Transcript How to Plan A Web Site!!!!!!!! - Back Bay Service Unit Girl Scouts

How to Plan a Website
Dusty Davis – Back Bay Service Unit Girl Scouts
www.backbayserviceunit.bluejinx.com
Camile Berry – Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast
Welcome
Introductions
Why Make a Plan?
What do you really want the website to say?
Who will maintain the website?
When you are ready, where do you publish the site?
How do you lay out the Website?
Agenda
Planning
Publishing A Website
Getting Started
Temptations
Summary
Planning
Identify the Purpose or Goals – What is the main
purpose of your web site?
Planning
Figure out what kind of commitment is involved
How much time and money are you willing to put
into your website?
Who will determine or approve the content?
How often will website be updated?
Planning
More on Commitment
What kind of skills will be needed? Who will learn
these skills?
Should I use Software (WYSIWYG)?
Should I use a Content Manager?
Should I code from scratch (HTML)?
Who will maintain and update the website?
Most Importantly: Decide what is best for you
Planning
Do I need a blog or a website? Which is better?
Blog:
A blog is a series of content (called "posts") that are
usually organized by date and category for convenient
browsing.
They have comment forms at the end of every post that
allow the readers to interact.
Blogs were originally created for personal journaling.
Now blogs are used in place of websites.
Planning
Do I need a blog or a website? Which is better?
Website:
A website is a collection of content called web pages.
Unlike a blog, the pages are not usually organized by
date.
With websites, you have a more control of your site's
layout because it's easier to work directly with the code.
Planning
Know your Audience
Who will visit the web site?
What do they do?
How old are they?
What are their interests?
Planning
Design Layout – Ask others their opinions Brainstorm
Select the Content Categories Carefully – Write it
down on paper
Search the Web for ideas
Publishing the Site
Where to Host Your Site
Your ISP (Internet Service Provider)
Free Service
Hosting Company
Dedicated
Shared
What about a Domain Name?
Publishing the Site
Hosting Company (plans) – Usually comes with a
Domain Name
MidPhase Hosting
Net Firms
Go Daddy
Free Hosting (Free, will have advertising and bandwidth
limits, Domain Name is not usually included)
Google Sites
Blogger or WordPress
Webs (formerly FreeWebs – Has a section for Scouts)
Clubspaces
VolunteerSpot
Get Started
Layout
Folders or categories for images, contacts, forms, etc.
Draw it out on paper – Story Board it
Home
Documents
Events
SU Girl
Events
Volunteer
Meetings
Contacts
Images
Archives
VST
Volunteers
Creating the Website
Planning the layout
Pages must be functional, with logical navigation
Page must be easy to update
Organize all the files
Try to keep filenames, try not to move files
Graphic design is part of functional and navigation
Creating the Website
Programs (Editors)
FrontPage 2003
Kompozer (Free)
CoffeeCup (Has Free Version)
Dreamweaver
This is just a small example of programs available
Creating the Website
Content Management Systems (CMS)
Database driven, dynamic website template software
that provides the site owner with the ability to upload,
edit and delete content.
WordPress
Moveable Type
TypePad
Blogger
Drupal
Joomla
Creating the Website
What If I don’t want to use a program?
Can you write HTML without a program? YES, you
can
HTML: HyperText Markup Language
HTML is the language by which Web Servers and
browsers communicate with each other.
Creating the Website
What it really
looks like
Temptations
Do keep it simple. (Less is more – and tasteful simple web sites are more
appealing)
Do Make it eye pleasing. (Blinking and multi-colored text is a bad idea)
Don’t use a Flash introduction.
Don’t put music or sound files that play automatically on your site.
Don’t put a lot of slow-loading graphics and media on your page.
Do make sure your visitors at a glance know what your site is about.
Don’t use pop-ups on your website.
Do avoid copyright violations.
Do be responsible: Ensure that your Web site is safe, secure, monitored
and and moderated.
Group Summary
Website Planning
Identify the Purpose or Goals – What is the main
purpose of your web site?
Figure out what kind of commitment is involved
Do I need a blog or a website?
Know your audience
Design Layout – Ask others their opinions - Brainstorm
Select the Content Categories carefully – Write it down
Search the Web for ideas
Decide where to host your site
Most Importantly: Decide what is best for you
Website Planning
Thank you!
Resources are attached
Dusty Davis – Back Bay Service Unit Girl Scouts
Back Bay Service Unit FD&V VFA:
http://backbayserviceunit.bluejinx.com/
Camile Berry – Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast
Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast IT Director
Resources
Girl Scout Resources (Additional Questions - [email protected] 547-4405
ext. 258):
Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast: www.gccc.org
Girl Scout Copyrights: www.girlscouts.org/faqs/copyrights_trademarks.asp
Girl Scout Guidelines for Websites:
www.gsccc.org/Documents/Forms/Guidelines_for_Web_2_10_0511.doc
Paid Web Plans
Go Daddy: www.godaddy.com
Midphase: www.midphase.com
Net Firms: www.netfirms.com
Yahoo! Webhosting: http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting/
Free Web Sites
FreeWebs: http://scouts.freewebs.com/
ClubSpaces: www.clubspaces.com/home.aspx
Google Sites: www.google.com
VolunteerSpot: www.volunteerspot.com
More Resources
Blogs
Blogger (Free): www.blogger.com
WordPress (Free): http://wordpress.com
Adult Learning Classes (Check your local Community College or School District for
Adult course offerings near you)
Course Catalog for Virginia Beach Adult Learning: www.adultlearning.vbschools.com
Course Catalog for Chesapeake Adult and Continuing Education:
http://www.cpschools.com/departments/adulted/brochure.html
Tutorials
Building a School Website: www.wigglebits.com/ (For Beginners)
How-To—Build-Websites.com: www.how-to-build-websites.com (Intermediate)
W3schools: www.w3schools.com/ (Advanced)
Tools
FrontPage 2003 (Available with MS Office 2003 Professional – will be discontinued)
Kompozer (Free): www.Kompozer.net
CoffeeCup (Has Free Version): www.coffeecup.com
Dreamweaver: www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver