declutter your website: keep what works, eliminate the rest
DESCRIPTION
Too much unneeded and unused content on your website? Learn how to stop being a "content hoarder" and streamline your site to make it more effective. Webinar for Hannon Hill, August 20, 2014TRANSCRIPT
Hilary Marsh, Content Company @hilarymarsh
Declutter Your WebsiteKeep what works, eliminate the rest
or, How to stop being a content hoarder
Today’s takeaways
The negative effects of content hoarding
Why it happens
How to fix the problems and declutter
What Hoarding Looks Like
http://professiongal.com/2011/02/22/five-signs-youre-an-office-hoarder/
• What’s here?
• Is it useful?
• If I was looking for something specific, could I find it?
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/how-to-pack-your-backpack/
• Is anything here relevant?
• Does this meet my current needs?
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/how-to-pack-your-backpack/
2008
2008
2012
2012
20122014
2013
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/how-to-pack-your-backpack/
20102014range
2012
2012
2011
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/how-to-pack-your-backpack/
2008
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/how-to-pack-your-backpack/
The content I was really looking for
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/how-to-pack-your-backpack/
2004
2007
2010
Why Hoarding is Bad
Satisfaction
Usage
Harder to manage
Customer service costs
Effort Migration/Transforming Tagging Auditing Storing Measuring/Reporting
Why Websites Get Cluttered
10. “That information is valuable!”
http://adventurereporting.wordpress.com/archaeology-in-melbourne/
Your content may be valuable, but how will visitors know to dig for it if they don’t know it’s there?
Why Websites Get Cluttered
10. “That information is valuable!”
9. “I spent a long time creating that”
http://www.tuppersteam.com/relocation-information/colorado-outdoors/42-funniest-ski-outfits/
You may have paid a lot for this outfit back in 1982, but you don’t even ski anymore!
Why Websites Get Cluttered
10. “That information is valuable!”
9. “I spent a long time creating that”
8. Last-minute rush
7. No process for reviewing
6. “The Internet is free”
5. Changing leadership
4. Moving too fast to look back
Why Websites Get Cluttered
3. Understaffed
2. No understanding of negative impact
#1 reason:
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/how-to-pack-your-backpack/
I removed the link, so the content must have disappeared from the system
Excuses for Keeping Content
“I might need to refer to it someday.”
“I might need to create something like this again.”
“No one has given me permission to remove it.”
“The person who created it doesn’t work here anymore.”
“I might break a link.”
How to Declutter Today
• Know what’s there: audit your content
• Automated tools may help
https://blog.gathercontent.com/how-to-automate-your-content-audits
http://russbeeson.com/portfolio/content-inventory-of-degree-programs/
• Look for patterns
• Incorporate analytics
• Identify content ROT
http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/how-to-pack-your-backpack/
Use Best Bets to make the right info rise to the top of search results
How to Keep Your Website Clean
1. Create content lifecycle criteria
2. Be vigilant about using them
3. Create smart, sustainable URL practices
Conduct content “spring cleaning”
Your CMS may be able to help you make time
URLs
20102014range
2012
2012
2011
Some notes
http://www.beloit.edu/about/
Old ≠ bad
http://www.tacoma.uw.edu/404
Create smart 404 pages
The Beauty of a Cleaner Site
• Less is more
• See what you have
• Enjoy and use it all
• Stay organized
• Cull and replace as necessary
Resources
Content lifecycle criteria worksheethttp://www.hilarymarsh.com/2014/08/19/content-lifecycle-criteria-worksheet/
ROT: The Low-Hanging Fruit of Content Analysishttp://meetcontent.com/blog/rot-the-low-hanging-fruit-of-content-analysis/
Are you a content hoarder? Time to declutter! http://www.hilarymarsh.com/2012/04/03/are-you-a-content-hoarder/
The Web Diet: How to Simplify Your Websitehttp://www.welchmanpierpoint.com/blog/web-diet-how-simplify-your-web-site
Removing poor quality content increases customer satisfactionhttp://www.gerrymcgovern.com/new-thinking/removing-poor-quality-content-increases-customer-satisfaction
About Me
Doing content strategy since before content strategy was cool
Content strategy doer, manager, mentor,teacher, community leader since 1999
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