{"id":4203,"date":"2013-07-11T10:33:24","date_gmt":"2013-07-11T14:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/?page_id=4203"},"modified":"2013-07-11T12:49:45","modified_gmt":"2013-07-11T16:49:45","slug":"content-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/content-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Content Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You can also view the full presentation: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/webteam\/projects\/10-ways-to-improve-your-web-content\/10-ways-to-improve-web-content.pdf\">10 Ways to Improve Your Web Content<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">1. Know your users.<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\n<em><\/p>\n<h4>Provide useful information based on your users&#8217; goals.<\/h4>\n<p><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Why do people visit your pages?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Information: What they&#8217;re hoping to learn<\/li>\n<li>Transactions: What they&#8217;re hoping to do<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">2. Be concise.<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\n<em><\/p>\n<h4>What can I absorb in about 3 seconds?<\/h4>\n<p><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Make it skimmable<\/li>\n<li>Provide simple, clear labels<\/li>\n<li>Avoid jargon<\/li>\n<li>Get to the point quickly<\/li>\n<li>Avoid filler and formality<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">3. Organize intuitively.<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Group content sections together into logical categories. <\/li>\n<li>Prioritize content based on your audiences&#8217; goals.\n<ol>\n<li>Primary content: gets most of front-and-center real estate.<\/li>\n<li>Related information: displayed prominently, usually to the right.<\/li>\n<li>Other information: the footbar, other right-hand widgets (usually news, your calendar, articles of interest, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">4. Emphasize keywords.<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#\">Click here<\/a> to apply. <\/p>\n<p><em>vs.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Find out <a href=\"#\">how to apply<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>BU welcomes international students from some 139 countries around the globe. Whether you&#8217;re interested in graduate or undergraduate study, our 16 schools and colleges have a variety of programs available. <a href=\"#\">Click here<\/a> for information on how to apply, or visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/degree-programs\">http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/degree-programs<\/a> for details.<\/p>\n<p>BU welcomes international students from some 139 countries around the globe. Whether you&#8217;re interested in graduate or undergraduate study, our 16 schools and colleges have a variety of programs available. Find out <a href=\"#\">how to apply<\/a>, or <a href=\"#\">browse our programs<\/a> for more details.<br \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">5. Format like a designer.<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Add structure: Use headings h1\u2013h3.<\/li>\n<li>Use bulleted and numbered lists.<\/li>\n<li>Apply tables where appropriate.<\/li>\n<li>Allow for extra space. (This gives the eyes a rest and helps them skim more effectively.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">6. Build on substance.<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\n<em><\/p>\n<h4>Don&#8217;t just say you&#8217;re great; prove it.<\/h4>\n<p><\/em><br \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">7. Write with style.<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Be conversational. (Use BU&#8217;s brand voice.)<\/li>\n<li>Use an active tone and actionable words.<\/li>\n<li>Use the correct terminology.<\/li>\n<li>When in doubt, check BU&#8217;s editorial style guide or the Chicago Manual of Style.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">8. Use meaningful visuals.<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\n<em><\/p>\n<h4>Users pay close attention to relevant photos and images. They ignore photos merely included as decorative artwork.<\/h4>\n<p><\/em><br \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">9. Embrace scrolling.<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Don&#8217;t write to the fold. It&#8217;s ok to scroll a few times to get to the end of a page.<\/li>\n<li>Combine short pages to make a longer, content-rich page.<\/li>\n<li>Prominently place:\n<ul>\n<li>Page title<\/li>\n<li>Navigation to main sections<\/li>\n<li>A search field<\/li>\n<li>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/provost\/\">value proposition<\/a> (the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/bulletin\/\">Bulletin<\/a> is another example)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">10. Keep it up.<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Don&#8217;t let news or events feeds go stale.<\/li>\n<li>Any social media destinations should be active.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid language that will appear dated almost instantly.<\/li>\n<li>Evaluate, and re-evaluate:\n<ol>\n<li>Is it useful information?<\/li>\n<li>Is it easy to skim?<\/li>\n<li>Is it pleasant to read?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You can also view the full presentation: 10 Ways to Improve Your Web Content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2696,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":30,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4203"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2696"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4203"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4253,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4203\/revisions\/4253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}