Working with Web Services to Build Your Web Site
Our focus is to build Web sites for administrative and academic programs and departments on campus. Services we provide include:
- Website Design and Production (Visual/Graphic Design, CSS Coding, HTML Coding, Information Architecture, Site Production)
- Guidance on the architecture, design, and content of your Web site.
- Consulting/Client Relations (Consult on Web Site Content and Technology Decisions)
- Quality Assurance (Accessibility, Standards Compliance, Structural Integrity of Web Sites and Web Applications)
- Web Site and Content Management Support (One-on-one and group training and support for OmniUpdate, our content management system)
The services we do not provide include:
- Drop-down menus
- Flash Web sites or elements
- Custom photo galleries — we will help you use Flickr and help to embed the slideshow
- Image maps with rollovers
For a list of the administrative and academic departments and programs we support through the content management system OmniUpdate, see Client Web Sites. These Web sites will give you an idea of what types of sites we can help you create.
Web Services cannot create Web sites for endorsed "programs within departments" at Dartmouth, but we can offer the following options:
- You find a department Web Site that will allow you to "embed" your program within their Web site (program folder is created).
- Help you find a freelancer or consultant.
If you are a program within a department, and you can find a department that will allow you to "embed" (host) your program information in a folder within their Web site, we will do the following (the department that is the "umbrella" for your site must have some logical correlation to your program):
- Ask you to provide written approval from the department Web site that agrees to "embed" your program information on their site (e-mail is acceptable).
- We will create a folder on the department Web site that will hold the Web pages for your program.
- We will set up two groups on the department Web site:
- The "department" group will have access to the complete site, including the "program" folder.
- The "program" group will only have access to the "program" folder.
- We will create a Username and Password on the department site for the program.
- We will provide training on using OmniUpdate.
This process has been tested on a couple of Web sites at Dartmouth and has been very successful. For example:
If you cannot find a "department" Web site to "embed" your program on, please let us know. We can offer to post your provided "want ad" to the Upper Valley Web Authors Group. Or we can provide you with a name(s) of a freelancer that may be able to help you set up your Web site.
If you have questions, please contact Marie Stebbins in Web Services.
Some Things to Consider Before Contacting Us
Preparation and Timeline
Building a Web site can take anywhere from one month to a year or more, depending on numerous factors, including the client's availability and prior preparation, and has many elements. Therefore, before you contact Web Services, we ask that you do some upfront work that will, ultimately, advance the completion of the project in a timely manner.
Appoint a Department Contact for Your Web site
- Appoint a person within your department who will work with Web Services on your Web site. Having more than one person communicating with us can cause confusion, and therefore, slow down the process.
- Select a few sites from the list of our clients that you might like your Web site to emulate.
Consider Your Content
Consider the content that best forwards your department's communications goals for the Web site ahead of time; for example:
- What information will be on your Web site?
- Is the content coming from an existing site, as is?
- Is it being totally re-written, and will it be posted to the existing site before it is moved into OmniUpdate?
- Is it being totally re-written, and will it be added to the new site when you are ready?
- Is the content being written from scratch; is it coming from various individuals in the department?
Updating and reworking the content before you contact us will move the development of the Web site forward much quicker.
Create an Outline
Organization of your Web site is the key to its success. The better organized it is, the easier it will be for visitors to navigate through your Web site. Simple layouts make for easy navigation, and remember, the home page gives visitors the first impression of your site, so make it count.
Consider the content that best forwards your department's communications goals for the Web site, then create an outline based on that content. Having an outline provides a mental picture of the site, the sections, subsections, and content pages. This outline can also serve as a valuable guide when you set up the navigation of your site.
Contact Web Services
Please contact Web Services when you have done the following:
- Appointed a person within your department to manage the development of the site and be Web Services' contact
- Have prepared all the content
- Created an outline
- Have gathered all the images you expect to use on your Web site, including any that will be used in the Banner of your site.
|
