The document provides a guide on creating effective websites, outlining three fundamental components: usability, design, and content. It emphasizes six essential web pages that should be included on a website, such as the home page, product/services, about, contact, custom information, and dynamic content. Additionally, it poses six key questions for website owners to consider, covering goals, target audience, style, content, organization, and necessary features.

1. September 24, 2013 -- Welcome to:
6 Ways to Make Your Next
Website the Best Ever!
Sara Isenberg
sara@saraisenberg.com
http://saraisenberg.com
http://saraisenberg.com/blog

3. INTRODUCTION
I help web developers, businesses, and
individuals with web, social media, email
marketing, software, and other projects.
Sara Isenberg Web Consulting & Project Management
http://saraisenberg.com
http://facebook.com/SaraIsenbergConsulting/

4. INTRODUCE YOURSELF
1. Your name?
2. What is your website about?
3. What would you most like to learn in this class?

5. AGENDA
1. Introductions
2. 3 Fundamentals
3. 6 Essential Web Pages
4. 6 Questions to Ponder
5. Case Studies
6. Fast, Cheap, Good
7. Resources

6. 3 FUNDAMENTALS
OF A WEBSITE:
1. Usability – architecture, navigation
2. Design – appropriate to support your message
3. Content – clear and simple, easy to scan

7. SIX Essential Web Pages:
1. Home page
2. Products and/or Services
3. About
4. Contact
5. Custom Information
6. Dynamic Content
(graphic credits to Scott Design’s blog)

8. 1. HOME Page:
§ 2-5 second test -- what you do and where.
§ Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
§ Visually supports your branding.
§ One or more Calls to Action. Tell the visitor what
action you’d like them to take.
§ 2-5 sentences of keyword-rich TEXT. Search
engines need TEXT.
§ Meta Page Titles and Page Descriptions (not
limited to home page)
§ Generally above the fold.

9. 2. Products and/or Services:
§ What are you offering or promoting?
§ What are your services?
§ What are your products?
§ What is your cause?

10. 3. ABOUT Page:
§ Is about the PEOPLE who own or manage or run
the business.
§ Might be biographical, eg for sole proprietor.
§ Might include history of the business.
§ Might tell your story on how your business came
to exist.
§ Has a voice that supports your branding.
§ Is NOT typically about the product or services.

11. 4. CONTACT Page:
§ Starts with something friendly and inviting. Eg: I
look forward to hearing from you.
§ Email address (even if you have a form)
§ Phone number (even if you just check messages)
§ Mailing address or physical location (depends)
§ Form ok.

12. 5. Custom Information:
§ Your Expertise
§ Additional Resources
§ Related information
§ Eg: Dentist? Provide general dentistry info
§ Eg: Sell Bicycles? Provide local trail info
§ Eg: Web Consultant? Links to relevant meetups.

13. 6. Dynamic Content:
§ Blog
§ Social Media
§ Events
§ Sales, Specials, Deals
Valuable to human visitors AND
search engines:
• Updated content brings return visitors!
• Text content with keyword phrases is
important for search engines!

14. Review:
1. Home page
2. Products and/or Services
3. About
4. Contact
5. Custom Information
6. Dynamic Content
(graphic credits to Scott Design’s blog)

15. 6 QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
1. What is my site?
2. Who do I want to attract?
3. What is my style, look & feel, voice?
4. What is my content?
5. What is the intuitive organization?
6. What features will help?

16. PONDER #1:
WHAT IS MY SITE?
• What are my goals?
• Will visitors understand what I do (what I am
offering) in 3-5 seconds!?!?!?
• What is my USP (Unique Selling Proposition)?
• What are my measures of success?
è Describe 3 goals and 3 measure of success.

17. PONDER #2:
WHO DO I WANT TO ATTRACT?
• Who do I want to visit my website?
• Demographics: young/old, male/female, etc?
• What is my visitor’s frame of mind?
• What is my visitor’s job, role, goal?
è Describe 3 profiles that you want to attract.

18. PONDER #3:
WHAT IS MY STYLE,
LOOK & FEEL, VOICE?
• What qualities attract my users?
• Casual, formal, humorous, corporate, etc?
• I, we, you, they – Who is the voice?
è Describe the profile of the voice/speaker.

19. PONDER #4:
WHAT IS MY
CONTENT?
• Product?
• Service?
• Entertainment?
• Information?
• Inspiration?
• Etc.
è Describe your primary and secondary content.

20. PONDER #5:
WHAT IS THE INTUITIVE
ORGANIZATION?
• What are various ways to
organize?
• What is most intuitive?
• Different people, different paths.
• By role (eg: teacher, student, parent).
• By demographic (eg: male, female, child)
• By product (eg: widget1, widget2)
è Describe options for your website’s organization.

21. PONDER #6:
WHAT FEATURES WILL HELP?
TAP INTO CURRENT TECHNOLOGY.
• Graphics
• Illustrations
• Animation
• Photographs
• Video
• Newsletter/signup
• Blog
• Ecommerce
• Resources
è What are your “must have” features & “wish list” features.
• Site search
• Sitemap
• SEO
• CMS
• Google Analytics
• Social Media!

22. CASE STUDIES:
• http://www.apple.com/
• http://woodsholeinn.com/
• http://www.wildthymedeli.com/
• http://www.stonesoup.com/
• http://www.kikimag.com/
• http://www.elt-inc.com/
• http://amieforest.com/
• http://bootsroad.com/
• http://www.hotdesign.com/
• http://designbycosmic.com/
• YOUR Website?

23. “FAST, CHEAP, GOOD: Pick Two!”

25. RESOURCES
• Before You Hire Your Web Designer or Developer:
http://saraisenberg.com/2011/06/16/before-you-hire-your-
web-designer-or-developer/
• 5 Super Resources for Small Business Owner Who
Wants a Great Website:
http://saraisenberg.com/2011/05/04/5-super-resources-for-
small-business-owner-who-wants-a-great-website/
o Don’t Make Me Think, A Common Sense Approach to
Web Usability, Steve Krug.
o Letting Go of the Words, Writing Web Content That
Works, Janice Ginny Reddish.
o Rocket Surgery, The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding
and Fixing Usability Problems, Steve Krug.

26. Q & A
Sara Isenberg
sara@saraisenberg.com
http://saraisenberg.com
http://saraisenberg.com/blog