This guide is designed to help you create, manage and measure content for the web. Here, you’ll find some basic best practices for creating content that’s usable, accessible and aligns with UCLA’s brand guidelines. You’ll also find tips and resources for optimizing content for search engines, as well as analytics basics to help you measure performance and make data-driven decisions.
Usability is the practice of creating websites that are intuitive and easy to understand. By implementing some usability basics, you’ll create more effective content and a more positive experience for your users. Below are simple tips — see the links in the resources section below to learn more about the important and complex discipline of usability.
Simplify site navigation as much as possible, and make sure navigation is easy to use on all devices.
Establish credibility by using proper UCLA logos and images.
Use black text on plain, high-contrast backgrounds for better readability.
Double-check that all links are working correctly and don’t lead to 404 error pages.
When including forms, only ask for essential information.
Before launch, test your production site with real, in-person users.
Announce and communicate changes to a website after a major redesign.
Content strategy refers to the planning, creation, distribution, and management of content to achieve specific business objectives. It involves developing a strategic approach to content that aligns with the target audience’s needs, organizational goals, and brand values. A content strategy aims to guide content development and ensure that it effectively engages and meets the needs of the intended audience.
When planning and organizing content for your site consider organizational goals, the unique value your organization provides, your audiences needs, and how to best reach and retain those audiences.
Speak to an identifiable audience, consider their needs and goals and validate whenever possible.
Consider if you have directed (know who you are, know what they want) and undirected (unfamiliar with who are or what they need) audiences and plan communication accordingly.
Ideally content should be relevant, valuable, credible, discoverable, actionable, timely, compelling
Create web pages that are easy to scan, with clear labels for section headings and content categories, and without too many long blocks of text.
Use simple, clear language and avoid unnecessary jargon when possible. Remember to write your content for the public. The average national reading level is 8th grade. When you write at a higher reading level, you reduce your audience and the number of people who can benefit from your content.
Consider upkeep committment or a definitive ending for new initiatives - don’t abandon content.