It doesn't matter how pretty your site is or if you have lots of bells and whistles. If a person can't find what they need, they move on. According to a presentation by Bob Johnson Consulting, most people come to your web site for the following reasons:

1. To find content important TO THEM
2. To take actions and complete tasks

But how do you know what is important to them?  First you need to find out who they are. Here are some possibilities in an academic setting:

• Current students
• Prospective students
• Parents
• Alumni
• Faculty/Staff
• Community Members
• Vendors

What information do they need about your department? What information do they need about other departments? How do you present that information in a way that makes sense to them? We've provided you with a Redesign Worksheet to assist you in asking the questions you need to think about when looking at your site.

• Web Redesign Worksheet

Today's language for the web is informal and conversational, yet professional. Save the ultra-professional jargonese for your professional journals. Just as a reader of a good story can relate to a character in the story, your audience needs to relate to what you are presenting. They need to feel like what you have to say applies to them.

Your choice of words is important. Some words engage your audience more than others. Bob Johnson Consulting calls these "care words." These care words can vary from one audience to another. Ask members of your audience to tell you what they'd like to know about your department and note the words they use.

• How much will this cost me?
• What kind of career will I have when I graduate?
• Is tutoring available?
• How flexible can my schedule be?
• How much can I expect to make when I graduate?