Developing the EEN Website: - Environmental Evaluators Network

Developing the EEN Website: 

What can we make it do for you? 

The Evaluators’ Café: A Networking and 

Capacity Building Session #6 

The George Washington University 

June 24, 2011 

Presented by 

CHRISMETZNER

About the Presenter 

Hello! My name is Chris Metzner. I have been in the graphic design 

industry for over 14 years and developing websites for 7 of them. I 

studied art through college, both in Maryland and Australia, learning 

to combine my passion with the computer world. 

Seeing print and web projects as works of art has been the key to my 

success. Based out of Jacksonville, Florida, I help organizations near 

and far achieve their unique marketing and advertising goals. 

Would you like more information about me? Visit my website! Th ere 

you will fi nd numerous portfolio pieces and articles about graphic 

design and data visualization. 

www.ChrisMetzner.com 

Chris@ChrisMetzner.com 

(904) 885-0489 

Facebook.com/ChristopherMetzner 

Twitter.com/ChrisMetzner 

Linkedin.com/in/ChrisMetzner 

Enjoy the forum! 

CHRISMETZNER

Background EEN Information 

Since 2006, the Environmental Evaluators Network has produced an annual 

forum that brings together individuals in the fi elds of natural resource 

conservation and environmental management. 

Each year, more people 

participate and as the forum’s 

popularity has grown, so 

have the demands to get the 

information out faster. As a 

result, the idea of a brand new 

website for the EEN was born. 

Many questions were raised. 

How would it best serve multiple 

groups within the network? 

How could it be visually 

appealing? How could it help 

grow the forum and connect its 

participants? 

Th ey knew the website needed 

to be be fresh, contemporary, useful useful 

and interactive. 

With these goals and 

questions in mind, the website 

development began. 

Introducing... 

www.EnvironmentalEvaluators.net

Developing the EEN Website: 

What can we make it do for you? 

Table of Contents 

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Visual Appeal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Interactivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Search Engine Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Introduction 

Communication is the key to many aspects of life, and that holds true in a 

personal, parental or even a business relationship. So why does the EEN need a 

website? Well, what better way can anyone communicate information and visuals 

in one place, instantly? 

Websites allow people and organizations share their goals and information 

through many forms of interaction. From written articles, to interactive logic 

models, to data visualization and pictures, anyone can get a quick and clear idea 

of what that person or organization is all about. 

The EEN knew it was time to join the online world. It has been an exciting time 

of expansion, and like all growing organizations, so were the demands on the 

EEN to meet their participants’ needs. 

This presentation will give an overview of the goals sought out by the EEN to 

bring multiple, unique and complex environmental organizations together 

online and show how the core elements of website development were successfully 

implemented. First, EnvironmentalEvaluators.net displays many features found 

in today’s popular website design styles. Next, it uses simple graphic design 

principles to achieve visual appeal. Third, the website encourages interaction 

from its participants through blogs and social networks to share ideas and 

comments. Finally, search engine optimization, both on and off page, increases 

website traffic in order to continue to grow the EEN. 

1 

Developing the EEN Website: What can we make it do for you?

Features 

Animated sliders 

Using this simple snippet of code, the website can simply and stylishly display 

extra content in an attention grabbing way. It can display images, video, audio 

and more text. 

Multi-column portfolio displays 

Th is feature combines posts and allows visitors to see their related pictures and 

videos in an organized and less cluttered fashion. 

CHRISMETZNER .COM 

EnvironmentalEvaluators.net 2

Blog 

Having a blog allows visitors to leave 

comments and share their ideas about the 

posts they read. 

Image and video effects 

Adding pictures and videos to your article 

or post adds visual appeal to your content. 

The EEN website can quickly add shadows 

and reflections below either of those. 

No effects Added effects 

Video support 

This website can support a variety of video file formats, like FLV, MP4, MP3, 

HTML5, YouTube and Vimeo. 

Custom sidebars 

Different sections in 

the EEN website need 

different sidebars for extra 

information. 

3 

YouTube 

Vimeo 

MP3 

Blogs help people interact and freely 

contribute to someone else’s post. 

HTML5 

Developing the EEN Website: What can we make it do for you? 

FLV Video

Tabs 

Tabs allow the EEN to display large 

amounts of text on one web page. 

Toggle and accordion boxes 

Toggle and accordion boxes are similar to tabs because they help organize large 

amounts of text, but they off er unique visual ways of doing it. 

Toggle boxes create information storage areas. Accordions add visual appeal to text. 

Variety of list displays 

In addition to using standard bullets for displaying lists, the EEN website can 

show arrows, ticks, squares and carrots. As an added bonus, they can be colored 

teal, orange, brown or blue. 

Dropcaps 

Dropcaps bring extra attention to the beginning of your content. 



Lightbox 

When a visitor clicks on an image 

on the website, this script will allow 

the picture to appear in a new popup 

window. 

PrettyPhoto 

PrettyPhoto is a jQuery lightbox 

clone. The EEN website uses both 

scripts to give the visitor a better 

experience. PrettyPhoto displays the 

EEN posts, pages, videos, iframes, 

etc in a neat and orderly grid format 

for quick visual reference. 

Footer 

The footer on the EEN website is currently displaying RSS feeds from other 

environmental organizations and the EEN Twitter feed. With a few simple 

changes in the backend, the website could display Recent Comments, Recent 

Posts, gallery images, a contact form, or more text. 

Breadcrumbs 

Breadcrumbs is a mini navigational 

aide that leaves a trail for the visitor, 

showing how they got to the page 

they are on. 

5 

When hovering 

over an image, the 

graphic performs 

this rollover. 

When clicked, the image pops up in a new window, 

adding the ability to see more pics. 


Contact form 

Th e built-in ajax/php contact form, with 

javascript turned off fallback, guarantees 

the delivery of the message being sent. 

Extra features 

Th e EEN website has many more stylish options and features. As the website 

continues to be developed, there may be uses for some of these. 

Notifi cation boxes 

Block quotes 

Registration and login fi elds for private information. 

At the bottom of all postings, there is a special 

author box. This allows readers to get info about the 

author and if they want, they can quickly connect to 

their website or read more postings by them. 

At the end of every post there is a special grid 

structure displaying related postings and articles. 

Fancy headers for dramatic attention Up to 4 columns of text can be implemented 



Visual Appeal 

Smooth navigation 

The EEN website uses smooth and stylish drop down bars and rollover colors to 

display sub page navigation. It has the capability to add deeper levels if needed. 

This gives the feeling that the website is well organized. 

Simple fonts 

The use of simple fonts makes the content easy to read. There is no special 

attention being given to the text, just simple black copy on a white background, 

plus blue colored links. Also, the headers are easily distinguished from the body 

copy with the use of varying font sizes and weights. 

7 


Website color scheme 

Considering the EEN’s target audience, the website’s color scheme refl ects an 

organic, natural and soft palette related to environmental evaluation. Blues, 

greens, grays...it’s nature, yet business. 

Page Speed 

Created on the Wordpress platform, the EEN website uses PHP coding which 

helps a visitor’s browser load pages of the website much faster. Minimal imagery 

and clean coding allow new pages to be seen quicker, keeping the visitors 

attention and interest focused on the content. 

Image effects 

As mentioned earlier in the Features 

section, the EEN website displays its 

pictures and videos in an attractive way 

with the use of shadows and refl ections. 



Interactivity 

Social networking 

The purpose of the EEN is to bring individuals and 

companies in the environmental evaluation field 

together. One of the many ways is the use of social 

networking. The EEN website makes this very 

simple for the visitor to connect with others. 

At the top of every page on the EEN website is a group of social networking 

icons, linking directly to those websites, and ready for the visitor to join. 

9 

Twitter 

Catch the latest tweets for quick links to interesting topics and 

articles related to the Environmental Evaluators Network. 

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=1773788 

Facebook Fan Page 

Join the EEN Facebook Fan Page to read recent discussions and get 

more information about upcoming forums and events. 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Environmental-Evaluators- 

Network/191273460892647 

LinkedIn 

Build your professional network by subscribing to the EEN Group, 

comment on or start a new discussion. 

http://twitter.com/#!/EnviroEvalNet 

Flickr 

Browse through pictures posted by EEN participants, upload and 

share your own. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/environmentalevaluators/ 

YouTube 

Watch the latest videos posted by the EEN participants. 

http://www.youtube.com/enviroevalnet 


Search bar 

In the header, above the main navigation 

lies the search bar. Th e visitor always has 

quick access to search the entire website 

for any keyword or phrase. 

“Share This” 

Th is plugin allows the visitor to 

take the entire article that they just 

read and share it on their social 

networking websites. With one click, 

the EEN article is now broadcasted 

to a new network of friends. 

Twitter feed 

Th e footer on the EEN website allows 

multiple types of feeds, including the 

EnviroEvalNet tweets. As soon as a 

tweet is posted, it instantly appears 

on the EEN website. Th is helps keep 

content fresh and exciting, constantly 

off ering new links and valuable 

information. 

RSS feeds 

Th e EEN website off ers access to 

related websites and posts their 

content instantly in the footer for 

quick access to EEN visitors. 



Google Earth Tours 

The EEN website can embed unique 

apps like Google Earth inside any 

page or post. Load your own data 

to display particular information 

or allow the visitor to zoom down 

on their house. This plugin offers 

easy navigation and exploration of 

geographic data on a 3D globe inside 

any web browser. 

Language Translation 

The EEN website has the ability to be viewed by a visitor in a non-English 

speaking country and be translated to the local language. It boasts the support of 

almost 100 languages, but if a new one is needed, a simple translation plugin for 

the new language can be quickly added. 

Report Site Problems 

Below the footer, in the bottom right corner of every page, there is a link to 

directly contact the website administrator, Chris Metzner. Use this link to report 

any questions, comments or concerns about the website. 

Google Sitemap Generator 

In the near future, the EEN website will be indexed with Google and an XML 

sitemap will get generated. This will allow all the major search engines crawl the 

website faster. As an extra tool for quicker navigation, a new sitemap page will be 

created for visitors who like to see links to every page in one location. 

Other plugins to consider in the future 

http://www.environmentalevaluators.net/resources/ 

architecture-of-environmental-evaluation/ 

• KeyCAPTCHA • iCopyright(R) Article Tools • Facebook Like Box 

• SurveyMe • Facebook Recommendations • Geolocator 

• Live Chat • Picasa Album Uploader • WP Google Suggest 

11 


Search Engine Optimization 

WordPress website 

Th e EEN website is built on the WordPress 

platform, a powerful content management 

system. It is an open source blog tool powered by 

PHP and MySQL, and it off ers a search engine 

friendly and clean permalink structure. Th e EEN 

website is easy to edit, update, delete and add content as needed. As an added 

bonus, everyone visiting the EEN website can be an author. WordPress off ers 

administrative controls that allow visitors to post their own content and links. 

WordPress plugins 

Plugins off er the EEN website the ability to quickly add new features and enhance 

the visitor’s experience. Twitter feeds, RSS feeds, contact forms in a footer, Google 

Earth, Share Th is, etc., are all examples of plugins. Can you think of any feature 

that would benefi t your organization if it was displayed on the EEN website? If so, 

chances are there’s a plugin for that! 



Keywords 

Keywords are words or phrases that tell the search engines what your website is 

all about. When a person goes to Google.com, for example, and does a search for 

your keyword, your website pops up in the search results. Getting to the top of 

those listings takes a lot of work by the website developer, but if done correctly, 

your website is always rewarded. 

Here are a list of keywords that the EEN website uses: 

environmental evaluators network, evaluation, environmental evaluation, conservation, 

logic models, data visualization 

On-page optimizing 

One or a variety of the EEN website’s chosen keywords appear on almost every 

page or post. They are strategically used to make sure the search engines give the 

website a high quality score, so that in turn, the EEN is rewarded with higher 

search results. 

Some examples of where keywords are placed are: the first image at the top has 

them in the ALT tag, sometimes in the image’s filename, every header (H1 tag), 

once in the first 30 words of first paragraph, 3 or 4 times in the body of the article 

or post and at least one of those linking back to the mainpage, once in the last 

paragraph, and a few related keywords used in the H2 tags. 

Other forms of optimization integrated in the EEN website is the use of internal 

links. This is basically where keywords are hyperlinked to different pages or posts 

within the EEN website. 

Finally, a simple plugin called the All-In-One-SEO package helps ensure all posts 

and pages have the correct meta data and description text in the Head tags. 

Inbound links 

Aside from visitors finding the EEN website via Google’s search results, there are 

other ways the EEN is considering to develop inbound links (backlinks): 

• Newsgroups • Blog commenting • Forum participation 

• Posting videos • Pay-per-click • Article writing 

• Paid or trading banner/link advertising 

13 


Google Analytics 

Using a short snippet of code, Google’s incredible website traffi c monitoring 

solution, Google Analytics, gives the EEN website developer access to rich 

insights of the website’s performance. 

With this information, the EEN can determine what pages its visitors frequent 

the most, how long they stay on the website, how they found the website, etc. 

From there, the possibilities are endless. 

Should the EEN open the door for advertising by it’s participants? If so, targetspecifi 

c ads can be created on pages that match your organization’s service or 

product. 

Knowing which pages are mostly visited, the EEN can better serve its participants 

by posting more related content. New tweets, pictures and videos can be created, 

posted on other websites, and most importantly, link back to the EEN website to 

read more about that popular topic. 



Traffic generated from social 

networking 

Social networking is critical for a 

company. Here’s a fun fact. If the 

number of people who have Facebook 

accounts was thought of as a population, 

Facebook would be the 3rd largest 

country in the world! 

That’s a lot of people chatting online and sharing stories with their friends. When 

post a comment about something bad that happened to you by Company XYZ, 

pretty much everyone in your network is going to take your side and not use that 

company from now on. The future of advertising is word of mouth. 

The EEN hopes to provide a website that everyone going online will be excited 

about visiting. If one person finds something interesting on the website and 

shares it with his network, via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., chances are 

other people are going to see that posting. His/her friend could be interested and 

check it out for themselves and the cycle begins. 

Off-page marketing of the EEN 

Outside of all the free and paid ways to generate traffic to 

the EEN website, there are still the old-fashioned methods. 

• Postcards • Direct Mail • Newspaper Ads 

• Flyers • Brochures • Car Wraps 

• Billboards • Posters • Radio/Television Ads 

• Forums • Booklets • Much More! 

http://youtu.be/lFZ0z5Fm-Ng • by Socialnomics09 

Even though Internet usage is growing leaps and bounds, these methods of 

company advertising is still the standard. People are familiar with holding a 

brochure, reading the newspaper, watching television, etc. 

All of these help increase the EEN exposure. It’s about branding. Whenever 

someone sees the EEN logo, they will see the EEN website address beside it! 

How is your company advertising its website, gaining new 

visitors and keeping your existing ones coming back? 

15 


Your feedback is welcome. 

Share your thoughts with us! 

www.EnvironmentalEvaluators.net/Website-Features 

As you explore the amazing features of the EEN website, think about your 

organization’s message and what would be the most effective way to show it. Can 

you think of other contemporary styles of information presentation? If so, please 

share with us as we continue to develop and improve the EEN website for you! 

Not around a computer? 

Use your cell phone’s barcode scanner app and scan this QR 

code. It will take you directly to the webpage which has a list 

of the features covered during this presentation and an area 

for you to post your comments.

The Evaluators’ Café: A Networking and Capacity Building Session #6 

June 24, 2011 • The George Washington University

Developing the EEN Website: - Environmental Evaluators Network

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