James Watkins: Taking the Word to the World Wide Web

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Taking the Word to the World Wide Web

God has always used technology to get His Word out: ink, paper, printing presses, radio, movies, television and now, the World-Wide Web.

Here are the notes I've used to teach online communications at Taylor University Fort Wayne and numerous conferences. (Use the links below to go directly to topics.)

• Introduction
• Writing online
• Christian" writing online
• Planning your site

• Designing your site
• Producing your site
• Web tools
• Promoting your site

• In-sites on jameswatkins.com
• Web site evaluation tool [off site]

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Introduction
Several issues make the Internet one of the best ways to spread the gospel:

It's immediate
The speed in which new information can be uploaded to the Internet, makes this media nearly "real time." When national and international news breaks, Christian writers can post opinions and helpful articles in a matter of minutes.
• 9/11 page
• Future terrorist attack

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It's available
According to Internet World Stats there are currently [click here] Internet users around the world. (The number is growing too fast to keep this page current!)

It's interactive
Web 2.0 describes the interactive nature of the World Wide Web.
• Blogs
• Facebook
• Twitter

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It's effective
Here are two of my favorite emails in response to online ministry:

I wrote to you I guess because I questioned the way I interpreted love. I feel I've been a loving person all my life until recently. Today, when I looked up "love" on the Internet and found your Web site, it did something to me. In all honesty when I saw it I said, "Oh, this is just some Bible thing; people trying to get you to believe in God." I didn't want to look at it, not because I wasn't interested, but because I am bitter. I started reading it with this attitude of sarcasm. The funny thing was, though, that for some reason I kept reading it through to the end. Even if I had thoughts of clicking out of that screen, my hand was frozen to the mouse, like God sitting me at a table saying, "Here's your lesson, now learn it!" It was very strange. Do you think God is trying to tell me something? Margo

Your article [on suicide] has saved my life tonight and showing me a path toward hope. I [am] still in severe pain from the death of my boyfriend six months ago. But, I felt a need to say thank you. [Name Withheld]

It builds your 'tribe'
It's so important to build your platform

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Writing online
Just as the technology is very different from print, the writing must be as well. You can't simply take your article, book excerpt, essay, etc. and click SAVE AS WEBSITE:
• Writing online

Christian writing online
Taking the Word to the World Wide Web also requires a very different approach.
• Crossing Over with the Cross

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Planning your site
Determine your site's purpose. Possibilities include . . .
• Blog
• Evangelistic site
• Library
• Resume
• Soap box
• Store front
• All of the above

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Whatever the purpose, include the following elements . . .
• Memorable domain name (not www2.fwi.com/~watkins)
• Your home page (Table of contents)
• Individual pages
• A link back to the home page on every page!
• Email link ("Obscucate" it!)
• Search box
• Google analytics

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Designing your your site
First, what's wrong with this picture?!

AUTHORSPEAKEREDITOR
How many design flaws can you find on this page? Click that annoying annimated .gif for the answer

Articles Book excerpts Humor column Music

Hi and welcome to my webwite. I'm working on my site, but come back soon for lots of great infomation here! I'm planning lots of free stuff like articles, book excerpts, my humor columns, plus free .mp3 music, and much, much more. Tell all your friends about www.jameswatkins.com and then link it to your site. ? James Watkins. All text and graphics on my sites, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted ? in my name, James N. Watkins, and are protected by United States copyright law and international copyright law under the Berne Convention. Please visit the press room for information on reprinting any text or graphics. Thanks!

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1. That horrible music!
2. 'Busy' backgrounds. Ugly backgrounds. Distracting backgrounds.
3. Animated .gifs!
4. Animated .gifs that never stop!
5. Link border around clickable graphics
6. Images with no ATL or TITLE descriptions
7. All text centered
8. Numerous font faces (Is this a website or a ramsom note?)
9. Gaudy bullets
10. Underlined text that is not a link
11. Scrolling marguee text
12. Typos (animated has one 'n')
13. Broken links
14. Links that remain the same color after being visited
15. Tiny text!
16. All body copy in italics (or bold)
17. Body text that extends from edge to edge of screen.
18. Body copy against a busy background.
19. Pop ups!
20. Pages that don't allow me to easily go BACK.
21. No phone number or land address on business sites.
22. No email contact information.
23. Visible counter
24. Large graphic files that take forever to download
25. "Flash" intros, graphics that do nothing but waste bandwidth

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Use good design principles
1. Relevance to audience
• National Review | National Enquirer
• Toyota | ToysRUs
• Jeep | Jaguar
• Billy Graham | Billy Bob Brimstone
• Dave Barry | David Jeremiah
2. Consistency in design, elements (Eg. of variety in consistency)
3. Positioning for eye's natural tracking
4. Proportion
5. Constrast between text, graphics and background
6. Attention to delight
7. RESTRAINT!!! (Keep It Simple Saints!)

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Some good examples of online design
• Back Creek Friends
• College Wesleyan Church
• Loyd Boldman (Devotion Media)
• Tonya Dennis
• Rene Gutteridge
• Dawn Meehan
• Rhonda Rhea
• Larry Wilson
And here's a gallery of the latest CoolHomePages.com

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Producing your site
If you want to design sites for a living, you'll want a Web editor such as DreamWeaver. But most will want to use one of the many free web site hosts such as:
• Yahoo! Small Business
• WordPress
• Your 13-year-old nephew or a community college student

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Promoting your site
1. Get your own domain
2. Use key words on your site
3. Submit your site to search engines
4. Share links with friends
5. Get listed with portals, blogs, ezines
6. Include your URL on your e-mail signature
7. Incorporate your URL into your author blurb at the end of each article.
8. Print URL on all your stationary and business cards
9. Offer free premiums such as books or .mp3 music at your site.
10. Paid ads (not recommended)

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In-sites on jameswatkins.com
Here are some random thoughts and theories on why my site seems to be generating more than average amount of traffic (over one million visits in 2005):
1. More content than you can shake a memory stick at
2. Content is constantly changing
3. Content is constantly hyped on Facebook and Twitter
4. Content addresses felt needs
5. Polls, Bulletin Boards, Feedback
6. Fast loading
7. Lots of links