^On Building ^a Website

Last Edit February 1997

External Sites: INTERNET	Internal Sites: INTRANET
Formal	Informal
High-interest graphics the image the company wants the world to see	More emphasis on information Let down your hair graphics
Goal is to get your site seen and to get people to stay at your site and look around	Goal is to get information disseminated as fast as possible.
Terminology may be what is commonly known to the outside world; perhaps limited to a given target profession	Terminology may use acronyms known to insiders
Reduce phone calls from customers	Less work for employees
Save time for customers seeking information	Save time for employees seeking information
Common icons recognized by customers Home, Corporate Information or About...., Employment or Jobs, Products, Latest News, Financials	Employees recognize "You and ...." , (HR information) Customers and Marketplace, (outside world) Values and Direction (corporate strategic plans and company values)
Logical organization must be the target user's, not the webmaster	Logical organization must match employee needs, all of them
Multiple languages or reference language sites depends on reps and where customers are	Depends on where employees are

• Navigation Bar must be easy to read and understand
• Offer several routes since all people don't look for the same material
  or they don't look for the same material in the same way.
• Offer guides to help people look in different areas for information
  the ubiquitous "see also"
• Give users the information they want
• Bundle it in ways that make sense
• Get them to it as fast as possible
  Keep only 2 or 3 pages between the user and the information
  (2-level is best)
• Each so-called index page should also be conveying information
  - - - no useless lists
• Type contrast must be maintained. If the background colors
  balloons your type into an unreadable slag
  change it!
• If text over a graphic is hard to read, change or kill the graphic
  or build a high-contrast dropshadow under the text.
• If a fancy graphics slows down the download, kill it. Be ruthless.
• Proof pages on a high-res Mac running Netscape
  and a low-res IBM-clone running explorer
  and anything else you can.
• Keep to the 216-web-color pallet. Use indexed color.
  Keep graphics small. Toss graphics that are there
  just to be there. KISS principle.
• Maintain links. Use site-management tools. Like Site-Mill.
• Avoid long text scrolls - break it up
• If a file has too many large graphics - break it up
• Use spell-check
• Check grammar
• Update the site search engine regularly and often
• Maintain a "newpages" log with changes and dates
  people will bookmark this page
• Watch out - don't use too many counters. Or keep them hidden.
• Everypage has a bottom template (or use forms) including copyright
  and who to call
  and either list or link out to trademarks
• The website is a trademark. The address is a trademark. So declare it.
• Company logo should be on every page - does not need to be
  obtrousive and ugly

Greetings page ** Vitae ** Home page

For information about this file or to report problems in its use email dewhite@best.com

Copyright © March 1997 Donnamaie E. White