The information and uses of the virtual campus at the University of Delaware grow bigger every day. Web site owners need to revisit their web pages periodically to see if the site is up-to-date and meeting their current needs.

The ever-changing capabilities of the web and accessibility issues add a level of complexity not dreamed of before. In addition, many groups have so many handbooks, forms, and handouts that they just don't know where to begin. Not surprisingly, many of those who were early adopters of the web and now want to update their site feel overwhelmed. Creating a web site or even refreshing one is not as difficult as it seems. The following outline should help you get started:

1. Create your web team and give it a mission.

   • Form the group that will be charged with creating or refreshing your web site. This web team does not necessarily have to be the group who will maintain your web site once it is done. It should be a manageable size (2 or 3 people for smaller departments and 5 to 8 for larger departments). The focus of the team is your web content. It should consist of individuals who know your department's services and resources. Representation from the various units within your department is ideal, and not everyone on the team has to know how to write HTML or create graphics. Your web designer or a representative from your department's web group should be included on the team, too.

   • Charge the group with a specific purpose and set a specific deadline for producing a preliminary web site. Establish a regular meeting schedule such as every week or every other week. Review progress and establish incremental goals.

2. Evaluate your department's services, content, and usability on the web.

   • Examine what content your department already has on the web.

   • List the services your department provides and to what audiences you provide these services (full-time undergraduate students, faculty, alumni, etc.). Check to make sure these services match those suggested by any web presence you have or plan to develop.

   • Examine the forms, handbooks, or handouts your department provides. Could any of these items be placed on the web and reduce costs in your department?

   • Test your current site for usability--establish 4-6 critical tasks that your target audience needs to accomplish on your web site. Evaluate how easy it is to complete these tasks.  Decide if you need to rethink the organization of your site.

3. Begin to develop the outline and content for your web site.

   • Decide how you wish to organize your site. Should you organize it by services, by customer, or both?

   • Draft an outline of your site (no graphics, just a text outline). Again, at this point, content is the most important aspect of the project. A look can be developed at a later date. Determine what information you wish to present at each level. Create separate pages for individual sections.

   • Remember that your site should not duplicate official University information or develop content explaining policies or information that is not the responsibility of your department -- link to it instead. Not only does this reduce site maintenance, it keeps you from publishing inaccurate information. If the policy or information already exists on web pages such as the Student Guide, University catalog or the Policies and Procedures Manual, you should link to those pages.

4. While developing the content outline, determine who will be responsible for site maintenance.

   • As you are developing your web site outline, you should also begin to discuss who will maintain the web site. Have that person register as a web-site maintainer. Also determine if there will be a need for personnel training. If so, go to the Getting Help Section of the Idea Center to view training options.

5. Begin to develop the look or design of your web site.

   • When the site outline is close to completion, start the process of developing your site's look and navigation scheme. Browse the web and pay attention to the look and feel of the pages. Look at the web sites of departmental counterparts at other Universities. Note what elements you like and don't like.

   • Check the UD Web Developer's Policies, Procedures, & Standards.

   • Come up with a few home page designs and evaluate them. Combine elements you think function well. Come up with designs for the second level pages. Use one section from your outline to see what the design looks like with actual content.

6. Merge content and design.

   • Once your outline is complete and you have decided on the look of your web site, begin creating your pages.

7. Test your web site.

   • Check for accessibility.

   • Test your site on a variety of browsers and platforms.

   • Ask others in your department as well as co-workers from other departments to test your new site. If the site is organized by customer group, select representatives from each group to test your site for ease in locating information.

   • Identify several representative end users and charge them with completing 4-8 critical tasks. Ask for specific feedback on how easy it was to accomplish each task.

8. Have your site reviewed by the University's Web Advisory Group by filling out the form at the IdeaCenter.

9. Announce your web site to the University community.

   • Request that other University web sites with which you have a logical connection link to your web site.

   • Request that your web site be listed in the University's "Find It" index by using the "Comment on this page" button on the "Find It" page.

10. Ongoing maintenance.

    • Even though your web site is now done, be ready for ongoing maintenance. For instance, links to information or resources on other sites may change or you may find that a category fits better one or two levels higher than was originally planned.

You've finished the latest addition to the virtual campus. Now it's up to you to keep it up to date. Don't forget to regularly check your site's links using the "Link Checker" application to be sure you don't have any dead links.