1. what makes a good website - 2008
TRANSCRIPT
What makes a good website?18 November 2008, East City Library
Alan HoldingManchester Digital Development Agencymanchesterdda.com
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18 Nov
25 Nov
2 Dec
9 Dec
16 Dec
This workshop is 1 of 5What makes a good website
Payment systems
Attracting customers – Marketing and Social Networks
Attracting customers – Search Engine Optimisation & Advertising
Stay Legal
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1. Why have a website?
2. Differences between online and offline shops
3. Differences between global brands and small business websites
4. Elements of a good website – design, layout…
5. Coffee break
6. Developing a website specification
7. Some quick tips – domain names, keeping a ʻlever arch fileʼ for your website, statistics
What Iʼm going to talk about
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British shoppers will spend more than £1 billion online each week in the run up to Christmas.
A forecast by IMRG and Capgemini has suggested that £13.16 billion will be spent on internet shopping in the final quarter of the year, an increase of 15 per cent compared to 2007.
Monday, December 8th has been predicted to be the most lucrative day for online shopping, with sales expected to total £320 million.
Online Xmas shopping in 2008
Source: IAB UK http://is.gd/7Xz94
Raise brand awareness
Provide information on your products and services
Give customers a way of contacting you
Sell products or services online
Collect data about your clients for later use
Why have a website?
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Raise brand awareness
Provide information on your products and services
Give customers a way of contacting you
Sell products or services online
Collect data about your clients for later use
Why have a website?
6
Raise brand awareness
Provide information on your products and services
Give customers a way of contacting you
Sell products or services online
Collect data about your clients for later use
Why have a website?
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Raise brand awareness
Provide information on your products and services
Give customers a way of contacting you
Sell products or services online
Collect data about your clients for later use
Why have a website?
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Raise brand awareness
Provide information on your products and services
Give customers a way of contacting you
Sell products or services online
Collect data about your clients for later use
Why have a website?
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Online shop
Open all the time
Available to anyone anywhere they can access the internet
Shopping is facilitated by technology - there is NO personal contact
Offline shop
Tends to have fixed opening hours
Number of customers can be dependent on location
Face-to-face interaction is a big part of the process
Differences between…
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Global brand
They donʼt have to explain who they are
People are usually very clear on what services or products that brand represents
Small business
People on the internet might not know who they are
Has to explain who they are, what they do
Has to work harder to make themselves stand out
Differences between…
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Design Layout
Content
Elements of a good website
Usability
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A well designed, usable website
Why are these important?
Good customer experience
=
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Consistent look and feel – website design follows your “corporate brand”
Good use of images
A sense of professionalism
Design
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Consistent look and feel – website design follows your “corporate brand”
Good use of images
A sense of professionalism
Design
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Consistent look and feel – website design follows your “corporate brand”
Good use of images
A sense of professionalism
Design
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Make it easy to find your way around the site
Position your key messages correctly
People usually scan web pages not read them
Evaluate regularly and change things that donʼt work!
Layout
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Make it easy to find your way around the site
Position your key messages correctly
People usually scan web pages not read them
Evaluate regularly and change things that donʼt work!
Layout
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Make it easy to find your way around the site
Position your key messages correctly
People usually scan web pages not read them
Evaluate regularly and change things that donʼt work!
Layout
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Make it easy to find your way around the site
Position your key messages correctly
People usually scan web pages not read them
Evaluate regularly and change things that donʼt work!
Layout
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The most common monitor resolution is 1024 x 768
Keep this is mind when having your website designed
Remember to keep your most important messages at the top, so people donʼt have to scroll down pages to see them
A note about screen sizes
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The most common monitor resolution is 1024 x 768
Keep this is mind when having your website designed
Remember to keep your most important messages at the top, so people donʼt have to scroll down pages to see them
A note about screen sizes
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The most common monitor resolution is 1024 x 768
Keep this is mind when having your website designed
Remember to keep your most important messages at the top, so people donʼt have to scroll down pages to see them
A note about screen sizes
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Content is the stuff on your website – words, pictures, video, audio, forms, error pages, etc.
Your website IS driven by content.
Avoid complex language – use plain language and say what you see!
Know your audience.
Check for spilling messtakes.
Content
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Content is the stuff on your website – words, pictures, video, audio, forms, error pages, etc.
Your website IS driven by content.
Avoid complex language – use plain language and say what you see!
Know your audience.
Check for spilling messtakes.
Content
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Content is the stuff on your website – words, pictures, video, audio, forms, error pages, etc.
Your website IS driven by content.
Avoid complex language – use plain language and say what you see!
Know your audience.
Check for spilling messtakes.
Content
26
Content is the stuff on your website – words, pictures, video, audio, forms, error pages, etc.
Your website IS driven by content.
Avoid complex language – use plain language and say what you see!
Know your audience.
Check for spilling messtakes.
Content
27
Content is the stuff on your website – words, pictures, video, audio, forms, error pages, etc.
Your website IS driven by content.
Avoid complex language – use plain language and say what you see!
Know your audience.
Check for spilling messtakes.
Content
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If customers canʼt use your website to do stuff, even if the website looks nice, is it doing its job?
Remember that customers come to your website to carry out a specific task – find out who you are, buy something from you, etc.
The design of your website should help customers do those tasks.
Test the website.
What happens when things go wrong. Do you know when things go wrong?
Usability
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If customers canʼt use your website to do stuff, even if the website looks nice, is it doing its job?
Remember that customers come to your website to carry out a specific task – find out who you are, buy something from you, etc.
The design of your website should help customers do those tasks.
Test the website.
What happens when things go wrong. Do you know when things go wrong?
Usability
30
If customers canʼt use your website to do stuff, even if the website looks nice, is it doing its job?
Remember that customers come to your website to carry out a specific task – find out who you are, buy something from you, etc.
The design of your website should help customers do those tasks.
Test the website.
What happens when things go wrong. Do you know when things go wrong?
Usability
31
If customers canʼt use your website to do stuff, even if the website looks nice, is it doing its job?
Remember that customers come to your website to carry out a specific task – find out who you are, buy something from you, etc.
The design of your website should help customers do those tasks.
Test the website.
What happens when things go wrong. Do you know when things go wrong?
Usability
32
If customers canʼt use your website to do stuff, even if the website looks nice, is it doing its job?
Remember that customers come to your website to carry out a specific task – find out who you are, buy something from you, etc.
The design of your website should help customers do those tasks.
Test the website.
What happens when things go wrong. Do you know when things go wrong?
Usability
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sensible.com34
Examples…
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boomkat.com36
www.flickr.com37
waterstones.com38
www.barnardcastlelife.co.uk39
apple.com/uk40
www.coca-cola.com/template1/index.jsp?locale=en_GB41
moo.com42
www.jeffreysgroup.co.uk/home.html43
crowdspring.com44
www.traditionalpaving.co.uk45
www.autotrader.co.uk46
www.bbc.co.uk47
Coffee break
Please take this opportunity to fill in the assistance form that is in your pack.
Thank you!
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Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with developers
Writing a website specification
49
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with developers
Writing a website specification
50
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with developers
Writing a website specification
51
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with developers
Writing a website specification
52
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with developers
Writing a website specification
53
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with developers
Writing a website specification
54
www.37signals.com/papers/introtopatterns/55
Be clear on what you want to achieve
Think about your audience
Research other websites – competitors, market leaders, websites your target audience would visit
Ask friends, family and colleagues what websites they like and DONʼT like – and why.
Make a list of websites you like, donʼt like, compete against or aspire to
Homework
56
Be clear on what you want to achieve
Think about your audience
Research other websites – competitors, market leaders, websites your target audience would visit
Ask friends, family and colleagues what websites they like and DONʼT like – and why.
Make a list of websites you like, donʼt like, compete against or aspire to
Homework
57
Be clear on what you want to achieve
Think about your audience
Research other websites – competitors, market leaders, websites your target audience would visit
Ask friends, family and colleagues what websites they like and DONʼT like – and why.
Make a list of websites you like, donʼt like, compete against or aspire to
Homework
58
Be clear on what you want to achieve
Think about your audience
Research other websites – competitors, market leaders, websites your target audience would visit
Ask friends, family and colleagues what websites they like and DONʼT like – and why.
Make a list of websites you like, donʼt like, compete against or aspire to
Homework
59
Be clear on what you want to achieve
Think about your audience
Research other websites – competitors, market leaders, websites your target audience would visit
Ask friends, family and colleagues what websites they like and DONʼT like – and why.
Make a list of websites you like, donʼt like, compete against or aspire to
Homework
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Find and employ a web professional
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Some quick tips…
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Do you know who owns your domain name?
Do you know when your domain name will expire?
Do you have an automatic renewal process in place?
Do you know which company you registered your domain name with?
Use a service like whois.net or nominet.org.uk to find out details about your domain name
Domain names
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Do you know who owns your domain name?
Do you know when your domain name will expire?
Do you have an automatic renewal process in place?
Do you know which company you registered your domain name with?
Use a service like whois.net or nominet.org.uk to find out details about your domain name
Domain names
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Do you know who owns your domain name?
Do you know when your domain name will expire?
Do you have an automatic renewal process in place?
Do you know which company you registered your domain name with?
Use a service like whois.net or nominet.org.uk to find out details about your domain name
Domain names
65
Do you know who owns your domain name?
Do you know when your domain name will expire?
Do you have an automatic renewal process in place?
Do you know which company you registered your domain name with?
Use a service like whois.net or nominet.org.uk to find out details about your domain name
Domain names
66
Do you know who owns your domain name?
Do you know when your domain name will expire?
Do you have an automatic renewal process in place?
Do you know which company you registered your domain name with?
Use a service like whois.net or nominet.org.uk to find out details about your domain name
Domain names
67
Keep all the paperwork about your website in it
Keep a copy in another location
Keep it up-to-date
If you can, make scans of those paper documents and save them as images or PDFs as backups
A “lever arch file” for your site
68
Keep all the paperwork about your website in it
Keep a copy in another location
Keep it up-to-date
If you can, make scans of those paper documents and save them as images or PDFs as backups
A “lever arch file” for your site
69
Keep all the paperwork about your website in it
Keep a copy in another location
Keep it up-to-date
If you can, make scans of those paper documents and save them as images or PDFs as backups
A “lever arch file” for your site
70
Keep all the paperwork about your website in it
Keep a copy in another location
Keep it up-to-date
If you can, make scans of those paper documents and save them as images or PDFs as backups
A “lever arch file” for your site
71
Do you get statistics on the use of your site?
Do you know about statistics services like Google Analytics and Mint?
Use statistics to find out things like
• Popular pages
• Search phrases
• Which sites are linking to you
• Popular times people come to your site
Website statistics
72
Do you get statistics on the use of your site?
Do you know about statistics services like Google Analytics and Mint?
Use statistics to find out things like
• Popular pages
• Search phrases
• Which sites are linking to you
• Popular times people come to your site
Website statistics
73
Do you get statistics on the use of your site?
Do you know about statistics services like Google Analytics and Mint?
Use statistics to find out things like
• Popular pages
• Search phrases
• Which sites are linking to you
• Popular times people come to your site
Website statistics
74
See you next weekManchester Digital Development Agencymanchesterdda.comtwitter.com/mddamdda.blip.tvdelicious.com/mdda
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