Create a Business Website

Look in the yellow pages of your local phonebook.  Select 3 businesses.  Search for a web site for each of the businesses.  If the business has a web site, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does the web site look attractive?
• Does the web site highlight the products and/or services the business provides?
• Is the web site functional?  Do all links work?
• Does the web site look professional?
• Does the web site offer interactivity (forum, email contact, feedback) with the visitor?
• How does the web site provide unity with the physical location of the business?  Can you look at the website and see that it looks similar to the physical location?
• Are there any parts of the web site that are redundant or unnecessary?  Would all the content be considered value-added content?
• Are the layouts, colors and placement/symmetry consistent from page to page?
• Do all pages provide a link back to the home page?
• Is the web page content written in chunked format and inverted pyramid style?
• Are the fonts for headings and subtitles sans serif?
• Are the paragraphs and blocks of text in a serif font?
• Are there 3 or less colors used for each page and is the color theme consistent?
• Is the text size readable?
• Is there adequate white space?
• Is there a clear focal point on the home page?
• Is ALT text available on all graphics?

Of the web sites you viewed, select the one site you would most want to enhance or upgrade.  Write the URL of the selected web site and list the items that you would change, add or delete in order to improve the effectiveness of the web site.  Contact the business and introduce yourself at an Information Technology student at Knox County Career Center.  Ask them if they would be willing to look at a web site for their business that you will create.  Who knows – they may like your web site better and adopt it!