presentation to ashland university on october 2011
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Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
WebsitesDesigning, writing, programming, and integrating them into a marketing plan.
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Websites as a Marketing Tool
▪Websites should be an integrated marketing plan – not a standalone entity▪They should act as a marketing, communications, and information hub
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
It All Works Together
Blog
Website
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
What Should a Site Contain
▪ It completely varies!▪Usually, a site includes:– Home page– About the person/organization– Services/products/benefits– Become a client/join the organization– Resources/blog– Contact us/location
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Elements of good website design
▪Design is inline with your organization’s brand▪ The colors aren’t too bright or dull▪ Text colors and sizes are easily readable▪Use web-safe fonts▪ The site fits most-used screen sizes▪Appropriate use of photos and graphics▪ Pages aren’t too long
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Elements of good website copy
▪ Short, concise, and to the point!▪ Immediately provides the information the user wants/needs (WIIFM)▪ Focuses on benefits, not features▪Utilize smaller paragraphs and bulleted/numbered lists▪Use keywords in your copy (but don’t stuff!)
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Elements of good website programming▪Always use text instead of images for the design▪ Ensure your site is W3C validated (if possible)▪Make sure your site is compatible on all major search engines▪Don’t use antiquated code
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Search Engine Optimization
▪Create a site map and submit it to search engines▪Use keywords in your website copy▪ List your URL on as many other websites as possible (back links)▪Use keyword-based text links as much as possible▪Constantly change and update your website’s content
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Accessibility & Usability Matter!
▪ Easy to use navigation is key▪ Information should never be more than 2-3 clicks away from the homepage▪ Simple, multi-tiered navigation ensures user won’t get lost as easily▪ Enable your website to be easily accessed by those with disabilities▪Users can access it from mobile devices
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Glossary
▪FTP: The system that transfers files from one host (computer) to another▪URL: A webpage’s address▪Domain Name: A website’s address and also the extension at the end (.com, .net, etc.)▪Domain Registrar: The company who reserves and manages a website’s domain▪Hosting: The server (usually a 3rd party company) who holds the website’s files
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Coding Languages
▪HTML: Creates the structure of the website
▪CSS: Assigns the styles, design, and layout of
the website
▪PHP: The code that gets stuff done on websites
▪ Java: Used to fuel web apps
▪Flash: A multimedia platform that can be used to create videos and websites
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
What is the big deal with pictures?
JPEG▪ Pros: Best for photos▪ Cons: Files can be very large; no transparency; can
create grainy imagesGIF:▪ Pros: Good for graphics; universally supported▪ Cons: Poor transparency support; can be of poor
qualityPNG▪ Pros: Best for graphics; flawless transparency▪ Cons: Files can be large; transparency not supported
on older browsers
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
JPG GIF PNG
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
JPG GIF PNG
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Color Matters!
▪Hexadecimal: for web▪RGB: for screen▪CMYK: for print
Example▪Hexadecimal: #f5b10d▪RGB: 245, 177, 13▪CMYK: 3, 33, 100, 0
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
How to Create a Website
▪ From scratch– You are responsible for every bit of code– Starts with HTML and likely CSS, can go on to
include PHP, Java, and more– Site is edited through the code or a WYSIWYG
editor
▪ Using a content management system (CMS)– You or someone else creates a template, then
content is added through the CMS backend– Examples include: Joomla, Drupal, Wordpress,
third party template sites
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Gong Gong Communications
We provide holistic marketing and creative services to small businesses on a monthly and per-project basis
We offer a full range of services including graphic & web design, copy writing, marketing planning, and social media engagement.
www.gonggongcommunications.com
Ashland University – October 18, 2011© 2011 Gong Gong Communications. All rights reserved.
Now that you’ve forgotten everything we just covered…
http://www.gonggongcommunications.com/speaking/ashland-2011.html
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http://ow.ly/71jJk-or-