Building (and Sustaining) Impact for your Web Resource
Building (and Sustaining) Impact for your Web ResourceBrian Kelly gave a talk on "Building (and Sustaining) Impact for your Web Resource" at an ARLIS study day on "Dip'ping Your Toe In The Water: Digital Image Projects, Where To Begin And How Not To End" which will be held at the Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies on Wednesday 23rd May 2007.
The event took place at The Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. For location details of the venue see:
Will anyone visit my Web site? Will they return? How can I measure this? And what should I do to ensure to maximise the impact of my Web site and to ensure that this impact is sustainable, even after the initial funding period is over?
Traditionally one way of answering such questions has been through analysis of server log files. Perhaps surprisingly, however, the results of such analyses can be misleading. Web log analyses may be helpful in detecting trends, but a more effective way of determining the effectiveness of a Web site may be obtained through use of a broader range of impact assessment techniques. This talk describes the pros and cons of usage log analyses and outlines a range of complementary techniques which can form part of a impact analysis strategy.
Increasingly we are finding that the sustainability of a Web service can be helped by actively engaging with the user community. Web 2.0 technologies and approaches can be valuable in providing comments and feedback - and can allow your users to play a role in promoting your service. This talk will conclude by summarising ways in which lightweight but innovative approaches can help to maximise the impact of your Web site.
Brian Kelly is UK Web Focus - an advisory post funded by the MLA (Museums, Libraries and Archives Council) and the JISC (the Joint Information Systems Committee). Brian advises the cultural heritage sector and the higher and further education communities on standards and best practices for the provision of Web-based services. Brian is based at UKOLN, a national centre of expertise in digital information management, located at the University of Bath.
