Web Site Management

Resources relating to the ongoing management and maintenance of web sites, including site promotion, evaluating sites and using web statistics, web servers, and site security and privacy.

Web Site Management

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

If You Build It, Will They Come?

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

"Rule number one for community builders: If you don't know why people should come to your community, they won't come." This brief article by Heather Duggan takes you through the steps of clarifying your web site's purpose.

D http://www.workz.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl_page.html,temp late=1&content=1350&nav1=1&

Monitoring and Evaluating Web Communications

Developed by: Heather Creech, IISD Type of resource: Web article Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Basic tools and techniques for evaluating your web site.

D http://www.sdcn.org/webworks/monitoring/

Flexibility and the Question of Economics

Developed by: FARN Type of resource: Web case study Target audience: General Cost: Free access

This case study from Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN) examines their decision to use an Internet Service Provider (ISP) instead of purchasing and maintaining their own Internet server.

D http://www.sdcn.org/webworks/cases/isp_farn1.htm

Robots.txt Tutorial

Developed by: Search Engine World Type of resource: Web guide Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Using a "robots.txt" file enables you to prevent search engines from indexing particular pages or directories on your web site. This Search Engine World guide explains the basics of robots.txt files.

D http://www.searchengineworld.com/robots/robots_tut orial.htm

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.

D http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/webbuilding /page4899.cfm

Web Site Management - Link checkers

Xenu's Link Sleuth

Developed by: Tilman Hausherr Type of resource: Software Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Free link checker programme for finding broken links on web sites.

D http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html

Web Site Management - Promoting your site

Web Site Promotion

Developed by: Web Developer's Journal Type of resource: Web site Target audience: General Cost: Free access

This site offers a variety of articles on topics relating to promoting your web site.

D http://www.webdevelopersjournal.com/articles/site_ promotion/web_site_promotion_guide.html

Promoting Your Site on the Web

Developed by: Gisele Glosser/Wise-Women Type of resource: Web guide Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Short guide including a site promotion checklist.

D http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials/promotion/

11 Search Engine Optimization Tips

Developed by: Gerry McGovern Type of resource: website Target audience: General Cost: Free access

This article gives helpful hints to improve search engine results for your site. In addition to examining tags - the importance of title, description, and alt tags - the article examines other website design elements such as frames or Java that can limit search engines' ability to index your site.

D http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2005/nt_2005_04_11 -11-SEO-tips.htm

Search Engine Optimization and Spam Discussion

Developed by: Bruce Clay Type of resource: website Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Though geared to consultants, the information in this article is helpful to understand key principles around Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In addition to giving the basic guidelines common in SEO articles, it explains "players", "processes" and "methodology", so that one can see how different tips might work in different ways. It also clearly spells out spam practices and how sites might get de-indexed unintentionally due to what different search engines perceive as spam.

D http://www.bruceclay.com/EmergingStandards.htm

Marketing Your Organization's Web Site

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

Short guide with annotated resources on marketing your web site.

D http://www.coyotecom.com/webdevo/webmrkt.html

Web Site Management - Evaluation and site statistics

Website Evaluation

Developed by: Urban Development Research Website Evaluation Type of resource: Web site Target audience: General Cost: Free access

This resource aims to promote an evaluation process that will enable websites to be improved as a medium for communicating International Development research to an international audience. It is an output of an applied evaluative study of eight websites disseminating urban development research findings.

D http://www.urbandevelopmentforum.org/WebsiteEvalua tion

Web Log Analysis Tools

Developed by: About.com Type of resource: Web site Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Articles and links to tools and resources on analysing web site traffic. Topics covered include "How to Use Web Analytics Effectively", "Web Analytics Basics" and "Tracking Web Page Views".

D http://webdesign.about.com/od/loganalysis/

Intranet Review Toolkit

Developed by: Step Two Designs Type of resource: Web site, MS Word document Target audience: General Cost: Free access

"This intranet review toolkit provides intranet managers and designers with an easy-to-use method of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of their intranet. It contains a substantial set of heuristics (guidelines or criteria), allowing a detailed intranet review to be conducted that focuses on a wide range of functionality, design and strategy."

D http://www.intranetreviewtoolkit.org/

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.

D http://www.icthubknowledgebase.org.uk/webanalytics

Web Site Management - Legal issues

Copyright, Intellectual Property, Video & Multimedia: A Selected Bibliography

Developed by: UC Berkeley Type of resource: Web page Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Listing of journal articles, web sites, books and videos about online copyright issues.

D http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/copyrightbib.html

Web Site Management - General

Creating Change: Impacts of ENDA's web site

Developed by: ENDA Type of resource: Web case study Target audience: General Cost: Free access

NGOs around the world are taking advantage the Web. But, have they been able to successfully integrate Web management into their work styles? In the case of ENDA, the impacts of having a web site have depended on how much time and effort each team has put into making their Web site work for them.

D http://www.sdcn.org/webworks/cases/impact_enda1.ht m

Managing IT staff in DAINET: How Development Alternatives is curbing staff turnover

Developed by: Development Alternatives Type of resource: Web case study Target audience: General Cost: Free access

The information technology (IT) sector in India is growing at an incredible rate. Yet IT staff turnover within Development Alternatives appears to have stabilized in the last two years. In light of the increasing demands of the private sector in India and elsewhere for experienced IT staff, DA's success at keeping its IT staff is particularly impressive. So how did they do it?

D http://www.sdcn.org/webworks/cases/staff_da1.htm

Managing Design and Coding

Developed by: IISD Type of resource: Web guide Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Topics covered in this section of the SD Webworks include Cascading Style Sheets, Editors, HTML Standards, Java vs. Javascript, Layout, Flash, Image Maps and Flow Charts.

D http://www.sdcn.org/webworks/design/

Illustrated Handbook for Web Management Teams

Developed by: Office of the eEnvoy, Cabinet Office, UK Type of resource: Web site Target audience: General Cost: Free access

This handbook, although centred on e-government, provides a number of useful guidelines for the development of websites. The chapters cover - website management, content, file storage and structure, html mark-up as well as technical details and tutorials. Additionally, a self starter kit, complete with a self-contained and usable website can be downloaded.

D http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/resou rces/handbook/html/htmlindex.asp

Visual Learner's Guide to Managing Web Projects

Developed by: Visibooks Type of resource: PDF (130 p) Target audience: General Cost: Free access

The Visual Learner's Guide to Managing Web Projects shows executives, managers, and everyone else involved with an organisation's Web site how best to build and maintain it. It describes how to plan a site, train staff, conduct site construction and implement maintenance procedures so the site is effective and stays that way. It contains numerous graphics, photographs, and screen shots that illustrate site-building concepts, i.e. aiming to 'show' rather than 'tell'.

D http://www.cit.cornell.edu/training/materials/facs taff/manwebprj/managingwebprojects.pdf

Databases - Building a database site

Database-Driven Web Sites

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

New TechSoup article

http://www.techsoup.org/articlepage.cfm?ArticleId= 371&topicid=6

Planning a Database-Driven Web Site

Developed by: Tech Soup Type of resource: website Target audience: General Cost: Free access

This article offers the steps you need to follow to go from the idea of a database-driven Web site to actual design, development, and implementation, in step-by-step format.

http://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?Arti cleId=375&topicid=13

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

Content Management Problems and Open Source Solutions

Developed by: Optaros Type of resource: PDF Target audience: General Cost: Free access

This white paper explores content management systems (CMS) available from the open source community to fulfill a variety of information scenarios: the online brochure, the news periodical, collaborative spaces, wikis, and online communities. The paper also examines support solutions and why one would want to chose an open source CMS. One big advantage of open source CMS is that the offer the opportunity to deliver tailored content management solutions without the high licensing or management fees associated with commercially-licensed or hosted software. This paper from Optaros White Papers and Reports, available in PDF format, provides an excellent basis for choosing the most appropriate CMS for your needs.

http://www.optaros.com/pdf/optaros_cmsReport_01220 6_sgg.pdf

Drupal

Developed by: Drupal Type of resource: Software tool Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Drupal is an open-source platform and content management system for building dynamic web sites offering a broad range of features and services including user administration, publishing workflow, discussion capabilities, news aggregation, metadata functionalities using controlled vocabularies and XML publishing for content sharing purposes.

http://drupal.org/project/drupal

Editor's choice: Step Two Content Management Articles

Developed by: Step Two Type of resource: Web site Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Articles from Step Two Designs on topics relating to content management. While not specifically aimed at the NGO sector, these short articles will be of use to those new to content management, as well as to more experienced users.

http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/index.php?subject =cm

ActionApps

Developed by: APC Type of resource: Content management software Target audience: General Cost: Free access

The ItrainOnline site is driven by ActionApps, an OpenSource content management system developed by APC.

http://www.apc.org/actionapps/english/

ActionApps Admin Training

Developed by: APC Type of resource: MS Word document Target audience: Trainers Cost: Free access

Guide by Anna Feldman aimed at trainers who running workshops on ActionApps administration.

Download

Back-End - A Bilingual Content Management System

Developed by: OpenConcept Consulting Type of resource: Open Source content management software Target audience: General Cost: Free access

Back-End is a bilingual, open source CMS built on the PHP scripting language and the MySQL database. Back-End is particularly aimed at advocacy organisations, and includes a suite of tools that allow you to create and manage polls and petitions.

http://www.back-end.org/

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/