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1. How should I approach a site and its content?

Be realistic:

  • Create your content BEFORE you start to make pages and folders.
  • NO ‘page under construction’ messages.
  • No folders without pages with real content.
  • Simplify your content and everyone’s life.
  • We can only help with style when the content is only content (code is “clean”).
  • Think also of the next person in your job working with those web pages.
  • Take yourself out of the Microsoft Word work habit of ‘styling everything”.
  • Organize: concepts to groups of concepts which delivers a coherent message.

2. When should I use a sub folder?

If a concept needs more than one page and is a distinct category from the other pages in the parent folder.

So if I have pages about a concept like this it is one folder

  • concept 1
  • concept 2
  • concept 3

If concept 3 is more than one page make a subfolder so the pages are like this

  • concept 1
  • concept 2
  • concept 3a
    • concept 3b
    • concept 3c

3. What is an index page?

Each folder that is included in the navigation needs a page named 'index' at the top of the folder sort order. This is the 'home' page for that folder. When someone uses the breadcrumb links at the top of the content or the left side navigation they will go to the index page of that folder when it is clicked on.

Use the index page to convey, explain, or summarize the folder’s concept and/or list an explanation of the sub pages.

4. Why should I use Metadata?

Fill in the metadata of each page (spaces and caps ok but avoid special characters).

The metadata serve many purposes:

  1. Display Name: what the link will say in the left navigation, in the breadcrumb, and the banner on top of that page.
  2. Title: what will show at the top of the browser or tab when page is displayed. Also shown in search results.
  3. Keywords: will help search results for UAS and for Google
  4. Description: short description what is this page about beyond the ‘Display Name’. This is displayed in some search results. It is also used in some of the site maps to explain what a page is for.

5. How do I write good content for the web?

Break the statements into digestible pieces. Remember, although we are a University we are not usually writing for college graduates  (except in Graduate level courses).

Don't assume that anyone understands your department abreviations.

Present the concept of the page clearly with:

  • Short paragraphs
  • Use headers to organize the concepts (header2, header3. Header1 is created automatically from the page's display name)
  • Use lists (unorder list or ordered list)
  • Use photos when they advance the explanation of the concept. See photo preparation »