or will they be paying you as the designer to keep the Web site current?

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3. Identifying the Demographics & Niche

Demographics are the collection of data regarding a specific population.i It is often used as a business marketing tool (the promotion of products or services) in order to

find the best way to influence customers and evaluate their buying behavior. Identifying a population by demographics allows businesses to discover the size of a potential customer market. A company’s marketing goals uses demographic data to collect information in order to build a profile for its customer base. The common demographic variables that businesses use to collect data include age, sex, income level, race, employment, location, home ownership and level of education. Additional demographic factors include gathering data on preferences, hobbies, lifestyle and any other factor that may have an impact on the business’ Web site. For example, governmental agencies collect data when conducting a national census and may use that demographic data to forecast economic patterns and population growth in order to better manage resources.

You also must decide what type worker your Web will cater to: blue collar, white collar, pink collar, gray collar or red collar. A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled manufacturing, mining, sanitation, custodial work, oil field work, construction, mechanical maintenance, warehousing, firefighting, technical installation and many other types of physical work. In contrast, the white-collar worker typically performs work in an office environment and may involve sitting at a computer or desk. A third type of work is a pink collar worker (service worker) whose labor is related to customer interaction, entertainment, sales or other service-oriented work. Gray collar workers can refer to those working well into their 60s because they can't afford to retire, or, to underemployed white collar workers, such as someone with a bachelor's degree in English literature working as a customer service representative. Red collar workers refer to the farming industry, or farmers. For example, when “farmersonly.com” Web site was first launched, its marketing tool included advertising agencies that were used largely by farmers. As the Website became popularized, an advertising campaign was designed to reach a larger market by going national.

The use of marketing segments allows businesses to divide a broad target market into sections—such as age, income level and background. These segments allow businesses to design and implement strategies in order to find out whether a business’ products and services are being targeted to a company's most important consumers. Marketing segments identify a particular age group, such as Baby Boomers (born from 1946-1964) or Millennial’s (born 1980-2000) that have certain buying patterns and characteristics and then breaks them down into segments such as income level and educational background. For example, creating a Web site for a business that sells expensive jewelry is much different than creating a Web site for jewelry for teens and children.

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Most large companies conduct demographic research in order to determine how to market their product or service and best capture their target audience. It is valuable to know the current customers and where the potential customers may come from in the future. Demographic trends (changes in the human population) are also important, since the size of different demographic groups change over time as a result of economic, cultural and political factors. This type of information helps a company decide how much capital to earmark to production and advertising. For example, the aging U.S. population has certain needs that companies want to anticipate. Each market segment can be analyzed for its consumer spending patterns. Older demographic groups spend more on health care products and pharmaceuticals, and the method of communicating with this customer differs from that of their younger counterparts. Creating a Web site that meets the needs of the older generations is quite different than a web site that is created for 16-20 year olds.

Just keep in mind that no business—particularly a small one—can be all things to all people. The more narrowly you can define your target market, the better. This process is known as creating a niche and is the key to success for even the biggest companies and their Web sites. Wal-Mart and Tiffany’s are both retailers, but they have very different niches: Wal-Mart caters to bargain-minded shoppers, while Tiffany appeals to upscale jewelry consumers.ii Do you recognize the differences between these two Web sites just by looking at them?

4. Branding, Niches & Web Sites

The major function of a Website is to attract users for a business, whether it is for profit or non-profit organizations. In order to attract users, the Website must appeal to the specific demographics and niche for which it is intended. Once a business owner can identify its company’s demographics/niche, you will have a better idea on how to design a Website. For example, if the company’s focus is on baby boomers, the look of the site would have a different feel than if you are trying to market to 16-20 year olds. Baby boomers may not be overly impressed with flashy websites, but 16-20 year olds may.

Just by looking at these two Web sites, are you able to determine which site is marketed toward Baby Boomers and which is marketed to teenage girls?

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Yet, another major component within marketing is branding. Branding is the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products. A company's brand represents their marketing identity—who they are, what they do, what kind of quality they provide, their reputation for trustworthiness, and more.iii For example, branding allows customers to know expectations they should expect every time they buy a product. A company that has done extensive work on branding is McDonalds.

McDonald’s has provided its customers with a trusted idea that regardless of the McDonald’s you visit, you should expect the same type of quality, product and service!

5. Sketching a Model or Diagram of a Template

Once the marketing identify have been established, you are now ready to sketch out some models or diagrams for the business. It is important that you sketch at least three different versions of a Web site so that the client has options. However, be careful about designing too many options; too many options can handicap the client’s ability to choose the best Web design. Once a client has determined the most effective design, you can start the draft for the Web site on the computer. The three programmers that are used to design a Web site are HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Just remember that as you create this rough draft, you will be constantly making changes and additions based on the needs of your client.

For your project, due to time constraints, you are only going to create one sketch of your Web site template.

5. Measure of an Effective Site

The major goal for any Web site is to create traffic (the number of users that access the Web site) for a business’ Web site. But it is not just any traffic or “hits” that are important. It is imperative that you break down the traffic on a Website so that a business may see how long users are accessing the Web site, how long they are staying at the site and what customers are purchasing products or services.

Buying patterns (typical way in which consumers buy goods or services—encompassing frequency, quantity, duration, timing, etc.) will help you know whether the Web site you have designed is actually reaching the target segments and niches for the business.iv If it is not, you will need to do some revamping of the Web site in order to attract more customers. Define who isn’t a prospect for your product. Sometimes, the easiest way to start your customer profiling is to think about who isn’t likely to buy from your business.

Commonality: Look at what your customers have in common. Particularly, study the tendencies of your best customers — the ones who account for the fewest service problems and

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the greatest profits. Make a list of their common traits by answering the following questions:

o Do they buy on impulse or after careful consideration?o Are they cost-conscious or more interested in the quality and prestige of the purchase?o Are they loyal shoppers who buy from you on a frequent basis, or are they one-time

buyers?o Do they buy from your business exclusively, or do they also patronize your competitors?o Do they reach you through a certain channel — for example, your satellite office or your

Web site — or do they contact you via referrals from other businesses or professionals?v

You’ll see patterns emerge. Certain customer groups account for higher sales volume or more frequent purchases. Or perhaps some subgroups purchase certain types of products from you.

6. Designing a Web Site

There are certain rules or protocol that Web designers use when creating pages. The suggestions given below should be kept in mind when designing.

Keep it simple – there is nothing wrong with having a cool looking site, like those flash-based movie sites, but they usually don’t rank well on search engines. In most cases, the simpler looking sites rank better. Also keep in mind the demographics and the marketing segments behind the Web site you are designing.

Content is king – you have to have content (text) on your website. If your website is about blue whales, then the phrase “blue whales” should appear naturally within your website’s content. This helps search engines determine what to rank your website for.

The long tail – your goal shouldn’t be to rank for generic keywords. Instead, you want to rank for niche and highly relevant keywords because visitors searching for those will more likely convert into purchasers. This is where the use of the metadata tags and key words are very important.

Looking at the two Web pages below, which one would be a top 10 best Web site and which would be considered on top 10 worst Web sites? If you want to take a closer look at these two Web sites, click on the picture. The link will take you to both Web sites.

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For more viewing of best and worst Web sites.

i Demographics, Investopedia, Last update: 2016 http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/demographics.asp.

ii Starting a Business, ©2016, Entrepreneur, https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240163

iii Marketing Schools.com, http://www.marketing-schools.org/types-of-marketing/brand-marketing.html .iv Patel, Neal. Stop Paying for Marketing….Quick Spout, https://www.quicksprout.com/2009/08/13/how-to-market-

your-company-for-free/, August 13, 2009.v Dummies, http://www.dummies.com/business/sales/how-to-identify-customer-buying-behaviors/