Assessing Your Site

In the first chapter of this section, we examined the issues surrounding management of a team development project and how FrontPage can play a role. In the previous chapter, we took a high-level overview of the tools and technologies that a Web project manager would want to use when taking on such a project. Both FrontPage-specific tools and other platforms were examined. In this chapter, we'll take a look at the specifics of the tools that come with FrontPage 2003 and how to make them an integral part of the site management process. We'll also explain how to truly "read" the different reports to understand the health and status of your site and how to respond to problems that will inevitably come up in the Web development process.

From file assignment to reporting, many of the tools and features in FrontPage 2003 help the user better understand the status of the project she is working on. This focus on site assessment assists greatly in the collaboration process.

As sites grow larger and larger, it is extremely important to have an accurate understanding of the entire project. When building a bridge, construction quality means little if the foundation is sinking. In site design, the quality of the graphics means little if the site has ineffective flow or the task load on any one member of the team prevents that member from performing her assigned job. Proper use of the tools provided by FrontPage 2003 gives the user an understanding of the project, which enables her to make proactive decisions in terms of continued site development.

Understanding Site Flow

The Internet contains millions (if not billions) of pages of great content. The problem has always been finding an effective way to direct people to that content. Greater than the problem of bandwidth, technology, or crashing operating systems is the problem of site flow. Very few sites provide a clear path to the content they work so hard to present.

How many pages does someone need to click to get to the information she is looking for? In much the same way that people get disgusted when they have to push 10 numbers before they can speak to a real human in a phone tree, clicking through 10 pages to get to the content they are looking for is equally as discouraging.

Site flow is defined as the means by which a user goes from one page to another. Are the possible paths well defined? Do they make sense? Is there more than one option for getting to the information the user is seeking? After the user has gone down one path, does she need to return to the beginning to go down another one?

Effective site flow comes from an effective navigation scheme and manageable and navigational depth level.

Navigation

One option in assessing site navigation is the Hyperlinks view (shown in Figure 33.1). This view enables you to see each file and how it relates to each other file in terms of links from and to the document.

Figure 33.1. The Hyperlinks view lets you examine your site in terms of links to and from each document.

graphics/33fig01.jpg

Hyperlinks view lists ach document and folder in the Web on the left side of the screen. To assess how any document relates to the rest of the Web, select the document from the Folder List. The view shows the document in the middle of the screen with documents that link to the item on the left and items the document links to on the right. Selecting the plus symbol on any of the documents in the screen results in the same presentation for that document. You can follow this view as many times as you'd like, placing as many hyperlinks on the screen as desired. This is shown in Figure 33.2.

Figure 33.2. Hyperlinks view lets you examine the link relationships to multiple documents on the same screen if desired.

graphics/33fig02.jpg

It is important to examine the possible paths to each document in the site when assessing the navigation options on your site. If a document has only one path to it, the chances of a user finding that document are greatly diminished. The power of hyperlinked text is in the fact that is nonlinear, allowing the user to approach the text however he wants to.

TIP

You should have at least two paths to every document in your site. People aren't guaranteed to follow any specific direction, so providing multiple roads helps increase chances that a user will find what she is looking for.

Do name your pages in such a way that people know which road they are on. If you have numerous pages with the same title (or similar titles), even if they are working their way through your site, they just might not know how far they've gone.


If a document has only one possible path, track back through the path and see whether any other path options can be offered. For example, a document could also be listed in a general page of important site documents or in a New Links section that points users directly to documents recently added to the site.

TIP

Another popular site navigation tool is a site map, which provides a map or an overview of the entire site for the first-time visitor. You either can create one by hand or use the Table of Contents Web component to make one for you.


Navigation also can be assessed through a simple examination of the Web site. Take a look at your site through a browser and consider how the first-time user might approach navigation. You can also bring in an outsider to view the site for the first time. Ask her what she thinks of the site and documents links.

TIP

Shared borders and the Include component are tools that can be used effectively in promoting a simpler site navigational scheme.


For more on the navigational tools that come with FrontPage 2003, see "FrontPage's Navigation Tools and Elements," p. 147.


Depth

The depth of your site is also very important. If it takes too many clicks for a user to get to a certain document, the chances are good that she either won't take the time to do so or will get extremely frustrated in the process. Most users come to a Web site looking for a specific item, and if that item is too hard to find, they often leave quickly and disappointed.

If your site was developed using the Navigation view, shown in Figure 33.3, you already have a great overview of the site depth; use the view to see just how deep the site goes. You can't examine a site in Navigation view unless it was created with that tool.

Figure 33.3. Navigation view quickly lets you see how many documents are required to get to any particular item on your site.

graphics/33fig03.gif

For more information regarding development with FrontPage's navigation tools, see "FrontPage's Navigation Tools and Elements," p. 147.


If you didn't build your site in Navigation view, you must assess the site depth on your own. You can use the Hyperlinks view mentioned previously to some success, but effective assessment requires an understanding of the site that, at this point, can be reached only by clicking your way through the site.

TIP

One good way to manage site depth is to put each level in a new folder on the site. You will quickly be able to determine how deep a site is if you follow this design process from the beginning.


There is no need for a site to become too deep. FrontPage's capability to rewrite paths on the file makes site reorganization a simple and worthwhile task. All you need to do is move a file from one folder to another, and FrontPage will make sure that all the HTML in the site is updated accordingly. If the site has become too deep, it is time to reorganize the site navigation.

Task Load

A domino effect of inefficiency can take place if too much responsibility lies on the shoulders of a single individual or team. If team members are waiting on someone else to complete her part of the project, you can have a cyber traffic jam in your design process.

Examining the task load on any one individual or one area of influence is as vital as examining site health or any of the other subjects discussed in this chapter. If too much is waiting on one person or one area, other groups won't be able to do their part. Managing the task load is the "human" part of managing a collaborative project. The Task view can only alert the manager of the symptoms.

Cross training individuals in your team is always a good idea. Not only does it provide a certain protection from the repetition factor, but it also provides an additional workforce should one group's workload become too heavy.

TIP

A quick look at a site's Task view on a regular basis can help the manager quickly assess if too much of the project has been placed on one particular person.


Other Issues

Other issues exist that a good manager will want to keep eye on during the Web development process. The first is verifying accessibility of the site. The second is checking for speedy download times and identifying potential problems through the FrontPage site reporting features.

Throughout the development of a project, it would be a good idea to check the Web site's accessibility and make sure that no one in your team is developing content that can't be accessed by those wanting to view it. Run the accessibility checker on a regular basis to both identify problems as well as stop unhealthy development trends early in the development process.

For more on the FrontPage 2003 Accessibility checker and other issues related to making your site accessible, see "FrontPage's Accessibility Features," p. 235.


The second issue a good site manager will want to check on a regular basis is the general health of the site. FrontPage 2003 comes with a series of site reports, discussed in the next section of this chapter, that can help you assess how your site is doing and make necessary changes to keep your site as healthy as possible.



Special Edition Using Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003
Special Edition Using Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003
ISBN: 0789729547
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 443

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