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