Baffling, Bland or Just Plain Bad: Avoiding the 7 Biggest Mistakes of Web Content Creation
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Transcript of Baffling, Bland or Just Plain Bad: Avoiding the 7 Biggest Mistakes of Web Content Creation
BAFFLING, BLAND, OR JUST PLAIN BAD
AVOIDING THE 7 BIGGEST MISTAKES OF WEB CONTENT
CREATION.
WHO WE ARE
JENNY MANDEVILLEContent Marketing Specialist
Vanderbilt University
ANNA WHINNERYContent Marketing Specialist
Vanderbilt University
DEFINING CONTENT STRATEGY
• 37% of people will stop using a site they deem ugly• 39% of people will leave if the site/images take too
long to load• 51% of people think “thorough contact information” is
the #1 thing missing from a website
Content strategy is the planning, development and management of content for an app or website. It is part of the larger field of user experience (UX) and can mean both written content alongside style and design.
1MISTAKE
We need a website!• Creation through panic • Everyone gets a page! • Repeated information• Lack of cohesion
YIKES!
MUCH BETTER!
MAKING A PLAN
• Get the team together –and don’t forget the web developers!
• Bring examples• Keep it together –
images, documents & wireframes
2MISTAKE
It’s all about us!• Who is your audience? • Is it getting political?
Prospective Students
ProspectiveDonors
undergraduate studentspart-time graduate studentsfull-time graduate students
PhD studentsinternational students
transfer students
young alumniparentsstudentsfaultystaff 2MISTAKE
Brainstorm!• Get very specific• Instead of Current Students write• Current undergraduate students• Current full-time graduate students• Current part-time graduate students• Working professionals 2MISTAKE
Put them into groups
Prospective Employees• Prospective faculty• Prospective staff
Prospective Donors• Young alumni• Parents• Students 2MISTAKE
PrioritizeWhat is the purpose of the page?Who is it for?
2MISTAKE
Audience Priorities• It’s easy to interpret audience priorities as a ranking
of audience value, but that’s not the case• Prioritizing audiences demonstrates respect for all
users by clearing guiding everyone to useful content.
2MISTAKE
2MISTAKE
Analytics don’t lieLook at your analytics to help inform content strategy decisions for audience groups.
2MISTAKE
3MISTAKE
Googlehates us!• Check your links! • How’s your metadata? • Make the most of your
analytics
BUT WHAT’S SEO AGAIN?Search Engine Optimization: A methodology of strategies, techniques and tactics used to increase the amount of visitors to a website by obtaining a high-ranking placement in the search results page of a search engine.
- Webopedia
CHECK YOUR LINKS
LINK ONE:
Click here to read Professor Tolkien’s articles about the language of the Sindarin Elves. http://www.silmarillion.org/tolkien/10102813.php
LINK TWO:
Professor Tolkien’s article about the language of Sindarin Elves was recently published in the Journal of Silmarillion Studies.
CHECK YOUR METADATAMetadata is data that describes other data.
CHECK YOUR METADATAMetadata is data that describes other data.
DESCRIBE YOUR IMAGES
Students
Vanderbilt University students study and enjoy a meal at the Commons dining hall in Nashville, Tennessee
GOOGLE ANALYTICS – IT’S FREE!
4MISTAKE
But I love pink comic sans!
But I love pink comic sans!
• First impressions matter• Emotional Design• Quality over quantity content
First impressions matter
4MISTAKE
Emotional Design
4MISTAKE
Clear and easily understood
4MISTAKE
Design that speaks to emotion is ….
Design that speaks to emotion is ….Visually appealing
Design that speaks to emotion is ….Enjoyable!
4MISTAKE
Design that speaks to emotion is ….Unique and stands out
4MISTAKE
Design that speaks to emotion is ….Personal
4
Too much content
4MISTAKE
Creativity vs. Straightforward information
4MISTAKE
4MISTAKE
5MISTAKE
What’s our mission again?• You are part of the larger institution • Is there a strategic plan? • How to be unique while also part of
the whole
OUR STRATEGIC PLAN
FITTING IT TOGETHER
6MISTAKE
They’ll figure it out…• What do you want your visitors to do?• Overwhelm them and lose them
6MISTAKE
Speak the same language as your audienceUndergraduate student example • Referring to graduation attire as “regalia”
versus “cap and gown”
7MISTAKE
We’re finished!• Your website is a living document• Maintenance is a requirement!• Who’ll do it? • How often? • Allocating resources
FITTING IT TOGETHER
KEEPING IT FRESH
• RSS Feeds• Featured
areas/stories• Regular image
refreshes• Consistent
content audits• Periodic design
changes
THE END!QUESTIONS?