My thoughts on various aspects of website management

Outline of human head with sticky notes stuck to it
Some of my thoughts and experience on managing a website strategically put in writing.

In this section, I give my thoughts on various aspects that make a successful website.

Accessibility

Web accessibility is about making your website accessible to both able and disabled users. It’s about being able to browse the web irrespective of the technology you’re using. It’s about taking your social responsibility seriously. It’s about realising the real commercial value an accessible website generates.

Content

Content is the most important part of my website. As an old Chinese proverb says, "Words are the keys to the heart”, it is the power of words along with the correct emotional images that are important in today’s cyber world.

Design

Web design is about creating visual presentations of content that are delivered through a website. It’s different to print and needs different skills.

Information Architecture

IA poses a tremendous challenge in designing any navigational system on a website. Taking it seriously means making systematic efforts to maintain consistent navigation systems using a deliberately designed structure, rather than one that evolved haphazardly.

Strategic management of websites

Strategic website management is about looking at all aspects and interfaces to your website and making decisions for the medium to long-term for the benefit of your organisation and visitors.

Technology

There are a number of hardware and software elements you need to get right when setting up your website. Ensuring that your technology meets the business needs rather than the opposite is the key to success.

Usability

Web usability is about making websites easy to use for your visitor. It should be intuitive and present information in a clear and concise way. Good usability is critical to your website's success.

Web standards

Web standards help ensure that everyone has access to the web. Applied correctly, it reduces the cost and complexity of development while increasing the accessibility and long-term viability of any website.

This page was last updated on Tuesday, 6th April 2010.