Creating Your First Site Planning and Managing Your Business Web Site BA 65

Getting Started Web site - a series of documents that are all linked together and placed in a folder that is located on a server that is attached to the Internet. HTML - Formatting behind the scenes that makes a simple text file into a web page File Management - Must become your friend!

Web site - a series of documents that are all linked together and placed in a folder that is located on a server that is attached to the Internet.

HTML - Formatting behind the scenes that makes a simple text file into a web page

File Management - Must become your friend!

More on HTML H yper T ext M arkup L anguage - tags tell the web browser how to display the page. HTML is not rocket science - Notepad to Dreamweaver Know the tool and the code

H yper T ext M arkup L anguage - tags tell the web browser how to display the page.

HTML is not rocket science - Notepad to Dreamweaver

Know the tool and the code

Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day Stage One: You usually start off with on “online brochure” site. This site consists of static pages that explain your business. Stage Two: You add ecommerce features. In this stage, your customers can research your business and its offerings and conduct business with you over the internet Stage Three: You allow customers to engage with your site on a personal level. Perhaps you customize their browsing experience. Or you offer membership features that foster a sense of community.

Stage One: You usually start off with on “online brochure” site. This site consists of static pages that explain your business.

Stage Two: You add ecommerce features. In this stage, your customers can research your business and its offerings and conduct business with you over the internet

Stage Three: You allow customers to engage with your site on a personal level. Perhaps you customize their browsing experience. Or you offer membership features that foster a sense of community.

Online Brochure Sites Every piece of information customers need to help them decide to hire you. Benefits and FAQ’s Testimonials Articles, Special Reports Persuade your potential clients to contact you. Personal rapport

Every piece of information customers need to help them decide to hire you.

Benefits and FAQ’s

Testimonials

Articles, Special Reports

Persuade your potential clients to contact you.

Personal rapport

Online Brochure Sites - cont… Professional - attorney, tax preparer Personal - babysitter, day care, pet sitters Therapeutic - massage, doctors, dentist Coaching/Teaching - voice, music, dance, business Repair/Maintenance - house cleaner, plumber, painter, piano tuner

Professional - attorney, tax preparer

Personal - babysitter, day care, pet sitters

Therapeutic - massage, doctors, dentist

Coaching/Teaching - voice, music, dance, business

Repair/Maintenance - house cleaner, plumber, painter, piano tuner

Web Site Design Personal taste Tidy! Design Goals Site is functional 10 Seconds! Avoid designing as you go

Personal taste

Tidy!

Design Goals

Site is functional

10 Seconds!

Avoid designing as you go

Preliminary Research Let’s surf! - Take a walk in your customer’s shoes What catches your eye first? What makes the site appealing? Why is that site ugly? Why is the site easy to use? Why is that site impossible to figure out? Is it easy to find what you want to purchase? Is the shopping cart easy to use?

Let’s surf! - Take a walk in your customer’s shoes

What catches your eye first?

What makes the site appealing?

Why is that site ugly?

Why is the site easy to use?

Why is that site impossible to figure out?

Is it easy to find what you want to purchase?

Is the shopping cart easy to use?

Design Goals Ultimate mission is to convince someone to purchase your product or engage your services. Mission Statement - Overall point of site? Everything on site should support mission

Ultimate mission is to convince someone to purchase your product or engage your services.

Mission Statement - Overall point of site?

Everything on site should support mission

Avoid the Tangled Web You are the Weaver! Write down and organize all of the information you want to include in your site. Main Concepts Title and General Description for every page

You are the Weaver!

Write down and organize all of the information you want to include in your site.

Main Concepts

Title and General Description for every page

Avoid the Tangled Web Start with Home Bubble Draw a bubble for each category Draw a bubble for subcategories if you have them Draw your bubble pages and connect to category

Start with Home Bubble

Draw a bubble for each category

Draw a bubble for subcategories if you have them

Draw your bubble pages and connect to category

Understanding Your Bubble Diagram Graphical representation of your site - Map Home page should introduce entire site Home page is most general Categories and subcategories deal with different aspects of what you sell Subcategories build on general information in Category pages Category pages will introduce and summarize subcategory pages

Graphical representation of your site - Map

Home page should introduce entire site

Home page is most general

Categories and subcategories deal with different aspects of what you sell

Subcategories build on general information in Category pages

Category pages will introduce and summarize subcategory pages