Easy-to-understand and well-organized content is essential to a successful website. WDS will collaborate with you to create the framework for your site, including its design and functionality. To guide you in preparing the site's content, we offer the following recommendations for content planning and writing for the web.
Content Planning
Content is an essential element of your website. Investing the time to think critically about the content will improve the user experience of your website.
Content Inventory
When redesigning a website, getting a handle on how much content you currently have is a good idea. A content inventory is the first step. There are a few methods to go about doing an inventory.
- Manual Check: Using a spreadsheet, click on and log each website page. Manual checks can be time-consuming but allow you to make notes about each page. You may start with this Excel template.
- Page Count Using Google: With a Google search, you can get an approximate idea of how many pages and content your site has. It is not 100% accurate because it may calculate items you do not consider pages of content. To do a Google search, enter your website's URL into the Google search box using this format site:wds.princeton.edu and then look at the number of results.
- Sitemap Generator: Some online tools such as XML-Sitemaps will automatically generate a site map for you. Sometimes, they are quick, but the output may require further interpretation and refinement. If you have any favorite site map tools, we'd love to hear about them!
Subject Matter Experts
If you have a website with multiple content contributors, identifying them and setting their expectations can make a website project smoother. Ensure they have content editing and production deadlines. Agree to write in the same tone, style, and tense for website cohesiveness.
Accessibility
All websites and their content must meet the requirements of the University's Digital Accessibility Policy. Additionally, please review the Office of Communication's Web Requirements.
Content Maintenance
Have regularly scheduled periods to review your content to ensure accuracy. Don't let your content get outdated and stale. Use the University's DubBot tool to check for accessibility and quality assurance.
Writing for the Web
Much research has been done on writing for the web. Here is a brief summary of the top things you need to consider:
- People often want the "nuts and bolts" information, not poetry.
You should write like a journalist, not an academic. Be brief! Consider using the inverted pyramid style of writing. - People do not read websites.
They scan for information and ignore non-critical elements and distractions. You should use headings to break up sections of content and use the heading styles (not just the bold style) to make them stand out on the page. - Place content where people expect it.
This means you should not be "cute" or "fancy." Place content in standard places used by most other websites. - Make your content easy to find.
Use labels that have meaning to your audience and do not bury content under obscure headings or menus. - Create content that is accessible to those with disabilities.
This is especially important if your site contains videos or content in files, such as PDFs and Word documents. See WebAIM.org for more information. - Avoid the use of "click here" when creating links.
Instead, use 2-3 meaningful words when you create links within your text.
Additional Resources
- Nielsen Norman Group - Writing for the Web Articles
- Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, by Steve Krug ISBN-13: 978-0321344755
- Letting Go of the Words, Second Edition: Writing Web Content that Works (Interactive Technologies), by Janice (Ginny) Redish ISBN-13: 978-0123859303