How to create a good web site. (Kansas on the Net)

Good web sites
How to make one
Tools

Identify the purpose--why do you want a web site?
Identify your audience
1. Who are they?
2. Why will they visit your site?
3. What will they be looking for?
4. What actions/effects are you hoping for?
Involve other interested people for design and review activities: colleagues, board members, patrons
Build a "site plan." See the small (completed) one for Luray or the larger one for the Brown Grand Theatre
Design and document a standard "look and feel."
1. Sketch your basic page layout.
2. Select basic colors.
3. Select fonts.
4. Identify icons, logos, and meaningful clip art.
5. For a small to medium site, make a site plan.
6. For a large site, build a standards document; see WATC's Standards or the standards for the Brown Grand Theatre.
Build one or more templates. For example, see Morland's Template
Use simple coding standards.
1. Use the oldest, most general techniques that do what you need to do.
2. Avoid techniques that prevent older browsers from showing the page content.
3. Do nothing that relies on Java or Java Script.
4. Avoid frames.
5. If you have to use an icon saying "Requires Netscape 97.13", then you blew it.
Check your pages.
1. View them in several browsers including at least one old one. Be sure they are displayed reasonably with Java and JavaScript turned off.
2. Run them through a spelling/grammar checker
3. Validate the HTML syntax (Use TidyGUI or TagCheck)
4. Check that all links work.
5. Check each page's accessibility. (Use Bobby or TidyGUI)
6. Make sure that all <IMG> tags contain ALT, HEIGHT AND WIDTH attributes.
7. After uploading, make sure the pages display properly on the server, as well.
Re-check and revise pages periodically. Keep your pages up to date.

· Good web sites · How to make one · Tools ·