Web Content: build and engage your audience Madeleine Sugden Content Manager www.knowhownonprofit.org

What is web content for? Culture and heritage: Proof of existence – ‘about us / visit us’ 24/7 learning resource Added-value – find out more / interact / shop / support us

Culture and heritage:

Proof of existence – ‘about us / visit us’

24/7 learning resource

Added-value – find out more / interact / shop / support us

5 questions Five things to think about to help you make the most out of your web content….

Five things to think about to help you make the most out of your web content….

1. Audience Will they get beyond your homepage? Who are you talking to? Are you using the right language? Are you current? How do you know what the audience wants?

Will they get beyond your homepage?

Who are you talking to?

Are you using the right language?

Are you current?

How do you know what the audience wants?

Eg1 Museum of Witchcraft Clearly says who they are and what they are about But it doesn’t engage Navigation is cluttered – where do you start? Who is this site for?

Clearly says who they are and what they are about

But it doesn’t engage

Navigation is cluttered – where do you start?

Who is this site for?

Eg2 Walsall Art Gallery Too much text Broken pictures This page should be a shop window for the gallery inviting me in not telling me all their stories at once

Too much text

Broken pictures

This page should be a shop window for the gallery inviting me in not telling me all their stories at once

Eg3 Tyne and Wear Museums Very warm, engaging and welcoming Is current – what’s on, podcasts Invites the reader in…

Very warm, engaging and welcoming

Is current – what’s on, podcasts

Invites the reader in…

Eg4 Porthcurno Museum Clearly separates information for different audiences

Clearly separates information for different audiences

Eg5 Museum of Brands Who is this information for?

Who is this information for?

Eg6 Visit Britain Written for the audience + other pages do the same Giving the audience what they want

Written for the audience + other pages do the same

Giving the audience what they want

Eg7 Working with Men Online questionnaire to find out what users think about the site Shows that they value the views of the audience

Online questionnaire to find out what users think about the site

Shows that they value the views of the audience

Eg8 Friends of the Earth Sharing the results of a previous survey Keeping audience informed of views and changes that will be made Really good content – clearly in touch with audience (eg Pub Ammo)

Sharing the results of a previous survey

Keeping audience informed of views and changes that will be made

Really good content – clearly in touch with audience (eg Pub Ammo)

2. Presentation Are you helping skim reading? Are you writing for the web? Is information easy to find? How much information are you giving? How are you using images? Is your site accessible?

Are you helping skim reading?

Are you writing for the web?

Is information easy to find?

How much information are you giving?

How are you using images?

Is your site accessible?

Eg9 London Canal Museum Too much text written in big blocks Not easy to skim read

Too much text written in big blocks

Not easy to skim read

Eg10 Samuel Johnson Text is well broken up into one idea per paragraph Only basic information given here – where do I go if I want more?

Text is well broken up into one idea per paragraph

Only basic information given here – where do I go if I want more?

Eg11 Shakespeare’s Birthplace Good use of headings to break up text but still quite hard to read. Sentences are long (ideally should be 10-20 words on the web)

Good use of headings to break up text but still quite hard to read.

Sentences are long (ideally should be 10-20 words on the web)

Eg12 British Heart Foundation Content well written for the web Good, clear headings Short bulleted lists Images to bring to life Written for the audience

Content well written for the web

Good, clear headings

Short bulleted lists

Images to bring to life

Written for the audience

Eg13 Porthcurno Museum Lots of information, hard to skim read Navigation links on left are hard to read as they are printed over a detailed image Don’t make people work to find information

Lots of information, hard to skim read

Navigation links on left are hard to read as they are printed over a detailed image

Don’t make people work to find information

Eg14 St Albans Museum Links at bottom not presented well ‘Click here to find out more information about …’ is a lot to process before getting to the important words. Simple, meaningful links work best ‘Click here’ is inelegant and on its own not accessible

Links at bottom not presented well

‘Click here to find out more information about …’ is a lot to process before getting to the important words.

Simple, meaningful links work best

‘Click here’ is inelegant and on its own not accessible

Eg15 Whitby Well presented content They’ve thought what else the audience might want – local weather, places to stay, events They’ve made it easy to find everything out about this venue

Well presented content

They’ve thought what else the audience might want – local weather, places to stay, events

They’ve made it easy to find everything out about this venue

Eg16 Lives of Buildings event Readers are having to work to find information – need to read whole thing

Readers are having to work to find information – need to read whole thing

Eg17 Royal Armouries Inspiring events Great pictures Clearly labelled Easy to see what’s on

Inspiring events

Great pictures

Clearly labelled

Easy to see what’s on

3. Medium Content isn’t just printed words Are you using the best format to bring the content to life? Are you using audio / video? Is it interesting / fun / useful?

Content isn’t just printed words

Are you using the best format to bring the content to life?

Are you using audio / video?

Is it interesting / fun / useful?

Eg18 John’s story Great story – his own words We know what he looks like But we can’t hear his voice…

Great story – his own words

We know what he looks like

But we can’t hear his voice…

Eg19 Equipment at sea Background, photo, voice Good practice – file format and length specified Accessibility – text equivalent Find out more – other audio to listen to

Background, photo, voice

Good practice – file format and length specified

Accessibility – text equivalent

Find out more – other audio to listen to

Eg20 – Liverpool Museums Well integrated audio – audio not just in its own bit on the site ‘while you listen’ Transcript available

Well integrated audio – audio not just in its own bit on the site ‘while you listen’

Transcript available

Eg21 Great Fire of London Game / learning site from Museum of London Great way of giving content and atmosphere – bringing it to life with voices and sounds

Game / learning site from Museum of London

Great way of giving content and atmosphere – bringing it to life with voices and sounds

Eg22 Your day out in Yorkshire Interactive day-planner Fun and useful Accessibility?

Interactive day-planner

Fun and useful

Accessibility?

Eg23 Hackney Museum Virtual tour round the museum There is no one there – doesn’t make me want to visit No explanation of what I am seeing Could have been so much better

Virtual tour round the museum

There is no one there – doesn’t make me want to visit

No explanation of what I am seeing

Could have been so much better

4. Marketing Help people find your site Search engines Use all channels available Integrate on and offline activities

Help people find your site

Search engines

Use all channels available

Integrate on and offline activities

Eg24 Google search How do people get to your website? They will search for you by name or by topic What words do people use – are these finding your website? Check yourself ‘ Victorian homes’ doesn’t find Geffrye or Black Country Museum

How do people get to your website?

They will search for you by name or by topic

What words do people use – are these finding your website? Check yourself

‘ Victorian homes’ doesn’t find Geffrye or Black Country Museum

Eg25 Colossus BBC tour Great content on BBC How are Bletchley taking advantage of this?

Great content on BBC

How are Bletchley taking advantage of this?

Eg26 Bletchley Park They’re not….

They’re not….

Eg27 Jorvik Viking Centre One of their characters has friends on Facebook Good way of keeping like-minded people in touch with what’s new

One of their characters has friends on Facebook

Good way of keeping like-minded people in touch with what’s new

Eg28 National Media Museum Keeping followers up-to-date on Twitter Is Twitter mentioned on their site?

Keeping followers up-to-date on Twitter

Is Twitter mentioned on their site?

Eg29 Eureka Upload pictures of your visit to Flickr Helping to build the community of visitors

Upload pictures of your visit to Flickr

Helping to build the community of visitors

Eg30 Medical London walks Online extension to book / pack they sell Video of walk curator on the walk talking about the subject Great added-value

Online extension to book / pack they sell

Video of walk curator on the walk talking about the subject

Great added-value

Eg32 IWMN Big Picture Amazing in-person experience at the museum Write-up not inspiring

Amazing in-person experience at the museum

Write-up not inspiring

5. Interact From passive readers to active users Help your visitors to spread the word Make it easy to interact / get involved Take advantage of influence windows

From passive readers to active users

Help your visitors to spread the word

Make it easy to interact / get involved

Take advantage of influence windows

Eg33/34 Museum of Wales ‘ I’ve been here, it was great’ – use eCards and virtual love spoons to spread the word

‘ I’ve been here, it was great’ – use eCards and virtual love spoons to spread the word

Eg35 Barley Hall Involve local people

Involve local people

Eg26 Kent Police Museum Invitation to donate something but full information about how to do this not given User will have to search for contact details for curator as they are not presented on the page

Invitation to donate something but full information about how to do this not given

User will have to search for contact details for curator as they are not presented on the page

Eg27 Sponsor a value Interactive opportunity that is appropriate to the audience Fun and engaging

Interactive opportunity that is appropriate to the audience

Fun and engaging

Eg28 History of Lego Wasted opportunity to let people share their memories of childhood toys – send your comments / join a discussion / send us your pictures

Wasted opportunity to let people share their memories of childhood toys – send your comments / join a discussion / send us your pictures

Eg29 eNewsletter sign=up Sign-up confirmed but what else can I do? Give me other ways I can get involved – events, become a friend etc Take advantage of the engagement someone is already giving you

Sign-up confirmed but what else can I do?

Give me other ways I can get involved – events, become a friend etc

Take advantage of the engagement someone is already giving you

Eg30 Plane Stupid People want to engage – don’t apologise for it!

People want to engage – don’t apologise for it!

Eg31 Oxfam Add a donation included in shop More likely to add donation at this point Oxfam are making it easy

Add a donation included in shop

More likely to add donation at this point

Oxfam are making it easy

5 questions - PAMMI P resentation A udience M edium M arketing I nteract

P resentation

A udience

M edium

M arketing

I nteract

Madeleine Sugden Content Manager KnowHow NonProfit www.knowhownonprofit.org