Web Authoring Principles For Focused And Effective Content

Eric HodgsonOctober 25, 2007

Find This Presentation

http://hodgson.edvangelist.com/

We have authors all across the institution that follow central processes.

We have authors all across the institution, but it is “every man for himself”.

We have a handful of people controlling content. The rest of campus provides updates.

Authors? We don’t have those. Our site is still promoting Homecoming from 2004.

Quiz Time:What is your current approach to content authoring?

Critical Web Principles

• Web sites are built for visitors—plain and simple

• A Web site must serve a purpose.

Critical Web Principles

• Set clear goals for the institutional Web site

• Understand content publishing processes and content types

• Select your authors carefully• Train, train, train

Highlights from Part 1: Changing Campus Culture for Successful Web Content

Key Takeaway from Today:

ScannableSearchable

FocusedDriven

“Your job is not to put content up on your Web site.

Your job is to help your customers complete common tasks quickly and easily. That’s how you measure success.”

Gerry McGovern

• Locate information• Complete a task• Communicate

Reasons for Web Visits

• Institutional speak• Poor organization• Poor writing • Lack of audience understanding

Typical Gaps in Expectations

• Base goals on departmental direction• Don’t state the obvious (“better navigation”)• Define metrics• Be consistent

Web Site Goals

?Let’s take some questions

Content is King

• Importance

• Relevance

• Distinction

• Drive to action

Content Success

Response

Action

Value

• Page Focus Main content is a single topic

• Next Step Navigation Related links Drive to action Personality

Content Chunking

• Messaging – top level influence• Releases – relevance from many sources• Actions – most common purpose• Personality – key selling points

Content Categories

?Let’s take some questions

Making a Searchable Page

• Outdated content is not archived properly• Wrong type of content is being entered• Pages are not set up correctly• Content is not re-used throughout the site

• Rarely is the issue technical

“Our Search Sucks”

• Page titles• Key words and phrases• Subheads• Links• External sources• URL (including dashes)

Improving Search Results

TIP:

Pick a word or phrase per page and

re-use it as often as it makes sense

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

BAD: http://www.your.edu/cgi-bin/site.pl?3208&dwContent_ID=744&menuID=4

GOOD: http://www.your.edu/requirements

GREAT:http://www.your.edu/admission/admission-requirements

URLs

?Let’s take some questions

Making a Scannable Page

• Readers are scanning pages to find relevance• 50% of your site visitors are searchers, 50% are

navigators• You have very little control in how a reader was

brought to your information

Web Content Properties

• Users first read in a horizontal movement, usually across the upper part of the content area.

• Next, users move down the page a bit and then read across in a second horizontal movement that typically covers a shorter area than the previous movement.

• Finally, users scan the content's left side in a vertical movement.

F-shaped Web Scanning

Source: Nielsen Norman Group – Eyetracking Study April, 2006, http://www.useit.com/eyetracking

• Be direct with page titles and link labels• Keep paragraphs short• Bold keywords in a paragraph• Use bulleted lists when possible

Developing Scannable Pages

• Explain the unknown• Use a glossary• Link to related content throughout your site• Talk like them

Write for your Audience(s)

Sign up for FreshO Days! On Tuesday, October 28th, there will be games on the Landing, refreshments from OCD, and plenty of time with other matriculants. Go to Brooks Hall to meet with your VDC to register.

Write for your Audience(s)

Sign up for Freshman Orientation (FreshO Days)! On Tuesday, October 28th, there will be:

– Games at the center of campus (we call it the Landing - linked to campus map),

– Refreshments from On-Campus Dining, and – Plenty of time with your future classmates.

Go to Brooks Hall (linked to campus map) to meet with your counselor to register, or register by phone (555-555-5555) or online (linked to registration form).

Write for your Audience(s)

• The site is about your visitors, not about you

• Be direct

• Be a community

Remember…

Find This Presentation

http://hodgson.edvangelist.com/

Thank You!

Eric HodgsonConsultantedVangelist

319.651.5564hodgson@edvangelist.com

?Let’s take some questions