JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICSIT)

CENTAUR SIGNS LIMITED

WEBSITE DESIGN PROPOSAL

TITLE: UNIT: COURSE:

ASSIGNMENT I; WEBSITE DESIGN PROPOSAL BCT 2106; INTERNET BSC. COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY YEAR 1, SEMESTER 1

PRESENTED BY:

JEFFREY Z. K. CHEROGONY LENTIMO LICIO LEKARSIA

REG. NO CS282-3037/2012 REG. NO. CS282-3053/2012

SUPERVISOR:

ANN KIBE

A project proposal submitted to the Department of Computing and Information Technology in the Institute of Computer Science and Information Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of B.Sc. Computer Technology of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Sept. 2012

Declaration
This proposal is our original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other University Jeffrey Z. K. Cherogony Reg. No. CS282-3037/2012 .... Signature ... Signature . Date . Date

Lentimo Licio Lekarsia Reg. No. CS282-3053/2012

This proposal has been submitted for examination with my approval as University Supervisor Ann Kibe .. Signature ... Date

Preface
This document is a proposal for design of a website for Centaur Signs Ltd., a company that deals in manufacture and installation of indoor and outdoor signs in Kenya. Centaur Signs having a website will push the recognition of the company as a brand within and outside Kenya, thereby increasing its market presence. The design team will ensure that the website captures the customer needs, meets desired specifications and that it is designed in a professional manner ensuring navigability, aesthetics, direct information and intuition in design. It will be designed within specified timelines to ensure launching within a reasonably short time. All the prerequisites which will include domain registration, web hosting and search engine optimization will be met so that the website will optimally serve the objectives to which it is built. The website will have feedback and control tools on the control panel where the client will be able to check statistics, which will include traffic and the effectiveness of search engine optimization service.

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Table of Contents
Declaration ............................................................................................................................................... i Preface .................................................................................................................................................... ii 1.0 1.1 1.2 CENTAUR SIGNS LTD. WEBSITE DESIGN.......................................................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Project Goals and Objectives ........................................................................................................... 1 Marketing Expansion .................................................................................................................. 1 Communication Tool ................................................................................................................... 2 Visibility to a Global Audience .................................................................................................... 2 Reduction of marketing costs ..................................................................................................... 2

1.2.1 1.2.2 1.2.3 1.2.4 1.3

Technical Approach .......................................................................................................................... 2 Customer Needs.......................................................................................................................... 3 Target Specifications ................................................................................................................... 4 Design Concept ........................................................................................................................... 4

1.3.1 1.3.2 1.3.3 1.4

Project Management ....................................................................................................................... 4 Deliverables................................................................................................................................. 5 Budget ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Communication and Coordination with Client ........................................................................... 6

1.4.1 1.4.2 1.4.3 1.5 1.6

Team Qualifications ......................................................................................................................... 6 References........................................................................................................................................ 7

List of Tables
Table 1: Types of Signs ............................................................................................................................ 4 Table 2: Project Activities Timelines ....................................................................................................... 5 Table 3: Project Budget ........................................................................................................................... 6

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1.0

CENTAUR SIGNS LTD. WEBSITE DESIGN

1.1 Introduction
A website is a very important tool for any serious business these days for various reasons. This is a proposal to build a website for your company; Centaur Signs Ltd. This will ensure that you have a web presence where prospective customers can get information about what your company does. It will provide you with numerous options for cost effective marketing opportunities. The website proposed will gives you a spot in search results for your keywords, in addition, having a website provides your current and potential customers a means by which to measure your worth to their needs, without actually having to visit your offices in person. Owning a website enables you to grow your business on a global scale, rather than simply in the local or regional market. As consumers the world over can visit your companys website, peruse your goods and services and make a purchase decision, this can be an invaluable tool for increasing your profitability and incurring growth. In short, you need a website for your company and this proposal serves to inform on the importance of your company having an online presence.

1.2 Project Goals and Objectives

A website is a powerful marketing tool. The goals and objectives of having a website are as follows: (a) (b) (c) (d) Marketing expansion Communication Tool Visibility to a global potential customers Reduction of marketing costs

1.2.1 Marketing Expansion Having a website will enable you to grow your business in a global scale. When a potential customer wants a particular service and searches the internet. Your clients can get a much

better idea about your business because the website will feature multiple pages with greater details about the different aspects of your company, products and services.

1.2.2 Communication Tool Having a website will enable you to have personalized unlimited e-mail addresses for your company. The website will also feature a feedback form where visitors can make inquiries, comment on your company services or subscribe feeds from the website The website will provide directions to your place of business, making it easier for customers to find you and the many products and services you offer.

1.2.3 Visibility to a Global Audience The website will make your company visible to people in other time zones and even across the globe rather than the limited market audience you can reach in your local geographical area.

1.2.4 Reduction of marketing costs Marketing sometimes involves typing and printing of pamphlets, brochures and fliers, this will ensure that prospective customers can view and download these materials and no cost to the company. Furthermore in case a change is made, it is immediately updated; this reduces costs of having to reproduce the marketing materials to replace the obsolete ones.

1.3 Technical Approach

Beyond the importance of simply having a website, it is important to have an effective website, one that is an asset to your business and that pays for itself in the amount of business or customers it converts. This end will be achieved through building a website which will adhere to professional business website development standards ensuring that the website is appealing in design and content. This will be achieved by following the elements below.
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(a) Navigation The organization and navigation scheme of your website can ultimately be the difference between visitors staying on your site and visitors leaving to go to your competitors site. The navigation of your website will make it easy for visitors to find what they came for in as few clicks and with as little confusion as possible. Taking the time to make sure your websites navigation is up to par. (b) Aesthetic Appeal Your website will be well-designed and aesthetically, this will give you a strong advantage over other online competitors. Your site will not be too distracting and busy; that way, it will detract from the appeal and usability of the overall site, potentially limiting its effectiveness if you start to lose visitors due to the poor design. (c) A strong message Your website will have a clear message for the visitors. It will be fairly obvious what the purpose of the site is, why you should be here, who the company is that the site represents, and how the company can benefit its customers. (d) Intuitive design Each page will be designed with the customer or visitor in mind and tailored to appeal to them and make it easy for them to navigate and find what they need. Your website will not have dead-end pages which leaves a visitor with nowhere to go but back. An intuitive website seems to know what website visitors are looking for and where they want to go and is one of the most effective ways that a website can turn visitors into customers.

1.3.1 Customer Needs Centaur Signs Limited, being a company dealing in signs manufacture and installation requires a website that will showcase all the products and services it offers. It will make it easy for customers to know what you offer and allow them to make orders and enquiries without visiting your physical location.

1.3.2 Target Specifications The website will have several pages featuring your many product offering as presented in the table 1.1: Internal/Indoor Signs Directory signs Display units Electronic signs Office branding Point of sale signs (POS) Wall Murals Window graphics External/Outdoor Signs Banners and billboards Car branding Electronic signs Monument & identity signs Posters and building wraps Road signs Sign boards and directional signs

Table 1: Types of Signs

The website will also feature a customer feedback form where customers can make enquires, make comments and place orders.

1.3.3 Design Concept The webpages will be divided into the two main categories shown in Table 1.1 with links to all the other pages on the homepage. This will ensure good navigability of the website. The homepage will also have a brief description of some of the main categories of the products. A visitor will click on the brief description to go to the particular page for more details. The website will feature monitoring tools on the websites backend or control panel where the client will be able to log in from time to time to get statistics on the website traffic and distribution.

1.4 Project Management

The project will be done over a span of six weeks from the date of approval. There will be constant communication with the client to get a clear picture of the requirements and the possibilities discussed in detail. This will ensure that the company fully understands and takes ownership of the project from inception. The project development will be done in the steps in the Table 1.2

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Activity 1. Domain registration 2. Domain hosting 3. Website design specifications discussion 4. Website design and development 5. First presentation 6. Search engine optimization 7. Second presentation 8. Website launching 9. Training on email address creation and backend activities 10. Mail client configuration (Outlook)
Table 2: Project Activities Timelines (shaded regions show when the activity will be done)

1.4.1 Deliverables (a) Domain Registration The website will have the address www.centaursigns.co.ke which will have to be registered first with KENIC. You will also have options of choosing your preferred domain suffix, which can be .com, .or.ke, .net, .biz, .org, .me among others. This will unique to the company all over the world; and will enable you to have unlimited emails under this domain name, for example you@centaursigns.co.ke. (b) Web Hosting Your domain server will host the website. This will involve choosing monthly bandwidth and storage capacity. (c) Search Engine Optimization The website will employ Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services to improve site search ability. Key words and meta-tags will be used for this purpose with reliable service providers.

1.4.2 Budget Description

Quantity Unit cost Total cost (Ksh) (Ksh)

Remarks

1. Travelling costs 2. Stationery & Equipment 3. Consultation fees 4. Web design 5. Domain Registration/Renewal 6. Web Hosting (15GB capacity) 7. Search Engine Optimization 8. Maintenance fees 9. Staff training Total
Table 3: Project Budget

2 people

6,000.00 12,450.00 18,700.00

12,000.00 Once every 2 weeks 12,450.00 18,700.00 45,500.00 1,950.00 Payable annually 4,500.00 Payable annually 6,800.00 Payable annually 13,680.00 Once every 2 months 13,000.00 128,580.00

7 pages 1 1 1 6 1

6,500.00 1,950.00 4,500.00 6,800.00 2,280.00 13,000.00

1.4.3 Communication and Coordination with Client The design team will continuously communicate with the client for update on progress and changing requirement. There will be at least two presentations by the design team on the project to arouse discussion, criticism and suggestions.

1.5 Team Qualifications

The design team members are currently students of B.Sc. Computer Technology in Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

1.6 References
Darryl Mobley, 2011, Importance of a Website to your business, http://www.advertisingindepth.com/ JKUAT, 2012, Project Thesis Format, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology Renee C. Quinn, 2008, The Importance of Having a Website, www.uap.edu, University of Phoenix The Libszter, 2011, The Importance of an Effective Website, http://www.avisualidentity.com/