If only web pages could cost more!

The web is not expensive enough

• Cost components:
• Internet access: $20-$200 per month
• hosting service: $0-$50 per month
• domain name registration: $70 for first two years
• computer: $1000-$2000
• web authoring software: $0-$500
• scanner or digital camera $70-$1000
• graphic manipulation software: $80-$800
• traffic analysis software: $0-$300


• people: $100-$1500 per day
• training: $50-$300 per day
• People costs seem exorbitant, in this context
• Web pages are designed to their cost, not their value
• Box is never empty, so web is never reviewed for "reprint"

How the Internet works

A user learns the URL of your web page, either from another web page or from another medium, and requests that the page be displayed on her computer.

• Bad news: you can't force your information on recipients
• Good news: everyone who views your site is actively looking for something
• Bad news: you don't control important characteristics of the user's computer
• Good news: standards are sufficient so that what the user sees will have some similarity to what you designed
• Bad news: other media needed to "jump start" web visibility
• Good news: web visibility is virtually free followup for other media

Creating a "working" web page

• Design within capabilities of the typical user's computer and software
• Clear indication of what you want viewer of each page to do (print it, read it, jump elsewhere, buy something, do something)
• Page boundaries appropriate to that action
• Consistent look and relationship to other pages of the site
• Enough navigation aids so that user has options other than "Back"
• Redundant paths to each endpoint

Marketing via the Internet

How to measure success in web-based marketing

• different measures than commercial sites
• hits
• visits
• visitors
• mentions
• actions

William R. Kennedy
Univ. Webmaster
Fairleigh Dickinson University
201.692.7275
201.692.7273F

Learning Objectives