The best news is that you don't need any technical skills whatsoever - you need only to be able to use a word processor to write the content. Our unlimited support gives you the added comfort of having a safety net if and when you need one. At the same time, if you want help in writing your content, we can help!

We're experts in a method of writing that is focused on the needs of the user, instead of what the writer knows about the topic. It's called Information Mapping. It's a research-based method that results in clear, concise, usable information. Whether you're interested in making something technical or complex easy for your prospects and customers to understand, or trying to influence a particular outcome, Information Mapping does it best.

Purpose
This section will

• outline some typical pitfalls to avoid
• provide some information and examples that will help you prepare, and
• give you a snapshot of the entire process so you'll know exactly where you're going and how to get there!

Typical pitfalls
Some typical pitfalls of websites include the following.

• Too much information on the home page making it difficult for the user to select a task.
• Absence of logical navigation options.
• Wordy, long-winded confusing content.
• Images that take ages to load causing visitors to bail from the site!
• Stagnant content that DOES NOT give visitors a reason to return.
• PDF attachments that are not clear and concise.

Before you begin.
To get your site up as soon as possible

• make a list of the major categories for your site
• write a bit of the content for each category
• identify or develop any marketing documents that can be downloaded by users (these are typically in a PDF format).

Example

Site purpose
Get clear about the purpose of your site. What action do you want users to take when they visit? If you want them to contact you so you can begin to form a relationship, you may want to keep the content light. Keep in mind that existing customers will likely be interested only in new information. So keeping the content light makes for easy and timely updates. If, however, the purpose of your site is to provide information without personal contact, then more content may be necessary.

Homepage content and functionality
Your homepage is, to quote web guru Jakob Neilsen, "the most important real estate in the world!" It is our face to the world and the starting point for most users' visits.

It must accomplish the following objectives:

• summarize what the company and the site does (usually in a one-sentence tagline)
• answer these 2 questions:
  • "Where am I?"
  • "What does this site do?"
• emphasize the site's top high-priority tasks (the one to four tasks users will undertake when visiting the site)
• include these 3 features:
  • a directory of the site's main content (navigation)
  • a summary of the most important news or promotions, and
  • a search feature.

Site development process
The site development process is summarized below.

Stage Description