When developing a new website or evaluating an existing website you should at a minimum consider five key things – appearance, usability, functionality, content and search engine optimisation. This workshop explored the first three elements involved in creating a new website.
This session is part of the Capital Region Digital Enterprise program. For more information visit www.crde.com.au
This workshop was presented by Threesides Marketing www.threesides.com.au
3. RDA Southern Inland Region
Key Initiatives
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South East Region of Renewable
Energy Excellence
Regional Sponsored Migration
Scheme
Southern NSW Harvest Association
Capital Region Digital Enterprise
Program
How We Can Help
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You
Access to government programs
Advice and training
Sourcing skilled labour
Grants - support and data
Networks and contacts
7. Learning outcomes
1. Identify the key steps to designing a
website that meets user expectations
2. Recognise the implications associated with
mobile devices accessing your website
3. Access tools and resources to assist you
with building or enhancing your site.
22. Appearance – themes vs custom coding
1. Themes
2. Custom coding
Ready to go
Tailored to specific
branding and functionality
needs
Cheaper up front costs
Can do it yourself
Not unique
Some limitations to
customisation
More expensive
Requires experts
25. Building a site – what to consider
1. Design / Appearance (front end)
2. Usability
3. Functionality
4. Content
5. Search Engine
Optimisation
26. Usability
Key principles
1. How easy a website is to use
2. How well it achieves it’s goal
3. How information is presented
4. Accessibility - ages, skills, ability
27. User needs mapping
1. What do you want your users to do on
your site
2. How will they do it
3. How quickly can they reach the goal – how
many clicks does it take
4. What happens next
28. Need:
Make contact with us
1. Sign up to
newsletter
Details into
database
Send newsletter
monthly
2. Contact us
page
Contact form
We follow up on
email
3. Phone number
on website
We answer call
Follow up on
email
36. Sitemap Tools
Table in Word doc
Excel Spreadsheet
PowerPoint org chart
quirktools.com/smaps/
37. Building a site – what to consider
1. Design / Appearance (front end)
2. Usability
3. Functionality
4. Content
5. Search Engine
Optimisation
38. Functionality
1. What does your site need to do to help
you achieve your business goal.
2. What functionality can help enhance the
users experience
39. Functionality – options, options, options
E-commerce - shopping cart
(retail products)
Membership management
functionality
Online payments / payment
gateway
Password protected pages
Photo Gallery
Blog
News
Links directory
Subscription - newsletter sign
up
Search function
Sign up Forms and database
Calendar
Google Maps
Social Media integration
Image carousel / Rotator
Google analytics integration
42. From desktop to mobile- why??
Mobile sales have already
overtaken desktop sales, and
mobile internet usage is
predicted to overtake desktop
internet usage by 2014
67% of users claim they are
more likely to purchase from
a mobile-friendly website
Source: http://searchenginewatch.com
43. Mobile what?
Mobile friendly
• Website that functions correctly on a mobile device
• Tiny scaled down version of a site
Mobile website
• Completely separate website designed specifically for use
on a small mobile device
• m.yourwebsite.com.au
Responsive website
• Can detect the size of the viewing device and adapts to suit
44. Building a site – what to consider
1. Design / Appearance (front end)
2. Usability
3. Functionality
4. Content
5. Search Engine
Optimisation
45. What is your website saying about you?
Website Design - motivational text, authentic, honest
Price - what is your product worth / cost
Images - motivational, experiences not buildings, need to
see people
Maps – where do you operate
Links – what else do you do?
Social media content – are you alive?
Video – do you look reliable and can I meet you?
Contact Us – how do we do business with each other
Call to action – this is how to get started
47. Next steps
1. Continue to investigate sites you do and
don’t like
2. Start brainstorming the structure of your
site or review the existing structure
3. Create a site map
4. Sketch out the rough design
5. Consider mobile devices
48.
49.
50. Workshops and Consultations
Workshops
– Series of 17 workshop topics over the next 12
months
– Free sessions – subsidised by federal government –
in Queanbeyan and across the region
Digital Consultations
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4 hour digital business consultations
Develop and digital business plan
Identify 3 get started now actions
Help you start in the right digital direction