Planning and managing a web site

1. Planning and managing a web site MARK 430 WEEK 2

2. Today’s class….. • Planning and managing a web site • Domain name selection / social media account usernames • The web site development life cycle • Web site planning and design

3. Web presence: Owned media elements • The “must have” element of a web presence - a web site with an organization’s own domain name – the core piece of a web presence that is under direct control without reliance on the whims of a third party company • The other part of a web presence - social media accounts – these will come and go – organizations need to “stake claims” to usernames

4. Domain name selection and registration

5. What is a domain name? • A domain name is made up of two elements that when put together must be unique • A top-level-domain • A second-level domain • A domain name resolves to the numeric IP address of the web site on a web server via a Domain Name Server (this service is usually handled by the company that hosts your website) • The Domain Name System - controlled by ICANN in the US (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) • In Canadian , domains are managed by www.cira.ca (Canadian Internet Registration Authority) • Each country in the world has a similar system • Many resellers of domain names now, but they must be certified registrars – eg. • local ISP (Shaw, Telus etc) • Internic.ca (just one example) • many others

6. Two ways to get one: register a new (or expired) domain name or purchase an existing one • Purchase the right to use the domain name for a certain period and register the name • Cost per year is around $15 for a name not already registered (cost is variable – sometimes free with a hosting package) • You can also buy a name from its present owner – the trade in domain names is now no longer as hot as it was a few years ago • Although toys.com was sold in 2009 for $5.1m and sex.com sold in 2010 for $13m • Domains for sale on eBay • Be aware that “the internet never forgets”

7. How important is your domain name? • VERY important • It is a key piece of branding for your firm • Think about all the places it will be seen and heard (print materials, on the side of a bus, business cards, emails, search engine results, online and offline advertising, TV and radio, personal conversation etc) • Think about how people will use it • Write it down • Memorize it • Key it into a browser • Click it • Say it out loud • A domain name is made up of two elements that when put together must be unique • A top-level-domain • A second-level domain

8. Choosing a domain name – Top Level Domains • Decide which Top Level Domain(s) you want to register • Types of TLDs (Wikipedia) • Generic TLD • USA only (restricted) TLD • Country code TLD • Internationalized Country Code TLD • Generic TLD (gTLD) expansion • Information about domain names (especially new gTLDs from ICANN (video 6 minutes) • Country codes with liberal usage policies used for domain “hacks” or available to be licenced for commercial usageeg.: • Twitch.tv (using the TLD for Tuvalu) • http://postach.io/ (using the TLD for the British Indian Ocean Territory)

9. Selecting a “second level” domain name • The TLD and second level domain name pairing must be unique • It will be difficult to get the name you want – creativity needed to find a domain that is: • descriptive and/or memorable (includes your keywords) • user-friendly (no hyphens) • you can say it over the phone • not too long (shorter is better) • not too difficult to spell • not too close to an established name • isn’t already in use in another TLD with dodgy content • Remember you also need to protect your brand – think about registering common misspellings and derogatory domain names

10. Brainstorm a domain name • Your firm has just started a new business that specializes in selling solar panels. You have a physical storefront in Nanaimo and plan to sell online all over Canada. The name of the business is Solar Engineering and Installation Ltd • What would be a good domain name for this firm? What TLD (s) would you choose? • See if it is available from internic.ca or hostpapa.com (these are just examples of hosting firms – I am not endorsing them)

11. Staking claims to social media usernames • As part of your domain name search you should also check availability of usernames on key social media accounts • Register usernames even if you have no intention of using the social network service at the moment • Consistent web presence is important

12. Planning and developing a web site

13. Developing an effective web presence • Web site is a key part of online marketing – (arguably) the most important element of a firm’s owned online media • Often the only touch point with a customer – very influential in terms of brand perception • Face-to-face encounters replaced with screen-to-face interactions. • Interfaces include desktop PCs, laptops/notebooks, web kiosks, handhelds such cellphones, smartphones & tablets • Must be effective for the customer – deliver what they want – relevance and value • Must be effective for the organization – SMART goals

14. A model of the typical phases in the web site development cycle

15. Another way of looking at the elements of the web design process https://medium.com/@ireneau/design-is-5b867e9f2614

16. DISCOVERY Setting overall objectives Understanding your audience Analyzing your industry PLANNING Developing functional and technical requirements to meet organizational and user goals Creating a project plan Setting the budget Phase 1 of a web site project – Discovery, goal setting, and planning • GOAL SETTING • Determining goals for the organization and for users Goto & Cotler Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works (2005) New Riders

17. Setting organizational and user goals • Goals from the organizational perspective • Goals from the user perspective: what do they want to do on your site? • SMART GOALS (see article on course website) • Specific • Measureable • Achievable • Realistic / relevant • Timebound • Commissioning a Business Website - How to produce a Design Brief – Paul Boag

18. Understanding the audience • Market research • Demographic and psychographic information • Create a detailed profile for each visitor type (a persona) and do early user testing • Commissioning a Business Website - Know your audience – Paul Boag Goto & Cotler Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works (2005) New Riders

19. Understanding the functional and technical requirements • Very significant factor in defining the project • Has a major impact on skill set needed, scope and timeframe of the project and therefore – budget • Needs to be articulated very clearly by the project manager and signed off by the client • Control of scope creep • Audience technical capabilities are a major factor – needed to set the standards the team will work to • Eg. Device used to access the content, screen resolution, browser, bandwidth etc Goto & Cotler Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works (2005) New Riders

20. CONTENT VIEW Addressing content Auditing existing content Creating a content delivery plan SITE VIEW Sitemapping Addressing existing site organization Setting naming conventions Phase 2 of a web site project: Site design and visual design • PAGE VIEW • Wireframing • Addressing navigation • Naming and labeling USER VIEW • Defining key user paths • Creating user scenarios Goto & Cotler Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works (2005) New Riders

21. Elements / success factors to consider in developing a web site Product Price /Promotions Range Interactivity Customer journey fit Flow and data entry Service Fulfillment Support WEB PRESENCE Design Visual Design Style Tone Reassurance Trust Credibility Customer experience Emotional values Rational values Performance Speed Availability Relevance Content and search Customization Ease of Use Usability Accessibility and web standards eMarketingeXcellence. 2012. Smith &Chaffey

22. Site Interface and content customization • Customization is the site’s ability to tailor to different users • The way customization can be achieved is divided roughly into 2 types (although many sites use both) • Personalization – contentpreferences actively selected by the user that persist over subsequent visits • Tailoring by site - automatically generated customization based on a user’s previous behaviour, and the actions of other similar users eg. amazon.com uses “collaborative filtering” eMarketingeXcellence. 2012. Smith &Chaffey

23. Site structure: Interaction and flow Information architecture "Information architecture involves the design of organization, labeling, navigation, and searching systems to help people find and manage information more successfully." Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville Information Architecture for the World Wide Web • Function - site layout and functionality • Section breakdown - the way the site is organized into sub-categories • make them clear, and customer focused • Organize by customer type / product / task eg. Telus • Linking structures - navigation • where am I? • how do I get back to where I came from? (breadcrumbs) • Navigation tools • search functionality and methods • browse capability via category drill-down eMarketingeXcellence. 2012. Smith &Chaffey

24. Site structure: Site maps and wireframes • Site map: Visual representations of a site’s structure, organization, flow, and grouping of content • Wireframes: Storyboards for the site • Also called page schematics, content layouts, or blueprints • NOT for VISUAL or graphic design purposes eMarketingeXcellence. 2012. Smith &Chaffey

25. Site Visual Design • The site’s graphic design – “look and feel” or visual aesthetic • Strongly associated with functionality, but the work is done by graphic designers not information architects (although they will work together) • Mood • Colours • Fonts • Images • Multimedia elements • The look and feel of the site should reflect the sensibilities of the customers being targeted – and fit with the offline and online branding eMarketingeXcellence. 2012. Smith &Chaffey

26. the “What” of the site Site Content • Text, pictures, sound and video • both the type of content, and the media with which it is delivered • The offering mix: products, information, services etc • The appeal mix – the “call to action”: promotional and communications messages • The media mix: the multimedia elements included on the site • Can your audience see them? Plugins. • Content type: differentiate between time sensitive information versus “evergreen” information • Freshness keeps bringing customers back • Archives provide a useful service to users eMarketingeXcellence. 2012. Smith &Chaffey

27. How does a firm connect to other businesses? Site Content • Links to other sites – affiliates and complementary products / services • Outsourced and syndicated content – pulling content in to your site from third parties eg. rss feeds, stock quotes, images, embedded videos and other files and widgets of all kinds eMarketingeXcellence. 2012. Smith &Chaffey

28. Community Site Content • User generated content (UGC) engenders strong community - encourages stickiness and loyalty • Community can create attractive content (ie. free content for the site owner) • Web communities can make the user feel that they are valued by the firm (in some cases sharing revenues) • Community can satisfy needs not otherwise able to be satisfied individually (eg. finding people, getting tech support) • Common tools are support forums, message boards, reviews eMarketingeXcellence. 2012. Smith &Chaffey

29. Ways to get a web site built

30. Challenges for businesses • Lack of understanding of (current) web technologies on the part of business decision makers • The problem of not knowing what to ask for • The problem of ongoing maintenance and management • Bewildering range of options for getting a site built • Many vendors offering different types / quality of service with no common naming convention (digital agency, web design studio, web programmer, internet consultancy, media studio etc etc) • Vast range of cost - from hundreds of millions to “free” • Broad range of skill set needed by a vendor to offer the capacity to build a sophisticated web site

31. Typical roles involved in a web site development project • Site sponsor / site owner • Project manager (balances budget, time, scope) • Art director/visual designer • Information architect / designer / usability engineer • HTML & CSS developer • Programmer / backend engineer / DBA • QA (Quality Assurance) • Content manager / copywriter Goto & Cotler Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works (2005) New Riders

32. Ways to get a web site built • Build and code from scratch – bespoke development (HTML, CSS, databases, eCommerce functionality etc) • Wide range of firms offer services of varying expense, sophistication, and levels of expertise (the sky is the limit) • Use a content management system (CMS) as the foundation for the site • Wordpress (it is said that Wordpress powers 23% of the web); Joomla, Drupal etc • Template-based sites • Squarespace, Weebly, Wix etc. Aimed at small business with little or no technical expertise. Disadvantage is that the site is not usually exportable for hosting elsewhere (proprietary systems) & there is very limited customization