How to build a stuttering website
An ELSA workshop for National Stuttering Associations

1. The Web

• Number of users increasing dramatically
• Infinte possibilities

2. Why a website

• An easy way to give information to many people
• More and more people have access to the net (e.g., Málbjörg in Iceland has decided to make the web the premium information media)
• Connecting people (mail, contacts, etc.)

3. The team & the project

• Start with putting together a web project team
• Important tasks: define goals, identify target groups, plan budget
• Other tasks: assist with the design, revisions

4. Define the goal

• Just letting the world know that we exist (address, phone number, links)
• News, traditionally distributed by newsletters
• Distribution of information material in electronic form
• More advanced things like chat, discussion forums etc.

5. Identify target groups

• Stutterers (general and specific information on stuttering)
• Members (News and articles)
• Parents (Information on stuttering in children)
• Professionals (genereal information, articles, professionals' sites)

6. What is our budget?

• Buying help is expensive (Do we have a skillful member who can help?)
• KISS - keep it short and simple (simple design = simple maintenance = less work)
• Financing with advertisements (maybe possible if there is enough "traffic")

7. Design considerations 1

• Graphics and flash/Java features (KISS once more; most people are still using slow connections = long downloading time)
• Skip the technical stuff that has only the purpose to show your skills!
• Design for an 800*600 screen (most people are still using this size)
• Avoid too many fonts and colours
• The question of Explorer vs. Netscape

8. Design considerations 2

• Sign of life (regular news updates, calendar and articles are good; "last updated Nov. 1999" is bad)
• Navigation needs to be clear (left side or top is best)
• Catch the viewer (Most people only stop for seconds if they don't see anything interesting fast... and they won't come again!)

9. Design considerations 3

• Interactivity: Requests for information material, application for membership - but don't miss to ensure requests and application are being handled!

10. Tools

• Many good tools are available (Front Page, Dreamweaver etc.)

11. The development

• Phases (Open the web wen you have the minimal information and feature set and then develop it further)
• Experiment (Make experiments to find out how you want to do it and what you want to do.)

12. How to start

• Start with a simple design
• Hosting is provided free of charge in many places (You might have to add a small ad banner but that's okay)
• Get an URL (A direct URL is preferrable [e.g. stam.is or stamning.se] but that costs [approx. 200 Euro in Island]. A reference link [europe.is/elsa] can also be pretty good.)
• Put a counter on the first page (not necessarily for display - "000329 visitors since July 1999" does not look good) but for your own tracking of numbers of visitors. Advanced statistics can be collected using counters that are not foc.

13. Getting attention

• Register at search engines (Altavista, Yahoo, Lycos etc. and in your own country)
• Try getting publicity in the media when opening the website
• Ask other organisations to add you link on their website

14. Maintenance considerations

• Important to have two responsible people (technical and editorial - remember this is a significant job, comparable with a newsletter editor)
• Teamwork is important (The primary person needs backup and someone to take over during holidays
• KISS again: More features = more maintenance work

15. Long term maintenance

• Contents and Design

16. ...finally

• Take a look at stam.is and europe.is/elsa. Or contact Benedikt at benedikt@ismennt.i