Datasheet
Preparing and planning a Web site
One of the most common mistakes new Web designers make is plunging into
developing a site without thinking through all their goals, priorities, budget,
and design options. The instinct is to simply start creating pages, throw
them all into one big directory, and then string stuff together with links.
Then, when designers finally test the site out on an audience, they’re often
surprised when users say the site is hard to navigate and they can’t find
what they want.
Save yourself some grief by planning ahead, and you stand a much better
chance of creating an attractive Web site that’s easy to maintain and update.
Visualizing your site
Before you get too far into building Web pages, take some time to plan your
site and think about its structure and organization. A good place to begin is
by answering the following questions:
What do you want to accomplish with your Web site? (What are your
goals and objectives?)
Who is your target audience?
Who will be working on your site? How many developers do you have
to manage?
How will you create or collect the text and images you need for your site?
How will you organize the files in your site?
Will you include multimedia files such as Flash, audio, or video?
Will you want interactive features such as a feedback form or chat room?
What kind of navigation system will you have for your site (that is, how
can you make it easy for visitors to move from one page or section to
another in your site)?
How will you accommodate growth and further development of the site?
(Good Web sites always grow over time.)
Taking the time to get clear on your goals and objectives is time well spent. It
can help you set the tone for a successful Web project from the beginning
and ensure you spend your precious time, money, and energy on the ele-
ments and features that matter most.
Preparing for development
One of the first things many professional Web designers do when they’re work-
ing on a new site with a group or a company is hold a brainstorming session
with a few key people who understand the mission for the Web site. The pur-
pose of this session is to come up with proposed sections and features for the
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Part I: Creating Great Web Sites
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