Transcript Designing an E-Business Web Site

Designing an E-Business Web Site
Chapter 7
Setting Web Site Goals
and Objectives
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The first thing that an e-business
entrepreneur should do, before any Web
pages are created, is determine the goals,
objectives, and overall purpose of the ebusiness Web site.
Will the Web site:
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Allow customers to order products and services online?
Provide technical support for products and services?
Advertise products and services?
Build the e-business’s image and brand?
Collect information about current and potential customers?
Provide links to related Web pages?
Provide general or industry information?
Recruit employees?
Consider the Audience
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The next step is to consider the Web site’s
target audience.
In too many instances, e-businesses design
Web sites around the needs of the ebusiness rather than the needs of the target
audience.
Consider the Audience
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Audience
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Browser
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IE, Netscape, WebTV, or other device (PDA, cell
phones, etc.)
Speed
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Experience, novice, or mix
Broadband vs. modem
Screen resolution
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640 or 480, 800 x 600, or higher
Planning the Budget
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When planning the Web site, another
important issue to consider is the budget.
The decision to develop the Web site inhouse or to outsource some or all of the
development will have an impact on the
budget.
Planning the Budget (cont’d)
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In-house Web development may require the addition
of technical personnel, software, hardware, and
office space.
Outsourcing will require contracts with Web
designers, programmers, and testers.
You may need to acquire or outsource graphics and
media expertise.
Possible needs:
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Digital camera, scanner, software (Adobe Photoshop)
Time & effort
Analyzing the Web Site’s Structure
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E-business’s name
Slogan, logo, or trademark
Product or services info
Press releases and testimonials
Employment info
Contact info
Maps to physical locations
Web site map
Customer support info
Purchase or customer info forms
Analyzing the Web Site’s Structure
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When designing the structure of a Web site,
it is a good idea to create a flow chart that
diagrams the Web site’s navigational
structure.
A good way to do this is to use a technique
called storyboarding.
Storyboarding
Sample Web Site Structure Chart
Recognizing Effective Web Design
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The customer is truly in charge and can
easily switch to an e-business’s competitor
with a click of the mouse.
A viewer forms an impression of a Web site
within the first few seconds of a visit.
Most users want to find info within 3 to 5
mouse clicks
If several levels, good idea to include a
search tool
Maintaining Consistency
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Several elements that should appear on
every page of the Web site:
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E-business name
Contact information
Logo or trademark
Update date
Copyright information (note on p. 240)
Navigation elements
Using Navigation Elements
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Navigation elements are important because
a viewer may not always enter a Web site
from its home page.
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Internal hyperlinks
Navigation bar
Navigational outline
Site map
Navigation Bar
Internet Site Map
Using Splash Pages
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A special page to introduce the Web site
Often contains multimedia or graphical
elements
Beware of splash page load times
Splash Page
Text and Icon Hyperlinks
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Going away from tradition (underlined and
formatted with a dark color, generally blue)
Can also be positioned in the body of a Web
page to help viewers navigate a Web site, or
to allow viewers to access Web pages at a
different Web site.
Graphical links may be used in place of text
links.
Using Color
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Color design choices are critical in setting the tone
for the viewer’s experience.
Use good graphic design techniques.
Color has cultural meaning. (i.e. in the United
States, blue can connote trust, but in Korea, pastel
pink evokes trust… know your audience!)
Loud vs. pastels and earth tone colors (p. 245)
www.cisco.com
Pantone Color Palette
Background Images
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Background images and patterns can create
interesting and attractive effects.
Beware of graphics that interfere with text or
cause problems on small screens.
Test your pages carefully.
Using Text
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Online readers
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Scan instead of read
Prefer to read narrow columns instead of margin to margin
Use frequent breaks, headings, lists, and white
space (see p. 248-249)
Font
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Serif
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Sans Serif
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This is a sample commonly used in body text
This is a sample commonly used for headings
Browser will substitute if font doesn’t exist on users PC
Using Images and Multimedia
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Multimedia done well can enhance the site
and attract viewers.
Multimedia done badly will repel viewers.
Beware of pages that take a long time to
load. Most viewers do not have broadband
Internet connections.
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GIF and JPEG
Use of “thumbnails”
Audio and Video
Web Design Tips
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Remember to keep it simple—the “less is more”
idea really works for most e-business Web sites.
Use lots of white space for an uncluttered look.
Make certain that the colors used in the design are
not only browser-safe, but also fit the Web site’s
message.
White or black background colors are usually best.
Web Design Tips (cont’d)
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Keep the color scheme consistent across all pages
at the Web site.
Avoid background images that obscure the text.
Avoid frames unless absolutely necessary.
Make certain that viewers can quickly scan the text.
Make certain that fonts and font sizes and text
formatting for emphasis are consistent across the
Web site.
Web Development Tools
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Many kinds of Web development software
available, from Web page design software to
entire Web application environments.
Most common software: Microsoft
FrontPage, NetObjects Fusion, and
Macromedia Dreamweaver
There are many other programs, which range
from freeware and shareware to other, more
expensive applications.
Web Development Tools
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Allaire’s ColdFusion and Microsoft Active Server
Pages (ASP)
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Content management tools
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Provide database connectivity
Allows non-technical users to enter information to be
displayed on the Web site via online forms and templates
Turnkey packages
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Purchase packaged storefront ready to publish, except for
custom content to input
Yahoo! Store
Outsourcing Web Design
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Outsourcing Web design work can save a
startup e-business time and money by saving
the cost of recruiting and hiring in-house Web
design professionals.
Outsourcing Web Design (cont’d)
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Before agreeing to an outsourcing contract, an ebusiness should thoroughly review several
outsourcing candidates to get answers to the
following questions:
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What services do they provide?
What are their staff capabilities, and what portion of the
design work, if any, will they subcontract?
Can they provide references and examples of their work?
What is their track record for completing projects on
schedule?
Afterwards – who is responsible for updating, etc. (p.
258)
Testing and Maintaining a Web Site
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After your e-business has a completed Web site, you
should test the site thoroughly before publishing it to
its final destination Web server and making it
available to the public.
Test it for usability, and make certain that everything
at the Web site works correctly.
Undergo a “stress test”
This process, like most others in the Web
development and deployment process, can be
outsourced.
Testing and Maintaining a Web Site
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Carefully monitor and evaluate Web site
activities
Viewer feedback must be solicited and
evaluated
A successful Web site cannot be static
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Must continue to evolve because of the dynamic
nature of the Web
Sites
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http://www.margiemetzler.com/sites.html