by Barbara Mccutcheon

Created on: January 22, 2009

Basic website design is broken down into two interconnected elements, content and layout. Content is what your website has to say to visitors, and layout is how your message is presented. This is true for all websites, no matter how basic or complex.

Content

The first thing to consider in developing your content is the requirements of your organization. If you are part of a larger organization, you may be required to include some items, and to exclude others. For instance, one organization requires its member units to include the main organization's name near the top of the website and a disclaimer regarding links. This same organization prohibits units from providing member contact information without written consent from that member.

Next you must consider your target audience. An adults only site can contain pretty much anything that the parent organization permits, but a website that expects children and/or teens to visit must consider restrictions regarding offensive, inappropriate and even questionable material. Of course, your website should not contain anything that violates the law. This includes copyrighted information that you have not received permission to include.

Your target audience will dictate the writing style for your content. If your website provides information to experts in a particular field, you can use words and phrases associated with that specialty. If you plan to cater to young children, you must keep your vocabulary more basic. For general audiences, keep most of your content at about the reading level of a 10- to 12-year old. News services have determined that this is the level at which most readers feel comfortable.

And finally, think about what services you want to offer through your site. If you simply want to post information, your site design can be quite simple. However a website containing interactive elements may need a more complex layout.

Here are some elements you can consider:

Informational (Non-Interactive) Elements

These are elements that your visitors can read, but cannot change.

Basic Information This can include meeting location and time, directions, contact information, upcoming events, and anything else you feel is important for your visitors.

Links These include links between the various web pages in your website, links to your parent organization, and links to sites other than your own.

Calendar / Schedule There are several options for providing a calendar or schedule. These range from a basic list of upcoming events

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