Web Site Design Tips for SCS Webmasters

Introduction - Planning
Purpose - Structure - Basic Web Site
Design - Navigation - Accessibility
Place Content - Update - Evaluate

Introduction

This collection of web pages will provide basic information on web site design. Webmasters for the Shelby County Schools should use the information provided here as a guide in developing and maintaining the web site for their assigned school.

Planning

Know the purpose for your web site. Who will be visiting your site? What information do they wish to find? How will they find your site?
Plan the structure of your web site. The structure will be defined by the content to be placed on the web site. A solid site structure will give your site room to grow, will lead you to an effective navigation system, will make it easier for you to manage, and will make it easier for your visitors to find information quickly.
Build the basic web site. You will set up the folders needed for your site and build web pages to fulfill your site structure. You will not add content yet but you will set up links for your main directories.
Expand the design of the web site. What do you want your web pages to look like? Strive for a consistent design across your site. Develop an easy to follow navigation system. This allows visitors to know where they are at all times and helps them find information quickly and effectively. You might find yourself doing this as you build the basic web site (previous step), especially if you are building your site using templates. Remember to follow the accessibility guidelines for making your web site available to visitors with disabilities.
Place your content on the web pages. Do not place too much information on each page. Place the most important information at the top of each web page.
Update the site regularly. Visitors are looking for timely information and will stop coming to your site if they keep finding information which is months old. Pages that contain announcements, calendars, and newsletters will be the areas that require the most updating.
Evaluate your site often. Are your visitors looking for information that is not on the site? You might try to find a way to add that content. Are any of the pages becoming too long requiring long loading times? You might want to break up that content and place it on separate web pages.

Introduction - Planning
Purpose - Structure - Basic Web Site
Design - Navigation - Accessibility
Place Content - Update - Evaluate