Gatlin Accounting
Kate Gatlin
kategatlin@aol.com
June 24, 2009
EdTec 541, Wed 4pm Section

Problem, Need, or Opportunity:

Small businesses often acquire clients through networking because people like to know who they are hiring and ensure quality. When researching which business to go with, many potential clients prefer a list of references or a sample of work to see what kind a job the business does. A multimedia website would allow people to find out about the business, the services it offers, and perhaps references, as well as helpful links. A multimedia website would present to viewer professionalism, credibility, and information they would need to make an informed decision. The website would make it easy and convenient for the potential clients to find the information they need.

Audience:

The main audience for this website would be individuals and small businesses that have a need for on or off-site bookkeeping, payroll, and QuickBooks training, setup, or trouble-shooting. The secondary audience would be CPA’s that would refer Gatlin Accounting Services to their clients for QuickBooks related tasks.

User’s Needs:

Potential users reported that they expect the following from a site such as this one:

• A short bio of Roxanne Gatlin and Gatlin accounting services
• A list of services that are offered with pricing
• Statements of recommendations from permitting previous or current clients
• Credentials and a short job history
• Links to important websites and perhaps links to important tools or resources

They would like the information to be easy to find. They would prefer to find the information via tabs at either the top or the side of the page that will link them to the information such as: About Us, Services, Credentials, and Links.

The information needs to be easy to access from all computers and internet speeds. The media they would like to see are images, perhaps pdf file downloads, and video if (and only if) it is relevant. The most important objective of the webpage is to present Gatlin Accounting Services and what they offer. The potential users do not want the site to be cluttered with meaningless animation or video.

The three most important user needs are:

• That the site and information is easily accessible and presented in a clear, concise, and professional manner
• That the services are listed along with references and credentials
• That there is helpful information that might answer questions they have so they can resolve them on their own.

The site will take them through what they would like to know via tabs located at the top of the page. The home page will tell about the company and the owner, Roxanne. Then the next page will be services listed, and either on the same page or next tab references will be listed. Following that will be credentials, then a contact page, and lastly helpful links and downloads. Hopefully, by the time the viewer reaches the links page, all of their questions will be answered. If not, perhaps they can find the information they need on one of the links provided.

Environment:

Primarily, the site will be accessed from an office setting or through business activities such as looking for important links. On occasion, someone might view the website on their own leisure time if researching a bookkeeping company. Ideally, the computer would be up to date, at least recent QuickBooks and operating software. For the purpose of viewing the website the software would not be necessary. Because this site is primarily for offices use it will most likely not use audio or video content, however, if it did they will not automatically play. This site needs to be able to download fast for all viewers so that the website can be viewed from any computer, or more importantly, any phone with a web-browser. The viewer might find the website on their own, through advertisements, or through word of mouth and networking.

Resources and Limitations:

The owner of Gatlin Accounting Services is my mother so I will have access to all of the information I need. She knows the company best and the needs of the client, so with her help, we shall be able to accomplish our goals. The only information we would need permission for are the reference blurbs. Because the site is going to be very sleek, simple, and to the point, we should be able to complete the project by the deadline. We are able to contact each other every day so it will be very easy to make the changes we need. The limitation here is that we are communicating long distance so we have to do everything over the phone or the internet. Hopefully, our visions will be clearly communicated through words. Almost all of the information on this site will be self-generated. Some of it might be based off of fliers previous made by Gatlin Accounting Services. The great part of this website is that after the project is completed, it will be easy to update it for her or even teach her how to update it for herself.

General Solution:

The website will not only provide the information needed to decide to hire Gatlin Accounting Services, but it will also be a great tool for current clients (or even those who wander in). There they will be able to go to find important links, or perhaps updates for software or changes in procedure. The goal is to create a hub of information that will keep clients coming back as well as tell others about the site.