2010 Spring Conference2010 Spring ConferenceTelling Your StoryTelling Your Story

10 Best Practices for Government Websites10 Best Practices for Government WebsitesCandi Harrison – former Web Manager, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban DevelopmentCandi Harrison – former Web Manager, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

• People come to your website to complete a taskPeople come to your website to complete a tasko They know what they want before they arriveThey know what they want before they arriveo Don’t come to look around, read press releases, see Don’t come to look around, read press releases, see

how cool you arehow cool you are

• Want to satisfy your audience? Help them complete that Want to satisfy your audience? Help them complete that tasktasko Make it easy to findMake it easy to findo Make it easy to useMake it easy to useo Make it easy to succeedMake it easy to succeedo Especially the tasks used most often (“top tasks”)Especially the tasks used most often (“top tasks”)

• Use 10 best practices to serve your citizens wellUse 10 best practices to serve your citizens well

10 Best Practices for Government Websites10 Best Practices for Government Websites

1.1. Design/write so audience immediately knows what Design/write so audience immediately knows what the site is about, who it’s for, where they need to gothe site is about, who it’s for, where they need to go

o People decide if you have what they want in 7 People decide if you have what they want in 7 secondsseconds Based on first screen onlyBased on first screen only

o Feature most-used tasks in top left quadrant Feature most-used tasks in top left quadrant People scan top left to bottom rightPeople scan top left to bottom right

o Do not use large, rotating “feature” boxes to present Do not use large, rotating “feature” boxes to present top taskstop tasks Readers will not wait for the cycleReaders will not wait for the cycle

10 Best Practices for Government Websites10 Best Practices for Government Websites

2. Organize content in topics the audience understands2. Organize content in topics the audience understands o Organize website according to audience thinking – Organize website according to audience thinking –

not your org structurenot your org structure Usability tests show web users prefer topicsUsability tests show web users prefer topics

o Minimize the number of topicsMinimize the number of topics Amazon sells millions of products – uses 12 topicsAmazon sells millions of products – uses 12 topics

10 Best Practices for Government Websites10 Best Practices for Government Websites

3. 3. Make navigation easy to find, understand, and useMake navigation easy to find, understand, and use o Studies show web readers look for nav on the leftStudies show web readers look for nav on the left

Top nav can be confused with advertising and Top nav can be confused with advertising and ignoredignored

o Use words the audience uses Use words the audience uses o Make navigation consistent from page to pageMake navigation consistent from page to page

4. Format content for the web reader4. Format content for the web readero Use headers and sub-headers, bullets, and lists to Use headers and sub-headers, bullets, and lists to

make it easy to scan, find what you want make it easy to scan, find what you want o Use dark font color against a light background Use dark font color against a light background o Use a sans serif font to make it easy to read on the Use a sans serif font to make it easy to read on the

screenscreen

Serif vs. Sans Serif Serif vs. Sans Serif TypfaceTypface

Sans serif font Sans serif font ArialArial CalibriCalibri TahomaTahoma VerdanaVerdana

Serif font:Serif font: GaramondGaramond Times New RomanTimes New Roman

10 Best Practices for Government Websites10 Best Practices for Government Websites

5. Organize content to make it easy for audience to 5. Organize content to make it easy for audience to complete taskscomplete taskso Put most important information at the top Put most important information at the top o Make steps clear Make steps clear o Make content brief and to the pointMake content brief and to the pointo Anticipate questionsAnticipate questions

10 Best Practices for Government Websites10 Best Practices for Government Websites

6. Write content in plain language 6. Write content in plain language o Use words audience understands and searches for Use words audience understands and searches for o If the general public is the/a target audience, write If the general public is the/a target audience, write

content at 4th grade reading levelcontent at 4th grade reading levelo Make content conversationalMake content conversational

Use first (“I,” “we,” “us”) and second (“you”) personUse first (“I,” “we,” “us”) and second (“you”) persono Use active verbs (“start here,” “read this”) Use active verbs (“start here,” “read this”) o Omit unnecessary words (e.g. “welcome,” “our Omit unnecessary words (e.g. “welcome,” “our

mission is…,” “this website will…”) mission is…,” “this website will…”) o Resource: plainlanguage.govResource: plainlanguage.gov

10 Best Practices for Government Websites10 Best Practices for Government Websites

7. Make links clear and useful7. Make links clear and usefulo Link text tells readers what they will findLink text tells readers what they will find

No “click here” or “more”No “click here” or “more”o Layer content appropriately (not too deep)Layer content appropriately (not too deep)o No broken linksNo broken linkso Pick most useful linksPick most useful links

YouYou do the work – don’t make your readers do the work – don’t make your readers analyze/choose from a long list of linksanalyze/choose from a long list of links

10 Best Practices for Government Websites10 Best Practices for Government Websites

8. Use graphics only if they are essential to 8. Use graphics only if they are essential to communicate critical informationcommunicate critical informationo Why? Graphics can waste time (customers hate that!)Why? Graphics can waste time (customers hate that!)

Divert attention from task completionDivert attention from task completion Lengthen download on dial-up, cell phonesLengthen download on dial-up, cell phones

o No gratuitous graphicsNo gratuitous graphics No graphics just because they’re “cute” or “cool” No graphics just because they’re “cute” or “cool”

o No photos of agency executives on the home pageNo photos of agency executives on the home page Put them on the “about us” page Put them on the “about us” page

o Make sure graphics aid skimming – no “eye-stoppers”Make sure graphics aid skimming – no “eye-stoppers”

10 Best Practices for Government Websites10 Best Practices for Government Websites

9. Put contact information in plain sight9. Put contact information in plain sighto Include address, phone number(s), and email Include address, phone number(s), and email

address(es)address(es)o Can be linked from “contact us”Can be linked from “contact us”

10. Show that content is current10. Show that content is current o Show “date of last review or update” or “content Show “date of last review or update” or “content

current as of…” in plain sightcurrent as of…” in plain sight

Note: most of these principles apply to social media, too!Note: most of these principles apply to social media, too!

10 Best Practices for Government Websites10 Best Practices for Government Websites

Resources• Websites

o Usability.govo Plainlanguage.govo Webcontent.gov

• Newsletterso Gerry McGovern’s newsletter: gerrymcgovern.como Pew Internet and American Life newsletter: pewinternet.org

• Bookso Killer Web Content – Gerry McGoverno Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content That Works -

Janice (Ginny) Redish• Blogs

o Candi on Content (candioncontent.blogspot.com)o Ondotgov (ondotgov.com)