How usable is your web site

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How usable is your web site

• David Strom, david_at_strom.com
• MPA Seminar
• 10/1/98

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Outline

• Making navigation easier
• Using portal posting sites
• Managing and developing web content
• Static vs. dynamic content

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Making navigation easier

• Understand the kinds of search tools available
• Using site maps, navigation bars, consistent
  paths
• Being able to breadcrumb back out

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Good and bad site examples

• Subaru vs. BMW
• Amazon vs. Barnes and Noble
• Cheaptickets.com vs. Expedia

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Commonly available search utilities

• Altavista.com
• Infoseeks Ultraseek Server
• Glimpse (glimpse.cs.arizona.edu)
• Netscape Catalog Server
• Microsoft Index Server
• More at webreview.com/wr/pub/pt/Search

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Using portal posting sites

• submit-it.com
• register-it.com

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Dealing with their behavior

• Some use ltMETAgt, some use ltTITLEgt
• Keep descriptions at top of your home page short
  and sweet
• More at webreview.com/97/10/17/webmaster

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Keep them out of your site

• Exclude cgi-bin, test directories
• Create a robots.txt file that starts with
• User-agent
• disallow /cgi-bin/
• This doesnt always work

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Another kind of site tracerlock

• Keeps track of who is saying things about you
• www.peacefire.org/tracerlock

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Managing and developing web content

• Find a managing editor
• Run a test web

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Find a good managing editor

• Understands English syntax, grammar
• Detail-oriented
• Knows enough HTML to be dangerous
• Understands the differences between print and
  electronic publishing

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Standardize on the right content

• Navigation tools, icons
• Images, colors, sizes
• Type, backgrounds, white space usage
• Contact info and placement of links

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Contact information is critical!

• Same format
• Every page
• So people can find you in the real world
• Should include phone, fax, email, postal address

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Are content publishing products useful tools?

• Good for getting a web created
• But you have to live inside them forever
• It is easy to have broken links
• You still end up adjusting their code manually
• WYS is not always WYG!
• Sometimes it is better to just use Wordpad, FTP
  the files!

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Typical products

• Microsoft Front Page, IIS
• Netscape Web Publisher (part of Enterprise
  Server)
• Astra SiteManager (merc-int.com)
• WebAnalyzer (incontext.com)

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Maintain a test web

• Check and validate your links, spelling
• See your site from different browsers
• Make sure navigation makes sense
• Mirror your web locally for backup
• Try out changes before going to production

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Pick your management style

• Divide and conquer different departments author
  different pages
• Control freak one person responsible for group
  of pages
• How do you implement change controls?
• What happens when you have multiple webs and
  locations?

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Static vs. dynamic content

• Some static pages still necessary
• What kind of database expertise is needed?
• What technologies to use?

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Various dynamic content technologies

• Cold Fusion (www.allaire.com)
• Microsofts IIS, Active Server Pages
• Other database-driven webs

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Panelists

• Bob Matsuoka, Soho Internetworks, bob_at_sohonet.com
• Paul Pugh, MediaTruck, ppugh_at_mediatruck.com

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Discussion topics

• What kind of programming expertise is needed?
• What parts of your site remain static?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of each
  technology?