Analyzing the Audience and Purpose of a Website

The first step in planning a document is to analyze your audience and your purpose. Go to your college or university’s website, and identify three different sections of the site, each of which addresses a different audience. For example, the site likely has sections for current students, for prospective students, and for members of the community in which the school is located. For each of the three sections you choose, write a one-sentence definition of the writer’s main purpose and list two or three techniques that the writer has used to achieve this purpose. For instance, if the purpose of the section for prospective students is to encourage high schoolers to apply, one technique the writer might have used is to present attractive photographs of the campus or of students. Be prepared to share your findings with the class.