“How do you make a good website?”

A simple question with a complex answer. Here, I will kick off a series of posts which introduces a few of the ingredients which are vital for a web project’s success.

At a friend’s party last week, I had the pleasure of meeting a number of people for the first time. At some point in our conversations, normally just after the first lull but before we have found out we have something in common, we would discuss our jobs.

“So what do you do?” asks Jeff, feigning moderate interest.

“I make websites,” I reply, wondering if he will find this a geeky and boring thing to do every day.

“That’s very geeky,” says Jeff. “How do you make a good website?”

“Well…”

This, of course, is a very important question. How we approach our business is constantly adapted to our clients’ priorities, best practice in the digital media world, available technologies, and the expectations and goals of our audience.

At the time, I suspect I may have offered Jeff a clichéd idea about how a team of design, development and marketing specialists would combine to produce a site which looks great, works well and meets users’ needs. Although this is true, it is also vague given the broad range of skills which contribute to a website’s success.

If you will permit me, Jeff, I’d like to use my first posts in this blog, and those of some of my friendly colleagues, to answer the question of how we make a good website in more detail.

Which 2.0?

Before I proceed, I should mention that throughout this series we’ll try to keep jargon to a minimum. Perhaps because we work in an arena where creative types, technical wizards and marketing men all collaborate, our own language has evolved to help us understand each other.

However, there’s also a danger that these buzzwords will make us insular and introspective. An unhealthy barrier could emerge between those ‘in-the-know’ and those we are trying to reach. In order to avoid this, I’ll try and explain all my terms in everyday language, and I invite all of you reading to send me feedback if I am not making myself clear.

Ingredients for the recipe

In the upcoming series, my colleagues and I will discuss topics in detail, explaining how each discipline contributes to the success of a website.

Clear Purposes
It’s really important to have a clear idea of what the website is supposed to do, otherwise we have no idea how to measure its success.

User-Centred Design
We’ll discuss the principle of placing the user centre-stage in every decision concerning design to enhance useability. The objective is to create an engaging experience which streamlines the satisfaction of typical users’ objectives.

Information Architecture
Here we will discuss the importance of a logical structure for websites, and how navigation and orientation systems are designed and implemented.

Accessibility
An accessible website is one which can be used by all visitors regardless of their situation. It allows for physical and cognitive disabilities, as well as all the different types of computers and devices which can be used to access websites.

e-Marketing
Effectively engaging your target market is an essential part of gaining returns from your investment in a web project. Maximising these returns is the job of the e-marketing team.

Content
Writing content for websites requires an awareness of accessibility and search engine requirements, as well as a keen awareness of the purpose of each page.

Web Standards
Developing sites using web standards is key to the future-proofing of a project, and their use also has core benefits for accessibility and search engine marketing.

Reliable Hosting
A website’s hosting environment is as important as the programming used to build it. In this post we’ll take a look at maximising availability.

Statistics Analysis
Future enhancements and improvements of a website are best planned after we’ve carried out an astute analysis of current visitor statistics. A website never stands still, and expert monitoring can give great insights into the effectiveness of a website.

Bringing it all together

Co-ordination and Management
I would say that each of these aspects should be addressed to ensure the success of a new website. Although the priority for each would vary depending on the client’s requirements, I always find it helpful to think about how each discipline is a vital individual consideration.

For example, no project is just a ‘design’ project, because no design can be completed without due thought as to how it will be implemented. Similarly, no additions introduced for search engine marketing purposes should be coded without due regard for web standards, or how they will actually appear to human visitors.

I invite you to join the Webexpectations team as we take a walk through the multi-disciplinary world of web design, and explain how we all collaborate to create a successful web project.