Set Goals/Objectives
Why are we building this site?
This is your opportunity to state what you want to happen. It's important to be clear on the differences between the goals YOU have for the site and goals of the SITE VISITOR. They are often quite different. Most of us can clearly state our own goals for our project, but take the time to list your site visitors' goals. Here are some questions to get you started:
- Why are they reading the text on your Web site?
- What have they come to the site to do?
- Do they need to learn something?
- Are they looking for quick information?
- Do they want to have fun?
- Do they want to feel a sense of community with other people?
- How will students benefit?
- What will they learn?
- How will this site improve upon similar materials already available?
- How will you measure your success?
In many cases, you will have different people with different needs coming to your Web site looking for different things. If , for example, you are creating a college admissions site, your visitors will all need admissions information. But a prospective student and the parent of a prospective student may want different information. You will want to provide for both of these audiences.
Below is an example of how you might develop ideas for goals and needs for a admissions website.
| Audience | Needs |
|---|---|
| Prospective students | Required courses (and all course descriptions), jobs (co-op, internships), postgraduate careers, graduate school opportunities, faculty, campus life |
| Parent of Prospective Student | Tuition information, financial aid, semester calendar, travel information |
| High School Guidance Counselor | Application deadlines, GPA/SAT requirements |
