Planning a Website
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The document provides guidance on planning and preparing a website by defining goals, learning industry standards, architecting the site structure, optimizing for search engines, and creating content. Key recommendations include defining specific and measurable goals, analyzing competitors' sites to understand best practices, creating an organized sitemap to structure content, focusing on relevant keywords for search engine optimization, and using the sitemap as a roadmap to develop text, images, and other materials.
Planning a Website
- 1. Planning & Preparing for a Website Ann Treacy atreacy@treacyinfo.com www.byteoftheweek.com www.treacyinfo.com
- 2. The Day’s Work • Define the Goals • Learn the Industry • Architect the Site • Search Engine Optimization • Create the Content www.treacyinfo.com
- 3. Define Goals • Why do you want a website? • Who do you want to reach? • Finish this sentence: I know my site was successful because… • Get specific, get measurable www.treacyinfo.com
- 4. Sample Goals • Reach more people • Sell more to the customers you have • Move transactions online • Spend less on ads or brochures • Introduce a new product or service www.treacyinfo.com
- 5. Mini-Lesson: Stats www.treacyinfo.com
- 7. Traffic Sources www.treacyinfo.com
- 8. Content Overview www.treacyinfo.com
- 9. Other Stats • Sales, RFPs, Inquiries • More calls – or – fewer, better calls • Email newsletter subscriptions • More foot traffic www.treacyinfo.com
- 10. Make the goals measurable and focus the web site towards reaching those goals www.treacyinfo.com
- 11. Learn from the Industry • Check out competitors’ sites • Find the regular way to do things • Find the best way to do things • Find the gaps www.treacyinfo.com
- 12. What to look for? • What sites do well on Google? • What terms do they use? • How are sites organized? • What colors, images, service terms are standard? • Which sites do you like? • What would you like to emulate? www.treacyinfo.com
- 13. Architect the Site • Organize the information • Create a site map www.treacyinfo.com
- 14. Keep Organized Tools to Use • Use industry standards • Paper and pencil • Think like a visitor • Post-its • Don’t make me think! • Colored cards • Lists • Org charts • Visio This will create the roadmap for your web site. www.treacyinfo.com
- 15. Organization Tips • Long lists are OK when people know the vocabulary • Short lists are better when terms are new • Make choices clear • You may present “utility links” differently from links that get to core content • There is room to call out info outside of sitemap www.treacyinfo.com
- 16. Mini-Lesson: SEO www.treacyinfo.com
- 17. Search Engines Like: 1. Lots of repeated keywords on web page 2. Lots of good links to your web site 3. Regular updates 4. Quick download www.treacyinfo.com
- 18. What search engines don’t like www.treacyinfo.com
- 19. Focus on Keywords • Come up with 10 keyword phrases – Your name – Program names – Terms people use to find someone like you – Location if appropriate • Check popularity of terms http://www.keywordspy.com/ www.treacyinfo.com
- 20. Use the Keywords • TITLES! • Graphics don’t count • Use text on pages • Have good 10-20 word description of yourself to share • Use the footer! http://www.webconfs.com/search-engine-spider-simulator.php www.treacyinfo.com
- 21. Look at the Links • See who links to you www.linkpopularity.com • See who links to the competition • Make sure your partners link to you (And you link to donors!) www.treacyinfo.com
- 22. Fresh Content • Making even small changes will help • Making small changes that build your content are even better • Real Time Search?! – Same rules apply (keywords, links/followers, freshness) – Getting hotter! www.treacyinfo.com
- 23. Creating the Content • Text • Images • Video • Audio www.treacyinfo.com
- 24. Tips • The Sitemap is your roadmap • Use keywords for SEO • Use bullet points • Write for your key audience • Use images for your key audience • Make sure the homepage says what you do www.treacyinfo.com
- 25. Doing It • Gather all existing collateral • Borrow text/ideas from competitors • Let the content dictate length of “page” www.treacyinfo.com
- 26. Choosing a Platform WordPress.com WordPress.org • Free • More themes available • Automatic updates • Plugins available • Easier to get into code www.treacyinfo.com
- 27. Questions Thank you! Ann Treacy atreacy@treacyinfo.com www.treacyinfo.com