Things To Keep In Mind While Creating a Website (For Beginners)..!!

The most important part of website creation is Designing the web pages forming the website..
Let`s See how it should be done..

Site Development Strategies

1.     From simple to interactive

a.     Start simple (HTML, graphics, text, links)

Information about the library and its activities

Links to remote information sources (gateway)

b.     Add interactivity

Site search, Database access, CD-ROM access

Push-based services

2.     Design should synchronize with the company style guide

3.     Focus on content, structuring, navigation, labels and access (Information Architecting)– contract out graphics/layout aspects, if no internal support

Development Steps

1.     Design

2.     Authoring and testing

3.     Launch

4.     Maintenance

I. Design

1.                 Content to be served

2.                 Audience

3.                 Content formats and processing

4.                 Structuring, navigation and labeling

5.                 Layout of home page and branch pages

6.                 Site Search support

7.                 Feedback and help

    Design: I. Content to Be Served

1.     Information about the library:

i.                    Aims & objectives, opening hours, rules and regulations, departments, collection, budget, staff, map/ directions, contact, FAQs, etc

2.     L&I sources/services to be made accessible via the web site

3.     Plan for an evolutionary approach (simple to interactive website)

4.     Keep a long term vision during design

    Design: 2. Audience

     Who are the users of the website?

1.     Type and quantity

a. Internal users, visitors, general public, external users

b. Any sources/services to be restricted to internal      users?

2.     Network access points and their availability

3.     Resources available at the user end (e.g. laser printers, plug-ins & helper applications)

    Design: 3. Content Formats

               1.     How is the content stored (formats), How it is delivered/ accessed? What processing options are available?

     2.     We discussed several issues related to content hosting in an earlier session (“Designing Intranet Information Services”)

Design: 4. Structuring, Navigation and Labeling

              1.     Structuring

    a.     Organization of information in terms of the Home page and branch pages

    b.     How the pages are linked – sequence/ grid/ hierarchy/ web

     2.     Navigation

    a.     Users should be able to understand quickly what information the web site offers, select the desired source and navigate to it easily

    b.     Several possibilities: Text links, Image maps, frames, drop down lists, table-driven content pages, button bars, site search, site map/index, etc

     3.     Labeling: Labels for navigation elements – text, icons

    Design: 5. Layout of Home Page and Branch Pages

              1.     Information organization within home page and other pages

     2.     Each page can be visualized in terms of  sections: top, left, right, middle and  bottom

a.     Helps in optimal use of the screen space on a web page

b.     Chosen alternatives can be converted to templates

c.      Helps in giving a uniform look to the pages

    Design: 6. Site Search Support

             1.     Site searching for keywords/text in HTML and text pages

a.     Public domain tools exist for this (SWISH, htDig, Excite, Perlfect)

b.     Commercial web servers support this (e.g. MS IIS, Netscape Enterprise Server)

   2.     Site map and site index provide alternate way of reaching desired pages

    Design: 7. Feedback and Help

            1.     Separate help/FAQ page is desirable

a.     Access from home page or all pages

  2.     Feedback collection: e-mail only and/or HTML form-based

   II. Authoring and Testing

            1.     HTML editors simplify and speed up page designing

  2.     Graphic tools, Acrobat Exchange

  3.     Learning HTML will be useful to achieve custom designing and in selecting editors

  4.     Template-based design is recommended for large sites

  5.     Test for different browsers

  III. Launch

            1.     Quality testing

a.     Usability, consistency, accuracy, compatibility

b.     Validators and HTML style checkers

i.                    weblint (www.weblint.org), W3C HTML validation service (validator.w3.org), Infolink (link checker)

  2.     Publicity

a.     Site registration, links from other sites

i.                    Promotion/registration sites: www.submit-it.com, selfpromotion.com, www.centralregistry.com, etc

  3.     User training/ orientation

IV. Maintenance

              1.     Managing new content or features

              2.     Analysis of server logs

              3.     Link verification

              4.     Clearly defined information flow and responsibilities

              5.     Webmaster: website integrity, backups, trouble shooting, etc.

              6.     Periodic testing