The Do’s and Don’ts of Creating a Website by Mark Henderson

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TRENDIGITAL

THE DO’S &

DON’TS OF

CREATING

A WEBSITE

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“Knowing is half the battle.”

—G.I. Joe

● What to know before you get started

● What to expect once you have started

● What to avoid during the process

● Questions?

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THIS IS HAPPENING.GET READY

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WHAT IS A WEBSITE?

YOUR

SITE

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BUDGET

● DO: think of it as an INVESTMENT

● DON’T: think of it as an expense

● DO: Define a budget upfront

● DON’T: forget that budget dictates

deliverables

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TIMELINE

● DO: allow for a forgiving timeline.

● DON’T: set yourself up for failure

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PEOPLE

● DO: include Marketing Director, Designers,

Copywriters

● DO: include anyone responsible for

maintaining content long-term

● DO: include the ultimate decision makers in

the project

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✓ BUDGET

✓ TIMELINE

✓ PEOPLE

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STAGES OF WEB

DEVELOPMENT

THE BASIC

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“We enjoy the process

far more than the proceeds”

—Warren Buffett

DO: expect a formal development process

1. Discovery

2. Strategy & Scope

3. Design & Content

4. Develop & Deployment

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1. DISCOVERY

● DO: involve ALL team members

● DO: be prepared to discuss a range of

topics:

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2. STRATEGY & SCOPE

PROJECT BRIEF● DON’T: try to be all things to all people

● DO: get everyone on the same page

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2. STRATEGY & SCOPE

● Page structure

● Taxonomy

SITE MAP

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SHALLOW vs. DEEP

● DO: be aware of the implications

● DON’T: think all pages must be a click away

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2. STRATEGY & SCOPE

● DO: question the

existence of every

page

SITE MAP

● DO: strive for simplicity

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2. STRATEGY & SCOPE

● DO: clearly define what is going to be done

● DON’T: proceed without it

PROJECT SCOPE

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2. STRATEGY & SCOPE

✓ PROJECT BRIEF

✓ SITE MAP

✓ PROJECT SCOPE

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3. DESIGN & CONTENT

WIREFRAMES

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3. DESIGN & CONTENT

● DO: request wireframes if needed

WIREFRAMES

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3. DESIGN & CONTENT

● DO: start content now

● DON’T: underestimate how long it will take

● DO: know how to write for the web

CONTENT

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3. DESIGN & CONTENT

DESIGN● DO: trust the design professionals

● DON’T: let personal tastes undermine strategy

● DON’T: mix and match aspects of unique design options

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3. DESIGN & CONTENT

✓ WIREFRAMES

✓ CONTENT

✓ DESIGN

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4. DEVELOP & DEPLOY

● DO: have a launch strategy

● DO: have a domain name and hosting plan

● DO: have a maintenance strategy

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4. DEVELOP & DEPLOY

● DO: learn how to use your CMS

● DO: train multiple people

● DO: test your site

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✓ TIMELINE

✓ BUDGET

✓ PEOPLE

✓ STRATEGY

✓ CONTENT

✓ DESIGN

✓ CMS TRAINING

✓ TESTING

✓ LAUNCH

“Do or do not. There is no try”

—Yoda

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“Break it down y’all”—Yoda

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QUESTIONS?HELP ME HELP YOU.

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THANK YOUTRENDIGITAL

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