Mrs. Schroeder's Website

Please read the information below.  Print out your assignment sheet. It will be due tommorrow.

Ten Points To Consider For Effective Websites

Remember that "Content is King". Ideas are what counts. Present them clearly and simply. Readers grow tired of fancy graphics and animations.

Use these features ONLY to enhance your message. If you don't have anything important to say, or don't say it clearly, all the special effects on the web will not make your pages more valuable to the reader!!

1) Start with an outline or story board to get a sense of the web site's structure. Leave room for expansion. Name the home page "index.htm". Use an organized method to name the other pages (files) so that the file name offers a clue to the content. For example if your page 2 is on "Science" naming the page "Science" is a logical lead in to the content.

2) Studies show that 80% of users do NOT scroll down from the first screen of a web page. Therefore, put the main ideas and menus at the top (first screen) of each web page. The first screen should be designed to be complete and balanced. Don't use large graphics that the user must scroll down to see.

3) Use the inverted pyramid style of newspaper writing, with the important information first when writing website information.

4) Your web pages should make sense and be readable with the graphics turned off. Many users are still using 14.4 modems and/or often turn off graphics. Therefore, use graphics sparingly. Make sure each graphic has a purpose and adds something to the web page

5) If a page takes more than 3 screens to scroll, consider creating a new web page.

6) Use headers and/or footers on each web page. Information in a header or footer helps to identify the web site. A footer, especially on the home page, can also include information on who and what organization helped to create the web site, the date it was created and updated, e-mail link to the webmaster for questions or to report problems, and address and phone number to contact for more information. Readers can use this info to contact you if the web server is down. Remember that many users print out web pages, so writing out e-mail and URL links can be helpful for hard copies.

7) For photos, use the JPEG format. Set pixels at 72 per inch for screen presentations, and color at 256.

8) Avoid dark text on dark backgrounds, and light text on light backgrounds. Keep contrast high. Unless there are other design considerations, use white backgrounds and black text. Red can be used for emphasis.

9) Unless there are other design considerations, use standard link colors. Avoid using underlining.

10) Make sure you credit all material gather from the www, e-mail, newsgroups, ftp, etc. Also make sure you list the last time you updated your site in the footer of your front page.

Ten Points to Consider for Non-Effective Websites 

Remember, all that glitters is not gold....shiney and sparkly website are often times just that: shiney and sparkly with no actual value or accurate content.

1) Users often move fast and furiously when they're looking for search boxes. If they can't find it...they leave the site.

• On home pages, search should be a type-in field and not a link.
• The search input field should be wide enough to contain the typical query; if the box is too small, the query will scroll and diminish usability.

2) Users hate coming across a PDF file while browsing, because it breaks their flow. Even simple things like printing or saving documents are difficult because standard browser commands don't work. Layouts are often optimized for a sheet of paper, which rarely matches the size of the user's browser window. Bye-bye smooth scrolling. Hello tiny fonts.

3) Not changing the color of your visited links is a problem. It confuses readers of the site and makes it harder to know where you are going and more importantly, where you have been.

4) A wall of text is deadly for an interactive experience. Intimidating. Boring. Painful to read.

Write for online, not print. To draw users into the text and support scannability, use well-documented tricks:

• subheads
• bulleted lists
• highlighted keywords
• short paragraphs
• the inverted pyramid
• a simple writing style, and
• de-fluffed language devoid of marketese.

5) Make sure font size is big enough for everyone to read. Also make sure it is consistent. If you start out with 14 pt type, keep it that way, don't do 12 pt type and then 24 pt type and then back to 14 pt type. Readers will leave you...

6) Page title in search engines are the most important parts of your sites. Search engines look at the first 66 characters of your site including your site name. If you simply have "1234567890...." and you are a cooking store, your average search engine will not drive many readers to your site. Use your characters wisely.

7) Advertising on your page can be very tricky. Even if you have a text box shaped like an ad, it can be mistaken for one. Be careful when designing a site to watch for this.

8) Consistency. To design a radical and innovative site is to issue a proclaimation saying "Goodbye visitors!" Traditional site design is best.

9) Make sure all links work. A broken link is a sure way to turn a visitor to your site in another direction to someone else's site.

10) Answer all questions on your site. Please realize you are the ultimate authority on your site. If you do not answer all questions, how will people know about you? Have a friend check your site out and give an honest evaluation of what they think your site is about. You may be surprised at what they think.

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ASSIGNMENT

Print out the assignment below and answer all questions. It is due to Mrs. Schroeder tommorrow.