Ride the next wave of web development

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Ride the next wave of web development

• Fine-tune your website for optimum effectiveness
• Jana Bourne
• June 24, 2003

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Ride the next wave of web development

• The Internet boom and bust.
• Using the Internet to connect with customers.
• Understanding your audience.
• Practicing principles of usability.
• Creating web-friendly content.
• Testing your site to maintain functionality.

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Where it all began

• In the 1990s everyone was talking about the
  Internet boom.
• Now they talk about the Internet bust.

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The Internet shakeout

• The furor has died down, but the Internet is
  here to stay. Companies are using the Internet to
  connect with customers.
• Retail Ebay, online shopping
• Online banking
• Travel
• Music listen.com

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listen.com
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The Internet has changed our lives

• The Internet offers new opportunities for
  learning.

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The Internet has changed our lives

• As consumers, we are more aware of our choices.
• We are more informed

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What does this mean to us as communicators?

• Its all about the users. Know what they want and
  make it accessible.
• We should focus our efforts on the user
  experience.

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Understanding your users

• Develop personas
• Gather research
• Interview target audience
• Analyze data
• Write the persona

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Develop Personas

• Persona A composite (or archetype) of users or
  potential users developed from target audience
  research.
• Personas are a fairly new tool used by the
  software and Internet industry.
• Case study investment professionals

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Develop Personas Interview your customers,
clients.

• Gather information
• Biographical information, including demographics.
• Technical details comfort level with
  technology, how they use the Internet.
• What information is useful?

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Develop Personas Interview your customers,
clients.

• What kind of business do they operate?
• What motivates them?
• Describe a typical day
• Primary purpose for visiting your site Youll
  find out what they really like, dont like and
  want.

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Gather research

• Industry sources
• Co-op data
• Trade associations

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Analyze the data

• Test your assumptions.
• Question your findings.
• See patterns emerge.

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Write the personas

• Examine your research and develop the composites.
• Write a description of each person.
• Meet Robert, Thomas, Bill, Susanna, and Amy

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Meet Robert Chamberlain, the harvester

• Age 55
• 75 of business is with Russell.
• Tech savvy and communicates often via email.
• Frequent RussellLINK user.
• Almost exclusively referral-based business.
• Russell is foundation of his business.
• Communicates frequently with clients
• Not a product provider Its important to
  understand a clients needs and provide value
  through intellectual capital.
• Wants to make a difference in peoples lives.

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Meet Tom Thatcher, the builder

• Age 37
• 50 of business is with Russell.
• Frequent RussellLINK user.
• Building business through niche market
  prospecting.
• Client and prospect communication is a priority.
• Wants research and marketing materials to
  support the Russell philosophy.
• Wants to develop his own brand and needs
  materials to do this.
• Wants more commentary on markets and quicker
  access to fund information.
• Motivated by earnings potential.

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Meet Bill Callaghan, the generalist

• Age 40
• 15-20 of business is with Russell.
• Occasional RussellLINK user. (Dislikes
  passwords.)
• Broad target market anyone who will listen.
• Depending on client assets, he promotes Russell
  as the product of choice.
• Uses his own companys intranet extensively.
• Wants to find information quickly and easily
  ideally wants to get Russell materials through
  his company intranet.

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Meet Susanna Riley, the filter

• Age 35
• Doesnt sell Russell funds.
• Supports a number of people in a single office.
• Solid understanding of the financial industry.
• An excellent time manager, very organized.
• Frequent RussellLINK user.
• Needs to identify new content easily and quickly
  establish whats relevant for her organization.
• Wants content to distribute to the financial
  professionals and their clients.

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Meet Amy Blair, the ops specialist

• Age 30
• Handles operations for a group of investment
  professionals who target high net worth
  individuals.
• Regular RussellLINK user.
• Thinks one of the tools she uses on the site is
  clunky.
• Accuracy is important.
• Wants fast access to information.
• She is usually looking for very focused,
  specific information when she visits RussellLINK.

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Use the personas

• Filter all features, content, and tools through
  the personas.
• Use them to make decisions about your site
  development.

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Benefits of personas

• Helps you measure site success because you make
  enhancements that you know your users want.
• Helps you give the users what they really want
  helps establish a framework around web
  development/maintenance efforts
• Set site development priorities by using the
  feedback from the personas

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The next step begin your project

• Tools you can use
• Site review
• Usability testing
• Scope of work

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Site reviews a detailed look at your current
site

• This document helps examine your current site.
• Basic site information
• Strategic overview
• Tactical evaluation
• Marketing communications review

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Usability testing evaluating the users
experience

• Test your site before you begin enhancing it to
  identify any critical problems that need to be
  fixed.

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Practice the principles of site usability

• Use 5 to 8 actual users depending on the
  complexity of the site.
• Create typical tasks and scenarios.
• Observe the user complete the task.

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Usability tips

• Watch what people actually do.
• Do not believe what people say they do.
• Definitely don't believe what people predict they
  may do in the future.

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Create a scope of work document

• This document creates a project estimate and
  identifies the initial scope of a project.
• Summary of business need
• Proposed solution site, tool?
• Benefit to the business
• Budget and timing
• Strategic overview
• Business-owned resources
• Content overview

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The project launches

• Content development and design

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Using existing content

• Now that you have defined exactly who your
  audience is and what they want, refine your
  content.
• Existing content is a valuable asset
• Use a spreadsheet to make a content inventory
  this helps provide context for organizing and
  presenting content.
• Look for ROT Redundant, Outdated, Trivial
  content.

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Creating content

• Set priorities based on what users want and use.
• Create content based on tasks that users perform
  on your site.
• Example Scenarios for a sales force
• Task Help investment professionals sell funds.
• Solution Provide answers for commonly asked
  questions from investors.

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Creating content

• Writing web-ready copy
• Write to encourage action, including using links.
• Use descriptive headlines and subheads.
• Write summaries that link to longer articles.

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Creating content

• Using blurbs
• Blurb a line or short paragraph that
  evaluates or summarizes what the reader will find
  when they click on a link.

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Creating content

• Present content in a web friendly format
• Find out what Robin Macdonald thinks about Web
  Designs That Work.
• Or
• Web Designs That Work
• Robin MacDonald wants to rid the world of web
  sites with too much text and not enough usable
  information.

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Creating content

• 'Devil's Highway' No MorePoliticians in New
  Mexico, Colorado and Utah petitioned the
  government to change the number of Route 666,
  arguing that the New Testament's association of
  666 with Satan was impairing the economy of the
  towns along its route.

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Creating content

• Fanfare for the Uncommon PianoBy DIANE
  COLESteinway Sons, now celebrating its 150th
  anniversary, is not the only place where New
  York's love affair with the piano is on display.

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Creating content

• Tips for writing blurbs
• Blurb titles should be no longer than 8 to 10
  words.
• Blurbs encapsulate the content. If possible, use
  the tone of the associated document.
• Blurbs should provide solid information, not just
  tease.

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Present content in a web friendly format tips

• Avoid click here.
• Profile in Courage Activist and Congressman
  John Lewis
• Longtime civil rights activist and Congressman
  John Lewis received a special Profile in Courage
  Award for Lifetime Achievement. Presented by the
  JFK Library Foundation, the award coincides with
  the 40th anniversary of the freedom rides.

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Present content in a web friendly format tips

• Profile in Courage Activist and Congressman
  John Lewis
• Longtime civil rights activist and Congressman
  John Lewis received a special Profile in Courage
  Award for Lifetime Achievement. Presented by the
  JFK Library Foundation, the award coincides with
  the 40th anniversary of the freedom rides. Go

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Present content in a web friendly format tips

• Weight the content appropriately.
• Limit navigational elements on the home page to
  five or six main links.
• Use global navigation for contact us, home,
  search.

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Present content in a web friendly format tips
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Present content in a web friendly format tips
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Present content in a web friendly format tips

• Create content specifically for the web.
• Use web-friendly fonts and type sizes.
• Focus on helping the user complete several
  priority tasks.
• Avoid flashing graphics and make sure the
  graphics have a purpose.

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Present content in a web friendly format tips

• What bugs you?
• Keep your site clean and simple create site
  standards for color, design and use a
  web-friendly font.
• Have a good search feature.

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Testing your site

• QA test your site to ensure functionality of new
  tools and that links work.
• Do another round of usability testing.

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Homepage usability tips

• Make the sites purpose clear by explaining who
  you are and what you do. Include a tagline.
• CHS Cooperatives -- tagline
• Helping local cooperatives succeed
• Emphasize the sites high-priority tasks.
• Begin link names with keywords that will attract
  the readers attention.

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Homepage usability tips

• Use meaningful graphics. Photos of real people
  connected with the topic are effective.
• Keep it timely.
• Use examples of content, such as the first
  paragraph. Show your best or most recent content.

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Conclusion

• Focus on the user experience.
• Start by creating a detailed picture of your
  target audience.
• Audit and test your existing site.
• Set the scope of your project.
• Review your content and create new web-friendly
  material.
• Test again for usability and functionality.

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Questions?

• Jana_at_janabourne.com