Website Maintenance

1
Website Maintenance

• Keep your site alive with planned and ongoing
  maintenance.

Obj. 7.01
2
Keep the Website Alive

• Continued Improvements and Maintenance are the
  keys to a successful website. Issues to mange
• Data updates. According to Conger Mason
  (Planning and Designing Effective Web Sites, p.
  165), information has "a limited life span of
  usefulness." When users encounter outdated
  content on a website, that site loses credibility
  and is less likely to receive repeat visits.
• Changes/improvements to design and layout.
  Continued use and feedback from users will often
  reveal necessary changes in information
  presentation and in the structure of navigation.
  Effective web designers will be sensitive to such
  input and make changes and improvements where
  necessary.

3

• Reflection of changes in parent business. The
  business entity is not static thus its website
  cannot remain static and still be effective. Web
  designers must engage in continuous examination
  and analysis of the website as an accurate
  reflection of the business it represents. Just as
  the business evolves and changes, so must its
  accompanying website
• Alignment of presentation with competitor sites.
  Effective website maintenance requires continuous
  research and review of sites against which the
  site will be compared. As new "standards" of web
  presentation develop, web designers must
  identify, analyze and make changes necessary to
  maintaining an up-to-date and competitive web
  site.
• Incorporation of new technologies. Web designers
  should continuously monitor and examine the
  relative usefulness of new technologies as they
  become available. They should analyze and
  determine if the incorporation of these
  technologies will increase the effectiveness
  and/or affectiveness of the site. Changes should
  be made only if beneficial to the goals of the
  site.

Update your site
Analyze
Critique
4
Key Support Roles in Maintenance and Upgrading
of Web Site

• There are four distinct "roles" that must be
  played in the design, development and maintenance
  of an e-Commerce website. (Conger and Mason, p
  165)
• These roles are not exclusive. The number and
  position of the "role player(s)" is determined by
  the size and dynamics of each business.
• In a larger business, there might be a support
  staff of many individuals with specific roles in
  the development of the website.
• In a smaller business, it is conceivable that
  only one individual might be responsible for a
  combination of all or some of the duties
  associated with these roles.

5
Website Roles

• Presenters. Oversee the direction, web strategy
  and funding of the website. This person works
  with other support personnel to guide the
  continued growth of the site as well as
  determining the extent of electronic commerce on
  the Web.
• Information Stewards. Responsible for web page
  content and its validity as it pertains to the
  business functions for which (they) are
  responsible. In a larger business, this could be
  a representative from each of the distinct
  "departments" or functions of a business such as
  marketing, finance or distribution.

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Roles Continued. . .

• Designers. Responsible for making changes
  recommended by presenters and/or information
  stewards.
• Webmasters. Responsible for keeping the website
  "up and running" after it is online. This
  person(s) usually has a link to their email
  posted on the site and thus act as the primary
  user contact, directing user needs and requests
  to the appropriate parties. This role also
  require a constant monitoring, evaluation and
  recommendation of new technologies that might
  prove beneficial to the site such as upgrades to
  "phone service, operating systems, hardware, and
  software." (Conger Mason, p. 166)

Information Stewards
Designers
Webmasters
Presenters
7
Four Basic Activities Involved in Maintaining
and Improving a Site

• Content must continuously be evaluated for
  timeliness, completeness and appropriateness
• 1. Reflect Changes in Business Organization as a
  business changes, so should the content to
  reflect changes in company organization,
  products, services, and/or policies. Information
  stewards and presenters are responsible for
  monitoring and making appropriate
  recommendations.
• 2. Correct "out-dated" information create a
  schedule of "volatility" (Conger Mason, p. 166)
  where "data objects" are sorted by "volatility"
  based on how rapidly they are likely to change.
  The most "volatile" data objects will be
  monitored most closely and corrected as necessary.

8

• Repair broken or "outdated" links. Broken links
  can be one of the greatest sources of user
  frustration. They are one of the first warning
  signs of an out-of-date web site and will thus
  decrease user confidence and return visits.
• 4. Monitor and respond to "user needs." Solicit
  input from users as to the affectiveness,
  effectiveness, and navigability of site. This is
  accomplished through the methods of
• Focus groups--provide users with "specific"
  tasks. Have them visit a variety of sites,
  including yours, but DO NOT direct their search
  or use of the site.
• Discussion groups--based on the 3 possible
  results
• Users will not visit your site at all
• Users go to your site, but are unsuccessful in
  navigation
• Users are successful in navigation and use of
  site

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• Partial user website usage--publish site without
  advertising invite example users and give them
  access. Track their user habits using a "counter"
  to record hits. Monitor individually or as group
  and request input from the user group. Best used
  for sites designed to appeal to a narrow and
  specific user groups.
• Questionnaire Surveys--provided on site in a
  voluntary and anonymous atmosphere. Questions can
  be open-ended or close-ended. Collate results,
  analyze and make conclusions based on data.
  Questions should be constructed to elicit
  specific, useful information for analysis.

Review and analyze all feedback!
10
Maintaining and Improving Design (Site
Effectiveness)

• Regular Reassessment of Design Effectiveness and
  Affectiveness.
• Does the eye move immediately to the focal point
  of site?
• Appeal is the site inviting?
• Are all of the elements of the site relevant?
• Is the site uniform in content and layout?
• Is there a natural "flow" between sections of
  site?

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Improving Site Continued. . .

• Maintain alignment with design features and
  upgrades of competitive sites so that the overall
  design of the site does not become "dated."
• Monitor, evaluate, identify, and implement new
  technologies that might enhance the sites
  effectiveness (editing software, animation, and
  interactive capabilities).

Keep it up-to-date!
12
Maintaining Improving Linkages (Ease of
Navigation)

• Continuously review site for broken links.
• Make changes to navigational structure of site as
  new additions are made to site.
• Remove/change links that are no longer necessary
  or lead to "dead ends."

13
Maintaining and Improving Technology (Form and
Function)

• Technology Surveillance. Maintain ongoing
  observation and evaluation of new technologies
  that might improve both the design and function
  of the site. Implement ONLY if it is determined
  that the new technology will improve the sites
  performance and achievement of goals.
• Active Surveillance Actively search for new
  technology that might address concern or specific
  problem with the website.
• Passive Surveillance Occasional and informal
  observation of current trends, new developments
  by competitors and new technologies that are
  introduced to the market.

14
Equipment Maintenance Updates

• Internal Hosting The Webmaster oversees the
  repair and upgrades to existing hardware and
  software as well as recommends the abandonment of
  old and the addition of new technologies where
  necessary.
• External Hosting Investigate and assess the
  ability of your sponsor host to provide the
  technology platform that will support the goals
  of the site.
• Keep site running and avoid unnecessary "down
  time" due to equipment and/or communications
  malfunctions.