Developing Web Content

Developing content for the web should be a strategic decision. First decision is whether the website is the best place for the content. The next part in developing content is to ensure that what you write will be read and, if needed, acted upon.

Content Placement Decision

Why is the web the only place for the content?

• Is the information elsewhere?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Would it work better as a poster, a handout, word-of-mouth, or training?

What type of content best communicates the information? (text, picture, video, infographic)

What is the priority of the content in relation to existing web content?

Writing for Web Readers

• Write high-quality content in bite-size pieces of 250 words or less.
• Don’t bloat content with generic information or information that is elsewhere. Write content that makes UNCSA distinctive and engaging.
• Write as if it is a “Need-to-Know” basis. People don’t want to know everything, just what you promised in the headline or the link.
• Know the reader.
  • What does the audience already know and what do they need to be told?
  • What is interesting and relevant?
• Explain your topic in a simple, short sentence.
• Be clear and specific in what you want the reader to do after reading the information.
• Generally speaking, specific is best.
• Write inclusively by not using UNCSA terms and acronyms without an explanation of references like D&P, Intensive Arts, Banner, and E-Z Arts.
• If a sentence, phrase, or word is particularly important or significant, use bold or italics to add stress.
• But don’t overdo it. If everything is emphasized, nothing is. (See what we mean?)
• For long content, use sub-heads to help in scanning the page.
• Use clear examples to help readers understand difficult concepts.
• Use bulleted lists to:
  • Group related items
  • Break up large content to more easily scan
• A link to an external site shouldn’t be more interesting than reading your next sentence.
• Be unforgettable. Imagine the emotion you want the reader to feel: happy, intrigued, curious, confident, inspired, or determined. Feel the emotion yourself, and then write.