Web Design the Proper Procedure to Design

Web Design

The proper procedure to design a website involves planning, innovation, and proper execution. The purpose of the website, along with its actual content, when melded together correctly, offers the visitor information and flexibility.

The first step a website innovator undertakes is to determine the audience of the website. Secondly, the innovator determines what the purpose of the website is. Although both of these steps seem simple, it is a crucial step. These two items need determined and defined clearly before further planning.

The goal of the site is the next determination. The website innovator decides what the goal of the site is. Website builders design sites to disseminate information. Other sites implement a design to sell or persuade, while others collect information from the visitor. Many times, the sites have multiple purposes, such as provide information and sell a product or service during the visit. (An example of a site designed to give information, yet make sales is WRITERSDIGEST.COM. It provides basic information to those interested in freelance writing, yet attempts to sell its parent company's products, which includes books and magazines. Others simply provide supplemental information (such as CBS.COM, a site to provide supplemental programming information about the entertainment network's regular broadcast shows).

Any regulations and laws governing the website must be ascertained now. If, for example, children will visit the site, specific warnings must be included. As recent as February 2003, both candy maker Hershey Foods Corp. And cookie baker Mrs. Fields Original Cookies Inc. agreed to pay $185,000 to settle charges that they improperly collected personal information from children without their parents' permission. The Federal Trade Commission had charged that both companies violated an online privacy law because they did not ensure that they had parental permission before collecting the names, e-mail addresses, ages, and other personal information of children who visited their Web sites. Mrs. Fields website encouraged children 12 and under to sign up for a free cookie or pretzel on their birthday, but did not obtain proper parental consent when it collected children's names, addresses, birthdays and e-mail addresses. Hershey instructed children under 13 to have their parents fill out an online consent form on many of its Web sites, but took no steps to ensure that parents actually did fill out the forms. Neither company bothered to notify parents that it was collecting information from their children, the FTC alleged. This poor website design cost the company in reputation, as well as monetary fines and legal expense.

After assessing these initial factors, the website designer then determines the hardware and software capabilities. If the audience of the website is graphic designers, then the site should include extensive and creative graphic designs. It might be important to make certain the final design is compatible within the limitations of the AOL® Internet experience.