UM-Dearborn Home > Communications and Marketing > Web Services > Web Content - Best Practices

Web Content - Best Practices

1) Only one person is making changes to your site.

  • Helps to ensure accuracy
  • Gives your office one voice (rather than a crowd)
  • Responsibility

2)  Web responsibility is assigned to a staff member.

  • Student work is checked/ monitored by one staff member.
  • Staff member is trained and can use Typo3.
  • Staff member trains student in Typo3.
  • Staff members access is broader than the students.

3)  Remember your role is to add content.

  • Keep your site current.
  • People are scanning not reading most of your content.  Endless text or intro text is a thing of the past.
  • Until you’ve mastered your content management keep your bells and whistles to a minimum.

4)  Shift the way you think about advertising.

  • Don’t treat the web as an afterthought.
  • Web information is available 24/7.  Flyers are only available when walked past.
  • Post on the web first then post on Facebook.
    • Events only advertised on Facebook cannot be seen by all. 
  • Don't just upload a PDF document with info about your event.  Create a new page within your site. 
  • Information is more important than backgrounds and graphics.

5)  Photos and Graphics

  • Limit your use of photos and graphics so you can focus on what your audience really wants, good content.
  • ALL PHOTOS AND GRAPHICS MUST HAVE ALT TAGS!  Without exception!
  • Images should only be reduced when keeping the ratio of the image intact.  
  • White space is your friend.  Don’t start text right on top of an image.
  • Use color wisely. 
  • Remember the template.  So many ignore the fact the template already contains images and color blocks.  Don’t add to the eye confusion.

6)  Wording

  • UM-D is not an appropriate abbreviation for the University. The only acceptable abbreviation is UM-Dearborn
  • Using the term “Click here” is not an acceptable practice anymore.  Include the link in a sentence.
    • Old Way:  To find out more information click here.
    • New Way:  More information is available on our Student FAQ page.
  • Know your audience.  Don’t assume that common abbreviations are known.
    • TBA, Military time is not always understood.
    • EMSL and other university specific abbreviations mean nothing to most viewers. Make sure your content is clear to all viewers.
    • Some building abbreviations may also not be known. When possible, spell out the building name.

7)  Typo3 Tips

  • Solution for Tables:
    • Do them in Dreamweaver and copy and paste them into your page.