Hollyce Balentine

Karen Zelt

HighEdWeb 2013

#PST22

1. Plan! Plan! Plan!

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Determine your desired launch date and work backwards. Do it

skimp on steps and stick to your guns.

2. Wrangle content

We lassoed everything from grounds services to campus telephones to interior design.

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DETOURS

VEHICLE RENTAL

PAINTING

3. Card sort

Write topics on cards or sticky notes. Disregard old site structure; group the cards logically.

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4. Audit

Perform a ROT analysis on every page: Is this Relevant? Outdated? Trivial? Fix it!

How do we stay the course in the face of opposition? Audits (along with analytics) are your greatest defenses. Establish that optimal user/customer experience is the focus. Does this change make navigating easier for the

#PST22

5. Examine analytics

Learn what visitors search for and, what pages are most visited, etc.

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5. Examine analytics

How do we know if all that content is actually organized well?

Look at analytics data. Review in-site search terms and compare them with page traffic to see if users are actually finding what they need.

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Wield your research!

Back up your decisions by showing how they align with best web practices and university goals.

6. Map information architecture

The card sort informs this.

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7. Sell to stakeholders

Meet with managers and subject-matter experts for their input.

Prevent them from breaking out pitchforks. Beware of territorial issues! Learn where stakeholders are coming from and listen to their concerns. Make compromises without degrading usability.

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8. Ask the audience

Rustle up wireframes (paper or interactive). User-test the site with key audience groups.

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How do we prevent a massive heart attack if our unit reorganizes mid-redesign?

answer. You might not get thrown into a top-level reorganization, but down the line you will probably need to quickly add new content areas to your site. Prepare for future development during the initial construction and as you organize present content.

9. Finalize

User tests and stakeholder input inform this.

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10. Customize CMS

Work with developers to make the system fit

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11. Launch!

to celebrate!

deal to get here.

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12. Govern

Establish a governance board for big decisions.

Appoint a variety of members with a spectrum of knowledge.

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13. Tend

Create an audit schedule for routine maintenance. Continue brainstorming for future development and solutions.

Feed it, water it! Designate responsible parties to keep their content accurate.

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Contact

Hollyce Balentine, Digital Communications Manager Michigan State University Infrastructure Planning and Facilities 517-884-4059 hbalentine@ipf.msu.edu | ipf.msu.edu |@HollyceB Karen Zelt, Communications Manager Michigan State University Infrastructure Planning and Facilities 517-432-3624 kzelt@ipf.msu.edu | ipf.msu.edu |@zeltkare

#PST22