Check out resources to keep you up to date on website best practices, and compare social media platforms.
APPENDIX A
ONLINE RESOURCES TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON WEB DESIGN TRENDS AND BEST PRACTICES
There are a wide range of online resources that provide background information and examples to aid you in your efforts as you rethink your own website. Most are aimed specifically at web designers and will often include technical articles, but many also include articles that showcase inspiring and well-designed websites. These include:
- Smashing Magazine: This website is aimed at web designers and developers, and includes many articles on best principles in website design.
- Web Design Ledger: Also aimed at web designers and developers, and includes inspiration, resources and tools for web design.
- Onextrapixel : Aimed at designers and developers, includes inspiration and resources.
- Tutsplus: A site filled with tutorials on website design.
| Media | Users | Content Type | Advantages |
| 1.19 billion (active, as of September 2013) | Status updates with ability to attach links to articles, photos, videos | Users who “Like” your page typically are more likely than users on other platforms to share your content with their friends, resulting in strong referral traffic | |
| 200 million (active as of Feb 2013) | 140 character “Tweets” which can contain links to articles, photos, video | Many users view Twitter as a key news source, making it excellent for sharing breaking news | |
| Google+ | 540 million (active as of October 2013) | An “authorship tool” that associates web-content directly with its author/owner. Allows users to share content. Also features Google “Hangout” where users can interact via video chat in small groups, with ability to record session and upload to YouTube. | Because of its relationship with Google search, content creators with a Google+ presence often report improvement in their search ranking (may be a feature of content posted being associated back to the content author). |
| 70 million (as of July 2013) | Pinboard-style photo-sharing website | High concentration of female users (83% female globally in 2012) | |
| 100 million (active as of February 2013) | Photo-sharing, video-sharing service that allows users to easily share visual content to other social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr | Easy interconnection to other social media sites | |
| Tumblr | 152.2 million blogs hosted as of November 2013 | Microblogging platform and social networking site, allowing users to post multimedia and other content to a short-form blog | Easy blog set-up |
| YouTube | 4 billion videos streamed per day (as of Jan 2012) | Video-sharing site on which users can upload, view and share videos | World’s largest video-sharing site; 54 language versions available through user interface |
| World’s largest video-sharing site; 54 language versions available through user interface | 259 million users (as of June 2013) | Social networking website for people in professional occupations | Site is available in 20 languages |
Social Media Strategy
This step-by-step tool will enable you to build an effective social media strategy and engage your online audiences.
Chapters
Organisational Strength Map
Use this tool to identify your organisation’s strengths and explore areas for growth and development.
Strategic Planning Toolkit
Build your strategic plan and improve your organisation’s effectiveness with these strategic planning tools and fact sheets. Not sure where to start? Check out the Starting Points page for advice tailored to your situation.
Communications Strategy Toolkit
Effective communications planning will enable you to raise your organisation’s voice on issues that matter.
Financial Sustainability Plan
Ensure that your organisation survives and thrives by strengthening its fiscal framework.
Website Optimisation Plan
This 10-step plan will help you improve your website’s impact and usability.