presentation to ashland university on october 2011

Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.

WebsitesDesigning, writing, programming, and integrating them into a marketing plan.


Websites as a Marketing Tool

▪Websites should be an integrated marketing plan – not a standalone entity▪They should act as a marketing, communications, and information hub


It All Works Together

E-mail

Blog

Website


What Should a Site Contain

▪ It completely varies!▪Usually, a site includes:– Home page– About the person/organization– Services/products/benefits– Become a client/join the organization– Resources/blog– Contact us/location


Elements of good website design

▪Design is inline with your organization’s brand▪ The colors aren’t too bright or dull▪ Text colors and sizes are easily readable▪Use web-safe fonts▪ The site fits most-used screen sizes▪Appropriate use of photos and graphics▪ Pages aren’t too long


Elements of good website copy

▪ Short, concise, and to the point!▪ Immediately provides the information the user wants/needs (WIIFM)▪ Focuses on benefits, not features▪Utilize smaller paragraphs and bulleted/numbered lists▪Use keywords in your copy (but don’t stuff!)


Elements of good website programming▪Always use text instead of images for the design▪ Ensure your site is W3C validated (if possible)▪Make sure your site is compatible on all major search engines▪Don’t use antiquated code


Search Engine Optimization

▪Create a site map and submit it to search engines▪Use keywords in your website copy▪ List your URL on as many other websites as possible (back links)▪Use keyword-based text links as much as possible▪Constantly change and update your website’s content


Accessibility & Usability Matter!

▪ Easy to use navigation is key▪ Information should never be more than 2-3 clicks away from the homepage▪ Simple, multi-tiered navigation ensures user won’t get lost as easily▪ Enable your website to be easily accessed by those with disabilities▪Users can access it from mobile devices


Glossary

▪FTP: The system that transfers files from one host (computer) to another▪URL: A webpage’s address▪Domain Name: A website’s address and also the extension at the end (.com, .net, etc.)▪Domain Registrar: The company who reserves and manages a website’s domain▪Hosting: The server (usually a 3rd party company) who holds the website’s files


Coding Languages

▪HTML: Creates the structure of the website

▪CSS: Assigns the styles, design, and layout of

the website

▪PHP: The code that gets stuff done on websites

▪ Java: Used to fuel web apps

▪Flash: A multimedia platform that can be used to create videos and websites


What is the big deal with pictures?

JPEG▪ Pros: Best for photos▪ Cons: Files can be very large; no transparency; can

create grainy imagesGIF:▪ Pros: Good for graphics; universally supported▪ Cons: Poor transparency support; can be of poor

qualityPNG▪ Pros: Best for graphics; flawless transparency▪ Cons: Files can be large; transparency not supported

on older browsers


JPG GIF PNG


Color Matters!

▪Hexadecimal: for web▪RGB: for screen▪CMYK: for print

Example▪Hexadecimal: #f5b10d▪RGB: 245, 177, 13▪CMYK: 3, 33, 100, 0


How to Create a Website

▪ From scratch– You are responsible for every bit of code– Starts with HTML and likely CSS, can go on to

include PHP, Java, and more– Site is edited through the code or a WYSIWYG

editor

▪ Using a content management system (CMS)– You or someone else creates a template, then

content is added through the CMS backend– Examples include: Joomla, Drupal, Wordpress,

third party template sites


Gong Gong Communications

We provide holistic marketing and creative services to small businesses on a monthly and per-project basis

We offer a full range of services including graphic & web design, copy writing, marketing planning, and social media engagement.

www.gonggongcommunications.com

http://www.gonggongcommunications.com/


Now that you’ve forgotten everything we just covered…

http://www.gonggongcommunications.com/speaking/ashland-2011.html

-or-

http://ow.ly/71jJk-or-




http://ow.ly/71jJk