Research: Users: Audience

When exploring potential web content, you need to be a good detective. Who is your audience? What are their needs and interests? What can you provide that they can't get somewhere else? Why should they return to your website over and over again? What's the goal of the site and what resources are needed to address this goal?

Below is a list of possible audiences for school and library websites. Spend some time considering which will be your primary and secondary audiences:

• Students of your local school
  
• Teachers of your local school
  
• Administrators and board members of your local school
  
• Your own staff
  
• Parents of your community
  
• Local community members
  
• Prospective parents and community members
  
• Students from other areas
  
• Teachers from other areas
  
• Administrators and board members from other areas
  
• People from outside your community
  
• People who arrive at your site through a search for an unrelated topic

Explore some school or library websites. Can you determine the mission of the website? Conflicting goals can make the site difficult to use. In some cases, web developers have created ways to address multiple goals. For example, in a school site there might be links to Student, Teacher, and Parent sections. Or, in a public library site there might be special sections for children and young adults.

Consider conducting a needs assessments for each of your audiences. While the website entry page may be designed for a number of audiences, you'll want to focus selections to particular audiences. For example, the section for children should be written at a low reading level and contain developmentally appropriate materials. A section designed for the elderly might contain larger font sizes to accommodate the visual needs of seniors.

Go to StoryPlace from the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Who is the intended audience? How can you tell? What would draw the audience into the website?

Go to the Vancouver (BC Canada) Public Library. How are they addressing the needs of different groups of people? What groups can you identify?

Go to the Springfield Township High School Virtual Library. What elements reflect the audience for this website?

Go to Ages and Stages from Wilton Library for examples of special sections for special populations.