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Creating an Engaging Home Page

Creating an Engaging Home Page. CSU Extension Webpage Template Session 5 March 2010. “Sticky” web pages. Get people to immediately begin interacting with your site 7 to 10 seconds to engage them before they leave Get them clicking deeper into your site. Strategies.

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Creating an Engaging Home Page

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  1. Creating an Engaging Home Page CSU Extension Webpage Template Session 5 March 2010

  2. “Sticky” web pages • Get people to immediately begin interacting with your site • 7 to 10 seconds to engage them before they leave • Get them clicking deeper into your site

  3. Strategies • Prominent, consistent, easy to understand navigation in upper left • Prominent Search capability • Update often (at least once a month) • Multiple options, cleanly presented • Don’t be cluttered (a fine line) • Be “above the fold” • Use micro-content • Headers, lists, links • Short paragraphs, short sentences

  4. Strategies (con’t) • Display popular documents, downloads, and links prominently • Master Gardener brochures, 4H newsletters, Season-specific fact sheets • Prudent use of linked images and “gadgets” (Storefront, Ask an Expert, Google Translate) • Use multimedia • Audio • Video • Slideshows

  5. Middle column table format • Bring up and rename the 3 column template • Switch out thumbnail with your others, or use your own • 75x75 px • Image must be recognizable at that size • Replace text with your own • Link image and title to brochure • To delete rows: move cursor to left of row and click to select it, hit delete • To add rows: move cursor to edge of table and click to select it, change number in Row box of Property Inspector

  6. Linked lists • A bulleted list of links - great microcontent strategy • What to offer • News and Press Releases • Events and Announcements • Fact sheets • Calendar of events • Newsletter and brochures • Multimedia (video, audio)

  7. Presentations • Slideshare • http://www.slideshare.net/ • Register and upload • Use embed code to embed slideshow on website • You can also upload narration as an .mp3 and synch it to slides • Google docs • https://www.google.com/ • Register and upload • Share button, Publish/Embed • Use embed code to embed slideshow on website • Choice of sizes!

  8. Using Youtube to add video • http://www.youtube.com/ • Don’t have to worry about hosting or conversion! • Register and upload existing video • Use embed code to add it to website • You can choose different sizes of embed • Or • Hold down shift key and drag a corner to resize proportionally

  9. Video Formats • .swf, .flv – Flash • Small file sizes, plays well with Dreamweaver, wide support • .mov – Quicktime • Small file size, good for video, wide support • .wmv – Windows Media • Small file size, good for video, very wide support • Sometimes tough to match most recent player version • .avi – Audio Video Interleave • Large file sizes, universally supported • Useful as initial format, since it easily converts • .mpeg • DVD format, not appropriate for web, but convertible • .rm – Real Media • Not widely supported

  10. Converting video • Cam Studio - http://camstudio.org/ • Free, converts .avi to .swf (Flash) • Squared 5 - http://www.squared5.com/ • Free, converts .mpegs to .avis or .mov (Quicktime) • Camtasia ($179) • Screen capture software • Excellent conversion tools • Converts most formats • Adobe Premiere ($218) (Elements for $48) • Excellent editing/conversion tools • Steep learning curve • Converts anything to anything else

  11. Embedding your video: Flash • Put video in a “vid” folder • Put your cursor where the video goes • Media icon>Flash>Browse to file

  12. Embedding Your video: Quicktime • Put video in a “vid” folder • Place cursor where you want video to go • Media icon> Plugin>Browse to file • In Property Inspector: • Browse to file • Type in width and height of video in pixels • If unsure, go big • 400x300px • 320x268px actual

  13. Audio • Audio editing – Audacity • Free, open source, easy to use • http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ • .wav • Good sound quality, doesn’t require a plug‑in. • Huge file size • .mp3 • Very good sound quality, compressed format • Requires QuickTime, Windows Media Player or RealPlayer. • Link to it, as you would a document or webpage • End user clicks the link to play it

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