Best Practices for the Web

Writing for the Web
New Technologies
Metadata & Search Engines
Using Statistics
Maintenance & Support
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Getting Started on the Web

To help you get your University website up and running, here is a checklist of things to do and things to know.

Learn about your organization's resources
 
  • The help you need may already be available from the network administrators and computer professionals in your department.
  • Your department may also have special rules or policies regarding where and how to manage your website.
  • Building a positive relationship with your IT support staff should be your first step in getting started on the web.

Finding a home for your website
 
  • Every website lives on a host called a web server. These machines make your website's files available to the browsers of all the web surfers on the information super-highway. There are numerous web servers on campus; choosing the website hosting that is best for you should be an informed decision.
  • The Office of Information Technology network group manages several host machines, and many colleges and departments administer their own servers. For information about OIT network hosting, contact webmaster@cc.utah.edu.
  • In addition to the "production" machine where your live website files are served, you will also need a home for your source or development files. Even though it is possible to work directly with the files on the web server, it is highly recommended that changes and updates be made to your source files, which you then copy or "upload" to the production server.
  • In most cases, the administrator of your production server will need to grant you secure access to the production machine, through which you can upload your files. This is usually done via FTP (file transfer protocol) software. See your server administrator for more information.

Domain names, URL's and IP addresses
 

An IP address is a number (not unlike a telephone number) that for all practical purposes is synonymous with your domain name. For example, the IP address of the University of Utah website is 155.99.1.2, which corresponds to it's domain name, www.utah.edu. A URL (uniform resource locator) is the full address of any web page or document, which includes it's domain name, additional file directory information, and a file extension indicating the type of file or application serving the file.

A domain name is simply a textual address by which users on the internet can find your host machine, and thereby find your webpages. A domain name includes:

  • a host name ( www.utah.edu or www.netscape.com)
  • and a top-level domain ( www.utah.edu or www.netscape.com)

Domain names using a .edu top-level domain are only available through authorized educational institutions. To obtain a .edu domain name, contact the OIT Network Team at webmaster@cc.utah.edu.

Domain names using top-level domains such as .com and .org are available through a number of domain registration companies. When you register your domain name, you provide the IP address of the host machine or web server. Contact your web server for assistance.

Web design & development
 

Now that you have a host and domain name, it's time to build your website. You can create your site yourself using software such as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop. The University offers numerous training resources for learning these applications. Check with these individual departments for costs and eligibility.

You can also hire professional web developers to build your website for you. Several departments on campus provide professional web design. Contact the individual departments for information on services and costs.

Website testing
 

An important part of building and maintaining your website is comprehensive testing. Usability issues to review when testing your website include:

  • Platforms - Font size & spacing, gamma settings, plug-in differences.
  • Browsers - Graphics, alignment, animations, javascript, compatability.
  • Operating systems - Microsoft, Mac, Unix, etc.
  • Plug-ins - Required downloads, versions to test, script detection
  • Connection speeds - 56K modem, cable modem & DSL, T-1 line.
  • Screen resolutions - Optimize your content to minimize page scrolling.
  • Know your audience - Academics, professionals, general public.

Testing resources:

Usability resources:

University policies & standards
 

See the section on Standards & Regulations for information about Federal privacy laws and accessibility standards. See the section on Policies & Procedures for information on University policies and guidelines.

Maintenance & Support
 

Vigilant maintenance and quality technical support are vital to keeping your website functional. See the section on Maintenance & Support for information about overall site maintenance, link checking, setting up re-directs, and troubleshooting.

Webmaster Community
 

The University supports a shared email list for members of the webmaster community. List memebrs may post questions and share information with other campus webmasters. To join the web-managers list, send an email request to webmaster@utah.edu or register as a user with the ListServe interface.