strategic web sites

©2011 Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace. All Rights Reserved.

MNREM Webinar

Minnesota Renewable Energy MarketplaceAs part of the Minnesota Rural Intelligent

Communities (MIRC) Project


This webinar series is sponsored by MIRC – Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities in partnership with the MNREM - Minnesota Renewable Marketplace and the Blandin Foundation. MNREM is a project partner in the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities initiative. MIRC is a coalition of 19 statewide partners and 11 demonstration communities funded in large part through an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. The work of the coalition focuses on bringing the full promise of broadband technologies to rural Minnesota communities, businesses and people. Blandin Foundation serves as the project administrator. More about MIRC is available www.blandinfoundation.org

http://www.blandinfoundation.org/


Strategic Web Sites

Ann Treacy broadband.mnrem.com

http://www.broadband.mnrem.com/


WHAT IS A STRATEGIC WEB SITE?A web site that helps you reach business goals


WHAT ARE YOUR BUSINESS GOALS?

Interact more with current customers

Interact more with current investors

Reach new customers

Reach new investors

Reach policymakers

Find employees

Build brand recognition

Manage your reputationPromote renewable energy

Promote Minnesota


Strategic Web Sites Usability Call to action Functionality Find-ability Metrics



USABILITY


What do you do? 5 second test


Recognize the F Pattern

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html


Accessibility• WAVE ADA Test

wave.webaim.org • Browser Compatibility

http://browsershots.org

• Don’t use graphics to convey info

• Flash can be iffy on many platforms

• Do you care about printing?

Functionality

http://wave.webaim.org/

http://browsershots.org/

http://browsershots.org/


CALL TO ACTION


Think back to your Goals• What is a successful visit to your site?– A purchase? A RFQ? A job application?

• How easy is it for the visitors to follow that path?

• How appealing is it?• How is the visitor rewarded?


What do you do? 5 second test


Bonus Activity: Check out• Sites in your industry• Sites your target visitors

visit• Sales sites

• Use what works• See what doesn’t work


FUNCTIONALITY


Functionality Tests • Run a quickie test:

http://watson.addy.com/ • Check each page for

– Accuracy– Typos– Links

http://www.seventwentyfour.com/

• Check the code: http://validator.w3.org/

http://watson.addy.com/



http://validator.w3.org/


METRICS


Metrics Sneak Peek


QUESTIONS?

If you have an interest in further training on Strategic Web Sites in your area, please let us know.


Next Steps• Future sessions– Next webinar in April “Social Media”

• Join us onlinebroadband.mnrem.com Blog address – mnrem.com/blog

http://www.broadband.mnrem.com/

http://www.mnrem.com/

http://www.mnrem.com/

strategic web sites

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