Do you have a plan for this Web site that you're about to build? No?
Well, you are not alone.
When we wrote term papers back in school we were taught to write an outline first.
We were taught to write the middle of the paper before the introduction and
the conclusion, and we were encouraged to proofread everything to make sure it
flowed from start to finish.
Creating a Web site is not so different from the term paper process.
First, you need to start with a plan for what you're building.
You can then concentrate on building the inside pages of the Web site, getting
some content in place.
After the inside pages are built, go back to the homepage, and get it in shape.
Finally, debug the Web site and make sure everything is working correctly
before you launch it.
In this course, we will be building a
Joomla! Web site for kinetECO, a company specializing in alternative energy,
specifically wind and solar energy.
Your Web site should reflect three kinds of goals.
Organizational Goals.
The site is a reflection of the organization behind it.
That organization whether it's a business, nonprofit, school, club, or your own
personal site has a reason for existing.
What's the reason it exist? Who does it serve?
What is it trying to achieve?
Understanding this background will help you understand how the Web site can
support the organization.
In a case of kinetECO, the organizational goals to create a new cool technology
for harnessing energy from wind and solar resources and they need to make sure
the world knows about the work that they're doing.
Now the goals of the organization are clear think about why the users are coming
to the Web site in the first place. Who are they?
What do they want from this Web site?
What environment are they in when they're looking at this Webpage?
In general, users want to read about the latest products to get a sense of
what's possible with alternative energy.
They also want to know what's new in alternative energy development.
Finally, investors need information about the management of the company.
These users are typically younger people with a strong commitment to the environment.
For the most part they're looking at the site on a desktop computer, but there's
rapid growth in the site being viewed on a tablet like the iPad or Android
tablets, as well as on mobile phones.
Distributors also need specialized information for installing kinetECO solar
panels and wind turbines as well.
In addition to new potentially confidential information about trends and products.
Once you understand the organization's goals and the user's goals, the Web site
goals become much clearer.
kinetECO needs to inform the public about new products that they've been releasing.
They'd also like to inform funders of the progress made in developing new
products and technologies.
They also want to support their distributors in the field.
The people who are installing kinetECO's solar panels and wind turbines
for other customers.
As a result we've designed a site with a structuring content to support the
goals of the organization, the users, and the Web site.
This is a very brief summary of how to think strategically about this Web site.
If you'd like to learn more, and I hope you do, be sure to watch my Website
Strategy and Planning title available here at lynda.com.