Project Management Pack Project Design Tips

Project Design Tips

The Project Management Pack suite of templates compliments the proposal and contract documents by giving you a collection of business documents to be used once you have a project to work on.

Category: Tips and Guidelines

Usage:

This document is a bullet point list of tips to consider when designing a project. Use these as suggestions only and determine if any are applicable to your own projects.

This document is found in the following products:

$297 Proposal Kit Pro
$147 Proposal Kit Standard

List of all 55 project management templates.

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Alternate and related documents are also listed if there are other templates similar in nature, on a different scale or which can be used to provide additional information.

A wide variety of documents are included and are intended to be picked based on your needs. All projects are different and have different needs and goals. Pick the collection of documents from our collection and use them as needed for your project. Recommendations and samples provided are only intended as general guidelines.

Project documents may also be referred to as a template, document, outline, boilerplate, letter, sample, form or example.

Additional search terms related to this document:

business, project, management, information, documents, templates, boilerplate, form, outline, text Design Tips Update your site retain repeat visitors Periodic updates are essential plan update schedule The less frequent the updates the more general the content should and can use more DHTML randomizing techniques Also reduce the number outside links prevent broken links. Surfers will generally wait more than seconds for page load and usually will only remain for seconds Home pages and index pages must load quickly Large downloading pages and cutting edge technologies should buried level the site rather than kept the home page primary index pages For example full screen photograph should accessed clicking much smaller 2nd image and faster loading thumbnail large Java applet should accessed clicking link Tell the surfer what expect and how long wait. Know your intended target audience Studies show that visitors want fast loading pages and useful information The least important features are bleeding edge technologies flashy animations and non functional eye candy unless that what you are selling and what your buyers are looking for. Learning web programming very easy the hard part learning right what not and learning tasks that are normally performed team specialists designer copywriter marketer programmer and graphics artist cover just the basics. Never play music files the user has control over Music tastes vary and most surfers will hit the back button rather than the volume control This may count your log hit but you will have lost the visitor forever. Flashy animations and eye candy usually are only interesting once You must rely fast loading useful content Allow visitors bypass your Flash animations and splash screens. not use frames unless you are expert Frames cause more problems than they solve. Each page the site must consistent and intuitive navigate More and more web surfers are computer illiterate Make your site easy for anyone understand and use you are selling something remove all obstacles the sales process make easy for customers want business with you prices and order forms must easy find and use. Commercial sites must everything possible establish trust full disclosures and policies contact information secure ordering professional look third party endorsements and testimonials. Many the best sites the Internet are content laden useful information which freely distributed Include information relevant your audience how articles tips and tricks industry related news etc. Your most qualified leads will most likely come from non web advertising and highly targeted line advertising first links from related websites second and search engines will the third source leads You must take advantage all these marketing methods and keep with trends the industry Push content has come and gone banner advertising and pay per click programs are becoming obsolete affiliate programs are now necessary keep with the rapidly changing face the Internet. Website traffic starts slowly new site builds plateaus and then declines get the best results from your website you must market constantly and update regularly build traffic and prevent from declining Encourage return visitors. When selling product service must easy for the customer make the decision buy without needing contact the company Many sales are spur the moment and will lost the visitor cannot order product immediately Consumers will not always buy only price they will navigate and return sites they feel they can trust Customer service imperative your success Gather opt mail contacts with customer permission whenever you can and follow. Your site must designed with your visitor needs and capabilities mind Pages must fast loading and content must useful and relevant Products must include full disclosure information and provide quick convenient method purchasing without requiring the visitor call mail the company Slow loading flashy eye candy animations and music are usually not impressive visitors unless you are selling tools create these effects you must use them make them optional This gives visitors the choice using these options The surest way lose visitors force them wait listen your musical preferences. Make links your site informative Let your visitors know what expect and give them compelling reason want follow hyperlinks the site List the download time and size large photographs other files. Design the website allow for future growth without requiring major changes the navigation systems. Design the site that visitors using slow modems those that behind corporate firewalls can quickly view major sections Some technologies like Java Applets and pages without RSACi ratings may filtered out and unavailable many users even during testing works fine RSACi ratings which are just single meta tag lines your page header can allow your page pass parental control filters well. careful using frames frame other sites pages content within your site can construed copyright violation Even linking into some sites interior pages has been known get the linking site sued. Study and emulate other successful techniques and tactics not copy other people work but unique stand out and better Study catalog design Printed catalogs allow easy perusal multiple product choices and are invaluable examples short copy photographic layouts with bullet points ways list prices special offers etc Did you ever notice how catalogs tend have special deal closeout price almost every page entice people order. not add visitor customer contact information names mail addresses etc your contact lists without their express permission not grab visitor mails from their browser since this commonly considered violation privacy. Write positive statements about what your products services not what they don. Personalize messages your visitors and customers using mail merge templates Automated immediate mails can sent during interactions with the website opt ordering affiliate sign etc. Include calls action prompt visitors order and give them reasons act soon expiring offers and discounts sell accessories higher priced items Bullet points make easy for customer scan quickly Use longer sales copy for extended reading Study Internet marketing manuals listed the Appendix Resources for more depth coverage. People process information specific ways Design your site mirror this process They read from left right top bottom Most eyes will automatically gravitate the top left corner top header line left right top sidebars bottom trailer and the bottom right hand corner Write bold headlines grab attention Shapes are usually recognized first actual words last and the mind narrows its focus each page The eye drawn sharp contrast and distinct patterns Use animation large fonts red highlights sparingly and only draw attention something specific Study the Web Style Guide Harvard Press see the Appendix Resources This great resource for human interface design issues Remember that large number web users are new computers and the Internet Scrolling web browser changing screen resolution installing screensaver and clicking graphic with hyperlink are common tasks web designers but may difficult for people who have simple basic computer knowledge Who will more successful the designer who accepts the limitations his audience and works with them one who dismisses computer novices. Non web advertising using the domain name may the most important way market business This usually the client responsibility The tips and guidelines given here can used the client discretion Each site unique and marketing strategies which work for one site may not suitable for another. Encourage other sites link your website without having link theirs when possible Making graphic and link information available other sites will encourage and facilitate partnership Make the client responsibility cultivate linkage with other sites since this time consuming task. Another important marketing tool linking your site with search engines Create pages optimized for search engine placement The final results will vary over time Search engine rules rankings and listings vary over time and are out your control. matter how good website might must visible accessible and readily available You must get the people there site which only has links search engine will probably fail generate significant traffic. Remember that the Internet new interactive communications medium Businesses the Internet are still bound the laws supply and demand still takes marketing strategies seen and salesmanship sell Concentrate customer service and personal service Use the Internet tool communicate rather than tool which isolates you from your customers. Use advertorials and endorsements market affiliate programs for other sites that you personally endorse Make sure these sites fit within the context your own website rather than simply trying cultivate banner farm. Consider studying photography Photography subtractive process whereas web development additive process Busy web pages are common problem Photography teaches you remove unnecessary elements that detract from the subject very useful tactic for developing website. Eliminate hype and concentrate useful content and information Follow tried and true basic marketing techniques benefits features solving problems using the right words and images invoke desired feelings calls actions etc Give your audience what they are looking for information help them. Join the major web design and marketing newsletters see the Appendix Resources keep abreast the latest ideas from web development communities Find out about new trends tools and resources. Think terms end results and simple goals Guide visitors the desired goal Regardless where visitor first enters your site you can still redirect them pages you want them view first such product information Then you will able lead them through the ordering process while allowing immediate links other pages For example someone enters the site through your newsletter signup page will you able guide them the main information page and ordering page From any these pages can they immediately navigate your contact information page. Test multiple designs and pick what works best The overall infrastructure and design for the sites developed have been tested and changed constantly arrive the designs use today Don concerned about getting right the first time complete redesign will refresh your site and improve results even the previous design was good takes time learn the nuances good design When creating great photograph the difference between good shot and great one often due subtle nuances This applies web design well When you see great image website you instinctively know When you see good one few mistakes catch your eye and distract your attention but you know quickly when you are viewing bad site because the mistakes are obvious. Consider using line database information also set static web pages Static pages will add more pages the site and allows them indexed search engines easily bookmarked and linked and from outside sources. general you should not use free services commercial website Would you seriously consider ordering from company that that refused invest mere year even month maintain their own domain Would you comfortable ordering from company that had secure line order form There are always exceptions these rules and you will hear arguments from all sides Use what works for your business and your clients Use the right tools for the job you are selling business business you should always professional. business site should designed from customer audience perspective Topics should tailored them not you For example major telecommunications company made the mistake dividing its major website topics around the divisions its company which was not customer oriented subsequently was redesigned based how their customers viewed their business. Use powerful words your copy such you your money save free now how quick new exciting love secret reveal discover improved guarantee latest amazing offer important revolutionary powerful Read catalogs and study the copy every day products Notice how they use calls action buzz words and power words effectively communicate Just animation and red highlights use power words one time and sparingly they loose effectiveness when used excessively. Avoid using words and phrases with negative connotation such but try could have would have should have cannot not This puts the reader the wrong frame mind The mind much better resolving concepts there are fewer choices Give your visitors mental picture clear reachable and present goal Speaking the past tense can sound old and outdated Speaking the future tense may evoke feelings that are not yet attainable Read your copy carefully ensure evokes feelings you intended Over the course several days weeks read through your site multiple times You will find things you overlooked when you were too close the chalkboard. Use common frame reference introduce new concept easier for someone understand new idea concept relates the familiar For example when trying explain generational residual income using affiliate marketing program use familiar parallel Elvis family will always wealthy because every time one his songs played the family gets paid With the emergence each new media his songs will reproduced and resold again and again and the estate will continue amass royalties residual income The same holds true you rent house you have nothing show for except stack receipts You built wealth for the owner because holds all the assets But you own the house you have appreciable asset that generates income you own the business and affiliate program can increase value creating residual income for you and future generations. prevent spammers from harvesting your mail addresses not ever post mail addresses directly the web site line forums For forums use throw away mail address For your web site use contact web form which will then send the mail you. Add custom page not found error page your web site This usually requires modifying server configuration files contact your administrator for instructions Instead having generic page not found error displayed your site provide custom page that can direct visitors back your home page. your web site uses cookies make sure create and install P3P XML compact privacy policy file There are variety tools the Internet for creating P3P policy files This small XML file created P3P creation tool which referenced your web page headers This technique will ensure fewer cookie blocking problems with web surfers using your site.