Where do I begin?

Before you bring your project to us, it will make the process easier and more efficient if you clarify what you are trying to achieve before we meet. Whether you are creating a single Web page or an entire site, here are some important points for you to consider in advance:

• What is my goal in creating this new site?
• What features are important to me?
• Can I use my existing logo, or will I need to have one created?
• What about graphics and/or content that I would like to use?
• Does my new site need to have the same look and feel as the company's collateral or other areas of the company's existing Web site (if there is one)?
• Who, exactly, is my audience?
• What do we do, how we do it, and why are we the best?
• What do I want visitors to my site to do?
• What will visitors to my site be looking for?
• Who will write the content for the site?
• Who will host the site?
• Who will maintain the site?
• What is the timeline?
  

How long will it take?

The length of time to complete your project depends on a number of variables: how long it takes to finalize an agreement with us, the complexity of your project, the availability of necessary resources, and how soon we can get started. Plan to spend a considerable amount of time with us in the planning stage. We will ask you a number of questions about your audience: who they are, what their connection speeds are, what are they looking for, and a host of other questions.

You can help speed the project along by being prepared to respond quickly to our requests for information, content, art, and so forth.

How can I compare vendors to know that I have made the right choice?

You can start by making a list of Web development firms that you plan to consider. Visit their Web sites to see if you like their work and if you find any projects that suggest that they have experience creating sites such as yours? Ask yourself:

• Is the vendor local (if that is important to you)?
• Is the vendor's expertise and service in line with your needs and your budget?
• Have they have worked for businesses that are familiar to you? Scrutinize their client list to see, and, look at their clients' sites for features that you'd want on yours.
• Does the vendor provide all of the services that you need, or do you need to coordinate the efforts of several vendors?
• Does the vendor have a working style with which you feel comfortable?

How can I help?

Approach the project well prepared with information regarding your needs and preferences. Designers, developers, and writers are not skilled at mind-reading! Check out our ""Guidelines for writting an RFP for web projects"

Allow adequate time for the planning phase of the project. You don't want to forget an important consideration and have it cost you additional time and money later on.

• Make sure that you understand what your contract does and does not include.
• Work out as much as possible on paper or with sticky notes before your project begins.
• Clearly communicate your marketing messages:
  - Exactly what does your company offer?
  - Exactly which audiences you are targeting?
  - Exactly what it is that differentiates you from your competition?
• Discuss and decide on a target browser spec, screen size, delivery mediums, and maximum page weight.
• Provide examples of other sites that you like or that you think function similarly to what you might want.
• Discuss colors and whether the site must coordinate with collateral design or an existing Web site.
• Decide who will host and maintain your site.

How is the Web different from other media?

It isn't enough to have a good-looking design, a user-friendly interface, a flawless infrastructure with backend intelligence, and superior content on a Web site. Interactivity separates the Web from static media such as newspapers, magazines, books, and so forth. Unless your site is interactive, it becomes a passive medium that only allows visitors to take the path that you've laid out. With the Web, you can create a dialog, rather than deliver a monologue, but only if you design your site with interactivity in mind.

Linking is the heart and soul of Web structure and design. A link can be a line of text, a static graphic, or a visually dynamic graphic such as animation or a JavaScript rollover. Interactivity allows the visitor to make a choice, and the underlying Web technology responds to that choice. Because interactivity puts power and control into the visitor's hand, it is very rewarding.

What makes a site interactive?

In a word, it's linear versus nonlinear communication.

Linear communication - newspapers, magazines, books, film
In a monologue, the speaker discusses an issue, followed by a subissue, and so on. The speaker is speaking in one direction to the audience.

Nonlinear communication - the Web
In a dialog, people talk about different topics, at different intervals, and sometimes all at once. They can start in the middle of the dialog, jump to the beginning, and back to the end.

The Web represents nonlinear communication. You can click on a link, and you're reading more detailed information about a topic, or about an entirely different subject.

Despite the Web's inherent nonlinear structure, its hierarchy is linear. Random links would confuse your visitors. The site's designers may initially determine the level and satisfaction of interactivity but ultimately, it will be decided by the user.

A good designer will carefully balance linear and nonlinear options. Here are some pointers:

1. Begin with a simple linear or hierarchical structure.
2. Add logical links within the site, like navigation, references, and indexes.
3. Add links to external, but complementary sites when it won't distract from the primary information.

What's the process?

The process varies from vendor to vendor, but this will give you an idea of what to expect at ewert.communications.

Stage 1: Planning and Definition

• We'll spend some time discussing your business objectives and technical considerations for your site, as well as identifying your target audience and why they will be visiting your site.
  
  We'll discuss how your corporate identity will be integrated into the design, or how your identity will be created through the Web design. Additionally, we will also talk about your current content, any design considerations, interactive applications, animation, and databases for the site. Together, we will identify goals, priorities, and challenges.
  
  
• We will provide you with a detailed proposal that outlines the process, milestones, roles and responsibilities, and cost. You'll review and sign off on the proposal.
  
  
• You will forward all content to us and we will develop a preliminary information flow, general site areas, navigation, and some initial design ideas.
  
  
• You'll review and approve the proposed site architecture, navigation, and design ideas, making any changes necessary.

Stage 2: Concept and Design

• We will develop the plan for the final site architecture. After you approve this plan, the architecture will be developed and any changes could affect the scope and project schedule.
  
  
• Design comps will be submitted using the initial design ideas. Elements from several comps can be integrated to develop the final site design.
  
  
• You will approve the final design.
  
  
• The design will be converted to HTML for final review and comments.

Stage 3: Testing and Delivery

• The site will be tested for usability, reliability, and quality on various platforms and with commonly used browsers at a variety of screen resolutions.
  
  
• The site will be launched.

Do I need a content writer, or can I use our existing brochure copy?

Copy written for print does not make good Web content. Remember that:

• Site visitors do not read content from beginning to end. They can begin anywhere and go anywhere.
  
• Users dislike marketing hype, which is common in brochure copy.
  
• Users prefer Web content to be written in a casual, conversational style.

What does Jakob Nielson have to say about Web content writing?

According to Jakob Nielson, the usability guru, the three main guidelines for writing for the Web include:

• Be succinct. Reading from a computer screen is about 25 percent slower than reading from paper.
  
  
• Write for scannability. Use short paragraphs, subheadings, and bulleted lists.
  
  
• Use hypertext to split information into multiple pages and allow users to drill down for details.