6 Commonly Unanswered Web Usability and SEO Questions
Some web usability and SEO questions are rarely discussed because they’re either controversial or misunderstood. Below I try to offer—along with the help of some experts—clear–cut answers to a few of these troubling questions [...]
Best Practices: A Worthwhile Discipline
Web publishers, like myself, often promote best practices: design with web standards; think like a publisher; develop a content strategy; make your site accessible, usable, and SEO friendly. Most advocates talk from experience, which makes the advice more meaningful. After all, practice makes perfect (or at the very least, better). However, I was recently reminded that “saying and doing [...]
Content First: Step One in Web Marketing
I often find myself having to convince people of the need for and value of content in web marketing. Valuable content is necessary to attract and retain readers. I recently participated in a web marketing planning session where we addressed concern over lack of repeat website visitors, especially within the organization. The problem seemed apparent to me: outdated content. However, making [...]
Why PDFs are Bad for the Web and How to Make Them Better
I used to be a strong advocate for using PDFs. They are easy to create, view, and distribute—especially for those who deal with cross-platform and application compatibility issues. But what I didn’t foresee was how PDFs would be used to circumvent the web publishing process, compromising effective web writing, usability, accessibility, and search engine optimization (SEO). Now I lament [...]
FAQs Pages: Good Web Usability or Outdated Content Strategy?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) pages are a common component of business websites (including higher education) and an important consideration when developing your content strategy and web usability plan. But, is it the best option for your organization’s website? The answer depends on the needs of your target audience and how your FAQs page is implemented and maintained [...]
Should site visitors always get what they want?
I recently helped a school publish an online orientation guide that included a listing of recommended books for this fall’s incoming class. The reading list was not a mandatory one, but rather a collection of favorite books offered up by faculty and staff. I thought the list was a good idea and added value to the guide. In creating the page I linked the book titles to Amazon.com. Offering this [...]
Think More Like a Publisher and Less Like a Marketer (and Other Lessons From eduWeb 2009)
Last week I attended the eduWeb Conference in Chicago. It was a great opportunity to meet other higher-ed web professionals and discuss common challenges and creative solutions. Some popular topics included social media, online marketing, user-generated content, web design best practices, content strategy, and search engine optimization. There is a great deal of information [...]