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Personal Notes And Observations On The Subject
Websites and the Internet are a relatively new concept. I predict that in the next ten years, their use will multiply amazingly and sites will become the accepted method of both communicating and research for everyone. Many of the common things we use today will increasingly be done through this medium. Therefore, as with all new things, it is sometimes better to get your feet wet at the beginning rather than be unfamiliar later on when it’s use is increasingly essential. So should you or your group be considering a website? Here are a few of the observations I discovered when constructing this one.
WHO CAN USE A WEBSITE 1- Individuals , ideally a personal website is combined with a hobby or interest of some kind. In this case you may want to limit the amount of personal information you give to general terms (the town but not the street address, leave out the phone number, and so on). Just in case. - Can be just personal fun and include such things as a biography, photo album and a diary. A great way of expressing yourself! - Provides an on-going resume with the ability to expand certain sections and give proper examples. - Can be a kind of ongoing newletter complete with family pictures, old items being deleted as new ones are added. - A way to promote your interests. In this case, perhaps you might wish to restrict your site to that one interest. Others may be reluctant to link to a site that also has unrelated topics and points of view. - A way to communicate with others of like interests
2- Groups (clubs or organizations) - An on-going up-to-date brochure of information and club background - Allows for up-to-date schedules of club meetings including last minute changes because of weather etc. - On-line membership forms - Fast e-mail communication directly to the proper person in the organization
3- Small Businesses - An on-going up-to-date brochure - A way to vastly expand your business card. Simply refer to the website on your business card and all further expansive details, to the the nth degree, will become available. - Advertisements for current and up-and-coming sales - Informing customers, near and far - E-mail order forms - Fast e-mail communication directed to the proper person in the company
WHY A WEBSITE? 1-Up-to-date at all times. 2- Can be custom designed to suit your particular needs. 3- Can be interactive. 4- Offers the best combination of various media forms for your particular use. 5- Serves both world-wide and local markets at the same time. 6- Not only can be adapted for your information and views but link to other information on the same subject. 7- Internal links allow you to shorten the principal message and refer the reader to further information elsewhere. 8- Economical. The size of the market does not matter. One copy serves all. 9- Cost efficient, maybe even free.
RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE 1- Know your audience. 2- Design from the beginning to allow for frequent changes and updates. UPDATES ARE IMPORTANT, PARAMOUNT, however do not take on too much. For a personal website, one subject, upgraded once a week is usually sufficient. Taking on too much will only cause burnout or low quality. Be careful you do not plan for a lot when, by necessity, your schedule at different times of the year varies and you find yourself too busy to give it your full consideration. 3- Use the right combination of media (text, graphics, sound, etc.) for the particular audience. Are you informing, entertaining, or both? 4- Include logical and complete links, both internal & external, for an easy flow of ideas. This is one of the chief advantages over printing offered by a website. 5- SPACE IS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE, not only because of cost but for quicker downloading by those who visit your site. Design for minimum file space. (This does not mean pages. File space is quite distinct and the number of pages is no indication. Pages are used to denote divisions or restrict loading space) Many servers will provide a minimum of file space free. After that they usually charge. Allow for 10% less in actual space in your plans. In any case, larger size makes for longer downloading time, and longer downloading time makes for less interest and response from the very people you are trying to attract. Learn to be careful and use space saving tips.
THINGS TO CONSIDER 1- Text - is what the Internet was originally designed for. It may not be as interesting but takes the least file space and adjusts easiest to particular placement. 2- Graphics - Vastly improves the readability of your site and a digital camera may become important. Problem 1: A picture is worth a thousand words....and takes up just about that much space and is harder to place. Thus they should be used only for a purpose, to enhance or further explain text. Or to entertain. Problem 2: Remember you are constantly revising pages. Text remains part of each page file but each image on the page is a separate file with only directions to the page. Therefore, changing images complicates revisions. Not much but it is something to consider. Problem 3: their size remains the same, regardless of screen size. Therefore you must plan your graphics size carefully so they not only fit the lowest possible size screen but still look good on a larger one. 3- The Use of Forms (the ability to separate the screen into different sections with separate scrolling for each) This currently has questionable value as they are liked by some and hated by others. However, they do keep constant things like menus or titles on the same screen that remain there while you view other pages. Problem 1: It is an option. Some viewers do not like them and turn that option off. Because it is a feature that can be turned off, or, in some older versions, cannot be turned on, it is necessary to also design your site for use without them. Problem 2: Because they divide the screen into sections, forms permanently take screen space away from every other page you have. And if a visitor to your site links up to another site through yours that also uses forms, they now have even less space to look at. Problem 3: Any bookmarking the viewer does through your site, will include one or more of your forms. A kind of permanent link to your site whether the viewer likes it or not. 4- Sound, Video, etc. are becoming more important as the purpose of some websites become more amusement and less informative. However, they take up a great deal of space and should be used only when necessary and for a very particular audience. 5- Auxiliary Files. You will need to consider an arrangement for storing your site files in separate compartments. Perhaps something like the following. 1- A set of files to work on, 2- a set that is an exact copy of what is currently on the web, 3- a library folder of images (flashes, stars, arrows, etc.) that you might want to use from time to time in your site, and 5- a folder for pages that are particularly good and you may want to bring back again.
REQUIREMENTS OF RUNNING A WEBSITE 1- A web designer to construct your site. Designing a website takes not only technical know-how but a degree of artistic ability. Also the person's understanding of the site's purpose is helpful. 2- A web server to host your site. This is usually your Internet provider. 3- E-mail addresses for those listed as contacts on you website. 4- A method of updating and editing your site. This can be either a service, suitable software, and/or a personal knowledge of html computer language. 5- A smooth path for the gathering and channeling of information to be included in the site. This is important as SMOOTH UPDATING IS THE NAME OF THE GAME. You must constantly maintain a continuous easy flow from the writers and photographers to the editor. If your site involve others, every person along the flowpath must be dependable and on time as one break in the chain can ruin it. Look at your schedule. Are you out of town alot? Do you work long hours at other things during part of the year and unable to always give the site your full attention. Those are things to consider as your viewers expect you to stick to the schedule you set for yourself. That is what makes a website good, watchable. 6- You want the site to be interactive so you need a method of audience feedback in order to adjust the site accordingly.
THE STEPS IN CREATING A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE 1- Define the purpose and audience for the site. 2- Plan the site. This takes time. First think about it, then leave it aside for a while, then go back to it, putting your ideas on paper. Do not worry about the number of pages. Be more concerned about the degree of text and graphics involved. 3- Start collecting interesting backgrounds and other things that suit your fancy and may possibly suit your future site. 4- Create the site. 5- Upload to server without advertising it. 6- Get feedback from a few select people representative of your site audience. 7- Make all necessary adjustments from the suggestions you receive. 8- Advertise. a - add your website address to your business card. It will easily enlarge the information given many fold. b- put signature references on your e-mail. c- advise link sources and request reciprocal links. Link to locality and products featured. d - register with any appropriate rings e- register your site with search engines. Allow a good amount of time for this, as there is often a delay between registering and the individual search engines may take time to register your information. 9- UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE. 10- regularily check your links. Out of date link addresses do you no credit. 11- Look at other sites. Keep up to date and make periodic style changes in your site to take advantage of improving techniques and to keep your audience's interest. 12- HAVE FUN AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS. |
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