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?