Purpose/Audience
Tone/Message
Layout/Design
Site Storyboard
Templates
Great Content
Great Graphics
Multimedia
Universal Design
Quality Control
Reach the World
WebDesign Clinic#1:
Defining Your Purpose, Your Goals, & Your Audience
Whether your website is up and running, or still a gleam in your computer's eye, let's make sure it's built on a firm foundation.
Defining Your Purpose, Your Goals, & Your Audience
Whether your website is up and running, or still a gleam in your computer's eye, let's make sure it's built on a firm foundation.
Define your purpose: Jot down thoughts on why you want a web site: To attract new business or service customers? To share specialized knowledge? To pursue personal interests, or promote a pet viewpoint, project, candidate, etc.? To make a connection with others (network)?Define your goals: How will you define 'success'? Goals are more measurable than purpose, and will give you a clearer target. Now write out your 'mission statement' in 50 words or less. Until you clearly know your destination, you can't develop a good road map, and you'll end up all over the place! Go on, do it; I'll wait...Good.Identify your target audience: Customers, colleagues, friends or co-workers? Are they knowledgeable about my subject, fellow travelers, or 'newbies'? Are they just browsing or coming for something specific, repeat visitors or one-shot deals? How about their age, culture, level of education, etc.? And most importantly: what are their goals in visiting my site: What's In It For Them? Write this answer down as well.Understanding your goals and your audience will form the foundation for all your design decisions: the tone of your site, its structure, its graphic design, its content. If you've got this, you're already ahead of 80% of the mishmash out there!
NEXT: WebDesign Clinic#2: Setting the Tone & Basic Design Considerations
Content ©1999 Dr. Barbara Strand.
All Rights Reserved.
All Rights Reserved.