Web Site Management

Section editor
APC
resource.centre@apc.org

• Introduction
• Hosting and publishing your site
• Link checkers
• Promoting your site
• Evaluation and site statistics
• Database-driven sites
• Content management systems
• Legal issues
• General

Introduction

Before you leap into creating a Web site, it is essential that you spend some time thinking about your goals and what resources you have available. It's never too early to begin to manage expectations and create a realistic workplan for yourself and your colleagues.

A Web site is the product of the entire organization and requires integrating the knowledge and skills of all staff - not just those in a communications or technology department. Therefore, a Web site can communicate effectively with the world outside your organization only if you have good communication and co-ordination within your organization.

Some important questions to ask yourself include:

• Why do I need a site?
• What do I know about my audience?
• What staff do I need to create and to maintain it?
• What equipment do I need to have access to?
• Where will content for the site come from?
• What organizational communications policies might facilitate work on the site?
• What resources have been set aside for ongoing tasks like marketing, evaluation, and maintenance?
• How can I ensure that search engines are able to find and index the site?

Web Site Management - Hosting and publishing your site

Adding a Search Engine to Your Site Is Easier than You Think

Developed by: TechSoup
Type of resource: Web article
Target audience: General
Cost: Free access

"Navigating a Web site without a search engine is like trying to drive a car in the dark without headlights. Though driving sans headlights may be considerably more dangerous, a site without a search engine can leave your visitors in the dark, making it nearly impossible for them to find the information they need." Yann Toledano looks at who needs a search engine, the types of search tools available, and at free and low cost hosted search services.

Dhttp://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/webbuilding
/page4899.cfm

Web Site Management - Evaluation and site statistics

Reading Web Statistics

Developed by: Lasa Information Systems Team
Type of resource: Web article
Target audience: General
Cost: Free access

This article by the Lasa Information Systems Team will help you understand your web site's usage statistics.

Dhttp://www.icthubknowledgebase.org.uk/webanalytics

A Few Good Web Analytics Tools

Developed by: TechSoup
Type of resource: Web article
Target audience: General
Cost: Free access

"How many people visit our Web site every day? What are visitors doing when they get there? Which features are most popular? Was that big redesign worth the money? If these types of questions keep you awake at night, you may need a good Web analytics tool". This article will help you decide what to consider when choosing a web analytics package, and will also introduce you to some of the options available.

Dhttp://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/internet/pa
ge6760.cfm

Databases - Content management systems

Commissioning an open source content management system

Developed by: Steve Cowie
Type of resource: Web article
Target audience: General
Cost: Free access

Steve Cowie looks at key issues to take into account when adopting an open source content management system, and offers an overview of some of the most popular systems.

http://www.icthubknowledgebase.org.uk/commissionin
ganopensourcecms

Comparing Open Source CMSes: Joomla, Drupal and Plone

Developed by: idealware
Type of resource: Web article
Target audience: General
Cost: Free access

"Open source content management systems can make creating and managing your website a lot easier - and there's no licensing fee involved. But which should you use? We look carefully at Joomla, Drupal, and Plone to compare their strengths and weaknesses."

http://www.idealware.org/articles/joomla_drupal_pl
one.php

How to Evaluate a Content Management System

Developed by: Step Two Designs / James Robertson
Type of resource: web site
Target audience: General
Cost: Free access

A comprehensive document from Step Two Designs detailing all angles of content management considerations: technical specifications, authoring needs, content management, publication and presentation, and more. The article does not suggest a particular CMS, and is written for organisations or businesses who might be hiring a developer or vendor for their specific CMS needs. It's objective is to help organisations assess CMS needs in a systematic way, before approaching vendors or adopting a system that will not grow with them, or does not prioritise the content creation needs.

http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/kmc_evaluate/