Web Site Redesign Process Steps

Below are the steps to follow to build a web site. The process varies on what type of web site you are buildling:

Brand New Web Site

  1. Identify your point of contact for your web site who will be the main person working with Web Communications & Services (WCS) to develop the new web site
  2. Take a look at some of the web sites on www.usfca.edu to get some ideas for your web site
  3. Email webservices@usfca.edu to set up an initial consultative meeting
  4. In the consultative meeting, discuss:
    • Content. What does your main audience need from your web site? Read through the web content strategies document and organize the contents for your web site.
      • What content exists and can be used for the web?
      • What new content needs to be written and identify the content owner/writer?
      • Identify what information is most important to highlight on your web site home page and what the audience wants to do 
      • What information is relevant but exists in other web sites? 
    • Navigation. Read through the Information Architecture strategies document and document your desired web site navigation menu
    • Images. Look at the various banner samples you can use and identify what photos/video you would like to use for you site.  WCS can assist with banner and graphics creation as needed.
  5. Create a Word document that contains your Information Architecture and Content (see sample here) and send to webservices@usfca.edu.
  6. Follow up meeting. WCS will discuss your IA and Content document, the best design templates for your site, and establish a timeline. 
  7. WCS will build the templates and initial web site, incorporating all the elements that were provided.
  8. Ensure the web editor signs up for the Ektron Basic Training and/or Ektron Advanced Training in the CIT while WCS is building your web site.
  9. Review meeting. Upon completion of the web site build out, WCS will set up another meeting to review the web site, how to add/edit menus, how to edit boxes and transition all updates to the web editor.
  10. Once approval of the site is complete, you can officially launch the web site by sending out a communication to the university community stakeholders. WCS will communicate the site to the existing web editors and link to the site from university related top level pages.

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Existing Web Site Redesign

  1. Identify your point of contact for your web site who will be the main person working with Web Communications & Services (WCS) to redesign your existing web site.
  2. Email webservices@usfca.edu to set up an initial consultative meeting where we will discuss your web site needs.
  3. In the consultative meeting, discuss:
    • Review your current web site together and identify areas for improvement
    • Review analytics to determine the most important and least viewed content
    • Content.  What does your main audience need from your web site? Read through the web content strategies document and re-organize the contents for your current web site
      • What should be deleted?
      • What can be kept and used as is?
      • What content needs to be written and identify the content owner/writer?
      • What information is relevant but exists in other web sites? 
      • Identify what information is most important to highlight on your web site home page and what the audience wants to do 
    • Navigation. Read through the Information Architecture strategies document and document your desired web site information architecture/navigation (see sample here )
    • Images. Look at the various banner samples you can use on your templates and identify what photos/video you would like to use for you site(s).  WCS can assist with banner and graphics creation as needed.  
    • Create a Word document that contains you Information Architecture and Content (see sample here) and send to webservices@usfca.edu.
  4. Follow up meeting.
    • WCS will discuss your IA and Content document and best design templates for your site.
    • Establish a timeline and estimated launch date.  An existing web site migration will need a time period for a content freeze to move all the contents successfully.
  5. WCS will build the templates and initial web site.
  6. Ensure the web editor signs up for the Ektron Basic Training and/or Ektron Advanced Training in the CIT while WCS is building your web site.
  7. Review meeting. Upon completion of the web site build out, WCS will set up another meeting to review the web site, how to add/edit menus, how to edit boxes and transition all updates to the web editor.
  8. Once approval of the site is complete, you can officially re-launch the web site by sending out a communication to the university community stakeholders and be sure to communicate any changes in URL’s. WCS will communicate the site to the existing web editors and change any links to the site from university related top level pages as appropriate.

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