Let s Talk Content! Practical tips for writing effective web pages

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1 Let s Talk Content! Practical tips for writing effective web pages

2 Goal for Today s Training Session Learn how to write better, more effective web pages

3 Presentation Outline 1. Benefits of well written content (Why does it matter?) 2. Characteristics of a well written web page 3. Elements of a page and best practices 4. Writing with Intention 5. Exercise Elections

4 What does the data tell us about municipal website visitors?

5 Takeaway #1 - Search is king! The better your content, the more searchable it is! Source: Google Analytics

6 Takeaway #2 - Home page links may be over-rated! What percentage of website visitors enter your website through your municipality s home page? Source: Google Analytics

7 Search Engine Optimization Basics On Your Page: Header tags are the way you divide up sections of your content in the HTML source code. H1 tags are the most important for your SEO, and they lessen in value as they get to H6 tags. Alt image tags should include your keyword. Placing your keyword in your alt text tag for each image will help improve your on-page SEO. Dewey, the Fairbanks library cat, sitting on a book at the weekly story time event

8 Search Engine Optimization Basics Anchor Text Make sure that your anchor text aligns with what you re linking to, instead of generic calls to action like click here. conductor.com/blog/2018/01/seo-ranking-factors-writers-guide/

Search Engine Optimization Basics Keyword Stuffing In the past, SEOs could game Google s algorithm by stuffing their content with targeted keywords.

9 Search Engine Optimization Basics Keyword Stuffing In the past, SEOs could game Google s algorithm by stuffing their content with targeted keywords. Today, that practice can result in a Google penalty, which can drop the ranking of ever page of a site, for a specific keyword or for a specific page. conductor.com/blog/2018/01/seo-ranking-factors-writers-guide/

10 Takeaway #3 Site visitors have a short attention span! Users often leave Web pages in seconds To gain several minutes of user attention, you must clearly communicate your value proposition within 10 seconds. Source: Nielsen Norman Group

11 Why does this matter to you? Well-written web pages fare better with search engines Well-written pages are more likely to be read by your short-attention-span visitors Well-written, effective pages reduce your chances of getting a phone call or on that topic

12 What s different about communicating via the web? With and print, you can initiate the conversation With the web, users initiate the conversation. They have greater choice over where to go and what to read.

13 Characteristics of an effective web page

14 Characteristic #1 achieve a specific objective Common web page objectives include: Answers a question Allows completion of a task Allows for socialization Provides an outlet to escape boredom

15 Characteristic #2 meet these three goals! 1. Understand the reasons why someone wants to know about that topic 2. Satisfy those reasons as clearly and concisely as possible 3. Be engaging enough that they might want to continue surfing or will come back later

16 Characteristic #3 ensure it is well-written Well-written content achieves a higher search engine ranking A site visitor cannot read your page if they cannot find it! Well-written pages allow a site visitor to grab and go

17 Well-written pages also keep accessibility in mind!

Accessibility not just for the disabled Users Young vs.

non-english Varying mental, physical ability Browsers

technologies Smart devices (appliances, watches)

19 Accessibility not just for the disabled Users Young vs. old Knowledgeable vs. experienced English vs. non-english Varying mental, physical ability Browsers Mobile Phones Tablets Laptops, Desktops Emerging technologies Smart devices (appliances, watches) Conversational interfaces (Amazon Echo, Facebook s Messenger, Microsoft s conversation as a platform

20 Content Quality Focus on providing relevant, well-written content Legibility, Readability, Comprehension Quality over quantity Tips

21 Legibility Legibility is how well you see the letters. Clean, easy-to-read fonts / typeface Large default font size High contrast between characters and the background (4.5 to1) Tool - Color Contrast Checker -

22 Readability Readability measure the complexity of your words and sentence structure. Short words Short sentences Aim at an appropriate grade level for your organization Testing tools: Microsoft Word

23 MS Word Click the File tab, and then click Options Click Proofing Select Show readability statistics After you enable this feature, open a file that you want to check, and check the spelling

26 Comprehension Comprehension measures whether or not a user can understand the intended meaning of a text. Plain spoken language Inverted pyramid writing style (start with an overview/summary) Use pictures / diagrams Avoid jargon

27 Comprehension Testing Cloze Test Procedure replace every nth word in the text with blanks Here's an example, using a paragraph from Facebook's privacy policy: Site activity information. We keep {1} of some of the actions {2} take on Facebook, such as {3} connections (including joining a group {4} adding a friend), creating a {5} album, sending a gift, poking {6} user, indicating you like a {7}, attending an event, or connecting {8} an application. In some cases {9} are also taking an action {10} you provide information or content {11} us. For example, if you {12} a video, in addition to {13} the actual content you uploaded, {14} might log the fact that {15} shared it.

28 Readability vs. Comprehension He waved his hands. vs. He waived his rights. Video 54 sec

29 Card sorting: Defining related content categories when structuring your department s content Card sorting is a powerful, hands-on tool that is used for helping content develop categories for their content. Design Your navigation Intentionally by creating cards each with a single term, category, or page name written on them sort the content of a site figure out what things belong together and how best to group the content in a logical way. Dividing big categories: Aim for 5-6 items in each Readers have a hard time processing more items than that swsblog.stanford.edu/blog/card-sorting-defining-related-content-categories

30 Card sorting: Defining related content categories

31 Card sorting: Defining related content categories

32 Creating a sitemap for auditing your site Suppose you have a lot of new content to write or maybe you just inherited a site. You'll want do an audit to learn what content is on the site and how it is structured.

34 The Anatomy of a Successful Webpage

36 Page Titles are very important Used to tell site visitors and search engines what your page is about The title is also what shows up as the big blue link in search results Finally, it also gets pulled into social media when you share a web page on FB or Twitter It is the single most important element that goes into SEO results

37 Page Titles - key attributes Primary keyword + secondary keyword help with SEO 3-5 words (50-60 characters) is often considered a best practice BUT at the end of the day be sure to write for humans

39 Page Elements Headings help readers Get the gist of the topic Scan to find what they need Follow the flow Digest information in chunks

40 Page Elements Headings help writers too! Forces you to organize your content Helps with SEO Helps with ADA

41 Heading Tips Start by outlining Choose a style: Questions, Statements, Verb Phrases Avoid long headings Consider starting with a keyword Use your visitors words, not your jargon Use only a few levels (H2s, maybe H3s) Use the same format or convention within a page (parallelism)

43 Paragraphs on the Web Most of the time, an acceptable print paragraph is too long for the web. It s a retinal thing. We can stare at a well-designed book for hours without eye fatigue. Staring at a monitor is different. The eye needs to move, to fight that fatigue. So we break longer paragraphs into shorter ones. It s the same content, spaced differently. Even writers who are not designers must be mindful of this.

44 Paragraphs on the Web Quick Paragraph Guidelines Break up paragraphs to a few sentences, or a handful of very short sentences Keep your sentences clear and simply structured Remember, it's your job as a content creator to help people find the information they're looking for. So make it easy on them with easy to read paragraphs.

45 Page Elements Lists - letting people skim and scan Use bulleted lists for items or options Use numbered lists for instructions Shorter lists are better Start list items the same way

46 Lists - letting people skim and scan Version 1 Our Spa getaway package includes two-night accommodation, two 50-minute spa treatments of your choice, an in-room breakfast for two, and gift basket upon arrival. Version 2 Our Spa getaway package includes: Two-night accommodation Two 50-minute spa treatment of your choice An in-room breakfast for two Gift basket upon arrival

47 Page Elements Tables Effective, but Tricky Table can be very effective If/Then situations Comparing numbers Mobile devices and tables do not get along Keep tables simple Think carefully about the first column

48 Left-Align Text Right Align Numbers Align Headings with Data

49 Calls to Action Make Great Hyperlinks Get people more engaged in your content! Start with a verb The most important part of a Call to Action is the leading verb. People are far less likely to click on a link that is a noun, they want to be led through your site. Rather than "About Us," try "Read about our team." Give a little detail One of the common mistakes in writing Calls to Action is making them too short. "Read more" or just "More" is less compelling to readers, and also causes accessibility and Search Engine Optimization problems. Blind or visually impaired readers aren't as able to scan the page visually and know the context of links and, in the same way, the bots (website scanners) that companies like Google use will not be able to form as complete data from links with non-specific text like "More." For those reasons, it's important to say Read More about what.

52 Writing on Purpose Should I use PDFs? Yes, but use them on purpose PDFs are a way to deliver print information HTML/PDF Combos work well (skimming versus detail)

53 Writing on Purpose Appropriate Uses of PDF Files on Web Pages 1. Regulated forms If your website points to forms that must be displayed in a specific way due to government or other regulation, a PDF file is a great solution. 2. Documents for printing 3. Securing documents You can put locks on PDFs to prevent people from reading them. 4. Document downloads If you have long documents that you provide on your website, using PDFs is much better than the Word document itself. Readers can't modify the PDF like they can the Word document, and you can be sure that people on various types of computers will be able to open and use them. Don t Be Lazy. An image of a PDF doesn t make a good webpage

54 Final Thoughts.

55 Watch out for the curse of knowledge. As Lee explains it, The more you know about something, the harder it is to imagine what it s like not to know. The Art of Explanation, Lee LeFever, You know a lot about your department. It becomes easy to assume your audience has the same level of understanding. Your explanations and writing end up based on those assumptions, not on what your audience actually knows. As a result, the public tune out, lose confidence in what you re saying, and may even feel insecure because they feel like they should understand.

56 You are the connection to great government Government transparency Openness, accountability, and honesty define government transparency. In a free society, transparency is government's obligation to share information with citizens. It is at the heart of how citizens hold their public officials accountable. Governments exist to serve the people. Information on how officials conduct the public business and spend taxpayers money must be readily available and easily understood. This transparency allows good and just governance. An informed, engaged community will thrive

57 Now go make great web pages!

What is User Experience (UX)? Goals Sell products Reinforce brand/image 2

What is User Experience (UX)? Goals Sell products Reinforce brand/image 2 Great City Websites TIPS TO CONSIDER FOR MUNICIPALITIES LARGE AND SMALL www.ahaconsulting.com/mcfoa2018 What Makes any Website Great? 1. Provides an exceptional user experience 2. Achieves a specific set