Selling on the Web 2008. Most customers decide within the first 5 seconds if they are going to buy from your website. Therefore understanding what makes a good website is essential to converting visitors into customers. This presentation will show you the difference between online & offline shops and the different building blocks for a good website. You should leave the session with the knowledge & tools to development & define a website specification for your business.

1. What makes a good website?
18 November 2008, East City Library
Alan Holding
Manchester Digital Development Agency
manchesterdda.com
1

2. This workshop is 1 of 5
18 Nov What makes a good website
25 Nov Payment systems
2 Dec Attracting customers – Marketing and
Social Networks
9 Dec Attracting customers – Search Engine
Optimisation & Advertising
16 Dec Stay Legal
2

3. What Iʼm going to talk about
1. Why have a website?
2. Differences between online and offline shops
3. Differences between global brands and small
business websites
4. Elements of a good website – design, layout…
5. Coffee break
6. Developing a website specification
7. Some quick tips – domain names, keeping a ʻlever
arch fileʼ for your website, statistics
3

4. Online Xmas shopping in 2008
British shoppers will spend more than £1 billion
online each week in the run up to Christmas.
A forecast by IMRG and Capgemini has
suggested that £13.16 billion will be spent on
internet shopping in the final quarter of the year,
an increase of 15 per cent compared to 2007.
Monday, December 8th has been predicted to be
the most lucrative day for online shopping, with
sales expected to total £320 million.
Source: IAB UK http://is.gd/7Xz9
4

5. Why have a website?
Raise brand awareness
Provide information on your products and
services
Give customers a way of contacting you
Sell products or services online
Collect data about your clients for later use
5

6. Why have a website?
Raise brand awareness
Provide information on your products and
services
Give customers a way of contacting you
Sell products or services online
Collect data about your clients for later use
6

7. Why have a website?
Raise brand awareness
Provide information on your products and
services
Give customers a way of contacting you
Sell products or services online
Collect data about your clients for later use
7

8. Why have a website?
Raise brand awareness
Provide information on your products and
services
Give customers a way of contacting you
Sell products or services online
Collect data about your clients for later use
8

9. Why have a website?
Raise brand awareness
Provide information on your products and
services
Give customers a way of contacting you
Sell products or services online
Collect data about your clients for later use
9

10. Differences between…
Online shop Offline shop
Open all the time Tends to have fixed
opening hours
Available to anyone Number of customers
anywhere they can can be dependent on
access the internet location
Shopping is facilitated Face-to-face interaction
by technology - there is is a big part of the
NO personal contact process
10

11. Differences between…
Global brand Small business
They donʼt have to People on the internet
explain who they are might not know who
they are
People are usually very Has to explain who
clear on what services they are, what they do
or products that brand
represents Has to work harder to
make themselves stand
out
11

12. Elements of a good website
Design Layout
Content Usability
12

13. Why are these important?
A well Good
designed, = customer
usable experience
website
13

14. Design
Consistent look and feel – website design
follows your “corporate brand”
Good use of images
A sense of professionalism
14

15. Design
Consistent look and feel – website design
follows your “corporate brand”
Good use of images
A sense of professionalism
15

16. Design
Consistent look and feel – website design
follows your “corporate brand”
Good use of images
A sense of professionalism
16

17. Layout
Make it easy to find your way around the site
Position your key messages correctly
People usually scan web pages not read them
Evaluate regularly and change things that donʼt
work!
17

18. Layout
Make it easy to find your way around the site
Position your key messages correctly
People usually scan web pages not read them
Evaluate regularly and change things that donʼt
work!
18

19. Layout
Make it easy to find your way around the site
Position your key messages correctly
People usually scan web pages not read them
Evaluate regularly and change things that donʼt
work!
19

20. Layout
Make it easy to find your way around the site
Position your key messages correctly
People usually scan web pages not read them
Evaluate regularly and change things that donʼt
work!
20

21. A note about screen sizes
The most common monitor resolution is 1024 x 768
Keep this is mind when having your website
designed
Remember to keep your most important messages
at the top, so people donʼt have to scroll down
pages to see them
21

22. A note about screen sizes
The most common monitor resolution is 1024 x 768
Keep this is mind when having your website
designed
Remember to keep your most important messages
at the top, so people donʼt have to scroll down
pages to see them
22

23. A note about screen sizes
The most common monitor resolution is 1024 x 768
Keep this is mind when having your website
designed
Remember to keep your most important messages
at the top, so people donʼt have to scroll down
pages to see them
23

24. Content
Content is the stuff on your website – words,
pictures, video, audio, forms, error pages, etc.
Your website IS driven by content.
Avoid complex language – use plain language
and say what you see!
Know your audience.
Check for spilling messtakes.
24

25. Content
Content is the stuff on your website – words,
pictures, video, audio, forms, error pages, etc.
Your website IS driven by content.
Avoid complex language – use plain language
and say what you see!
Know your audience.
Check for spilling messtakes.
25

26. Content
Content is the stuff on your website – words,
pictures, video, audio, forms, error pages, etc.
Your website IS driven by content.
Avoid complex language – use plain language
and say what you see!
Know your audience.
Check for spilling messtakes.
26

27. Content
Content is the stuff on your website – words,
pictures, video, audio, forms, error pages, etc.
Your website IS driven by content.
Avoid complex language – use plain language
and say what you see!
Know your audience.
Check for spilling messtakes.
27

28. Content
Content is the stuff on your website – words,
pictures, video, audio, forms, error pages, etc.
Your website IS driven by content.
Avoid complex language – use plain language
and say what you see!
Know your audience.
Check for spilling messtakes.
28

29. Usability
If customers canʼt use your website to do stuff,
even if the website looks nice, is it doing its job?
Remember that customers come to your website
to carry out a specific task – find out who you
are, buy something from you, etc.
The design of your website should help
customers do those tasks.
Test the website.
What happens when things go wrong. Do you
know when things go wrong?
29

30. Usability
If customers canʼt use your website to do stuff,
even if the website looks nice, is it doing its job?
Remember that customers come to your website
to carry out a specific task – find out who you
are, buy something from you, etc.
The design of your website should help
customers do those tasks.
Test the website.
What happens when things go wrong. Do you
know when things go wrong?
30

31. Usability
If customers canʼt use your website to do stuff,
even if the website looks nice, is it doing its job?
Remember that customers come to your website
to carry out a specific task – find out who you
are, buy something from you, etc.
The design of your website should help
customers do those tasks.
Test the website.
What happens when things go wrong. Do you
know when things go wrong?
31

32. Usability
If customers canʼt use your website to do stuff,
even if the website looks nice, is it doing its job?
Remember that customers come to your website
to carry out a specific task – find out who you
are, buy something from you, etc.
The design of your website should help
customers do those tasks.
Test the website.
What happens when things go wrong. Do you
know when things go wrong?
32

33. Usability
If customers canʼt use your website to do stuff,
even if the website looks nice, is it doing its job?
Remember that customers come to your website
to carry out a specific task – find out who you
are, buy something from you, etc.
The design of your website should help
customers do those tasks.
Test the website.
What happens when things go wrong. Do you
know when things go wrong?
33

34. sensible.com
34

35. Examples…
35

36. boomkat.com
36

37. www.flickr.com
37

38. waterstones.com
38

39. www.barnardcastlelife.co.uk
39

40. apple.com/uk
40

41. www.coca-cola.com/template1/index.jsp?locale=en_GB
41

42. moo.com
42

43. www.jeffreysgroup.co.uk/home.html
43

44. crowdspring.com
44

45. www.traditionalpaving.co.uk
45

46. www.autotrader.co.uk
46

47. www.bbc.co.uk
47

48. Coffee break
Please take this opportunity
to fill in the assistance form
that is in your pack.
Thank you!
48

49. Writing a website specification
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the
search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached
to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list
can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with
developers
49

50. Writing a website specification
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the
search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached
to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list
can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with
developers
50

51. Writing a website specification
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the
search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached
to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list
can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with
developers
51

52. Writing a website specification
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the
search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached
to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list
can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with
developers
52

53. Writing a website specification
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the
search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached
to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list
can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with
developers
53

54. Writing a website specification
Are you clear on what you want your website to do?
Make a list of requirements in non-technical language
Be specific – you want a search, but how should the
search results be presented?
Itemise each requirement so a “cost” can be attached
to them – time, money, resources
Put requirements into phases – this prioritised list
can be the start of your website business plan
Refer to the website business plan in meetings with
developers
54

55. www.37signals.com/papers/introtopatterns/
55

56. Homework
Be clear on what you want to achieve
Think about your audience
Research other websites – competitors, market
leaders, websites your target audience would
visit
Ask friends, family and colleagues what
websites they like and DONʼT like – and why.
Make a list of websites you like, donʼt like,
compete against or aspire to
56

57. Homework
Be clear on what you want to achieve
Think about your audience
Research other websites – competitors, market
leaders, websites your target audience would
visit
Ask friends, family and colleagues what
websites they like and DONʼT like – and why.
Make a list of websites you like, donʼt like,
compete against or aspire to
57

58. Homework
Be clear on what you want to achieve
Think about your audience
Research other websites – competitors, market
leaders, websites your target audience would
visit
Ask friends, family and colleagues what
websites they like and DONʼT like – and why.
Make a list of websites you like, donʼt like,
compete against or aspire to
58

59. Homework
Be clear on what you want to achieve
Think about your audience
Research other websites – competitors, market
leaders, websites your target audience would
visit
Ask friends, family and colleagues what
websites they like and DONʼT like – and why.
Make a list of websites you like, donʼt like,
compete against or aspire to
59

60. Homework
Be clear on what you want to achieve
Think about your audience
Research other websites – competitors, market
leaders, websites your target audience would
visit
Ask friends, family and colleagues what
websites they like and DONʼT like – and why.
Make a list of websites you like, donʼt like,
compete against or aspire to
60

61. Find and employ a web
professional
61

62. Some quick tips…
62

63. Domain names
Do you know who owns your domain name?
Do you know when your domain name will
expire?
Do you have an automatic renewal process in
place?
Do you know which company you registered
your domain name with?
Use a service like whois.net or nominet.org.uk to
find out details about your domain name
63

64. Domain names
Do you know who owns your domain name?
Do you know when your domain name will
expire?
Do you have an automatic renewal process in
place?
Do you know which company you registered
your domain name with?
Use a service like whois.net or nominet.org.uk to
find out details about your domain name
64

65. Domain names
Do you know who owns your domain name?
Do you know when your domain name will
expire?
Do you have an automatic renewal process in
place?
Do you know which company you registered
your domain name with?
Use a service like whois.net or nominet.org.uk to
find out details about your domain name
65

66. Domain names
Do you know who owns your domain name?
Do you know when your domain name will
expire?
Do you have an automatic renewal process in
place?
Do you know which company you registered
your domain name with?
Use a service like whois.net or nominet.org.uk to
find out details about your domain name
66

67. Domain names
Do you know who owns your domain name?
Do you know when your domain name will
expire?
Do you have an automatic renewal process in
place?
Do you know which company you registered
your domain name with?
Use a service like whois.net or nominet.org.uk to
find out details about your domain name
67

68. A “lever arch file” for your site
Keep all the paperwork about your website in it
Keep a copy in another location
Keep it up-to-date
If you can, make scans of those paper
documents and save them as images or PDFs as
backups
68

69. A “lever arch file” for your site
Keep all the paperwork about your website in it
Keep a copy in another location
Keep it up-to-date
If you can, make scans of those paper
documents and save them as images or PDFs as
backups
69

70. A “lever arch file” for your site
Keep all the paperwork about your website in it
Keep a copy in another location
Keep it up-to-date
If you can, make scans of those paper
documents and save them as images or PDFs as
backups
70

71. A “lever arch file” for your site
Keep all the paperwork about your website in it
Keep a copy in another location
Keep it up-to-date
If you can, make scans of those paper
documents and save them as images or PDFs as
backups
71

72. Website statistics
Do you get statistics on the use of your site?
Do you know about statistics services like
Google Analytics and Mint?
Use statistics to find out things like
• Popular pages
• Search phrases
• Which sites are linking to you
• Popular times people come to your site
72

73. Website statistics
Do you get statistics on the use of your site?
Do you know about statistics services like
Google Analytics and Mint?
Use statistics to find out things like
• Popular pages
• Search phrases
• Which sites are linking to you
• Popular times people come to your site
73

74. Website statistics
Do you get statistics on the use of your site?
Do you know about statistics services like
Google Analytics and Mint?
Use statistics to find out things like
• Popular pages
• Search phrases
• Which sites are linking to you
• Popular times people come to your site
74

75. See you next week
Manchester Digital Development Agency
manchesterdda.com
twitter.com/mdda
mdda.blip.tv
delicious.com/mdda
75