Website Content Guide

Our new Council website is designed to be citizen-centric with greater transactional functionality in line with our Customer Service approach of ‘click, call, come in’. The project to consisted of desk research, internal stakeholder workshops, resident (user) testing and Accessibility testing.

All of this allowed the website developers working with the project team to create a new site structure aimed at ensuring that users can find what they are looking for more quickly and easily.

The design has also changed. The visuals take on board everything that was learned through the above process to create a modern, clean site designed to promote the Council’s online services and improve the customer experience

The new website has been designed to function well on mobile devices. This is because analysis shows us that approximately 60% of our online customers now visit the site using their mobile phone rather than a laptop/desktop or tablet.

The priority for developing the site is to increase the range of transactions that customers can carry out online.

Based on recommended best practice, efficiency and consistency, we operate a centralised approach to updating the website. This guide explains how you can arrange to update content or create new content for your service area.

The Digital  Communication Assistants are part of the Communications & Engagement team, based in the Council’s Southbank Marina HQ.

Day-to-day responsibility for the website sits with the Communications & Engagement team that comprises the Digital Assistants, Communications Advisers and Graphic Designers and they all have a role to play.

The structure of the Council website is based on public understanding of Council services that were identified via our research and design workshops, as well as the most popular areas to create a more customer-friendly experience.

New and amended content for the website should be requested through an ICT Change Request Form.

Services should continue to prepare the content required for service web pages. Once drafted, a Change Request form with all relevant attachments and links should be completed and submitted.

As with all change requests, you will receive an email confirming that you have submitted the form. Your line manager will receive an email asking them to authorise the request.

Once the request is authorised it will be allocated to the Digital Communication Assistants. They will advise if they need any additional information or clarification.

Service areas should still continue to review their content on the Council website to ensure that it is up to date and still relevant. If any updates are required these should also be made through a Change Request form.

The changes can be described directly on the form or by attaching a document with the details included. As above, once your line manager authorises the change request, it will then be allocated to the Digital Communication Assistants to be progressed. They will be in touch if they need any other information from you or clarification.

The change request process should also be used if documents or links attached to webpages need to be changed or updated as well as changes to the page itself. Ensure that any new links or attachments are included and that you clearly identify which need to be removed.

If you need to update the website because of changes to service delivery or because new services are being introduced, the website content will likely be just one part of the communications required.

You should therefore speak to the Communications & Engagement team who will prepare a wider communications plan that identifies all the communications you need to put in place (marketing materials, media messages, social media messages, internal communications etc.). The website content will then be prepared following these discussions and submitted using the change request form as described above.

Surveys must be created by the Communications & Engagement team using the Council’s online survey tool . If you want to carry out an online survey, you should again contact the team to discuss the content the content of your survey, the timing and how it will be promoted (online, social media, media, posters and flyers etc.)

Once the content and timescales are agreed, the survey should be requested using the change request form as described above.

Writing for the web is not the same as printed media. The content of printed materials should not simply be copied on to a web page, it will need to be edited.

Successful writing on the web should be:

• Concise, efficient and informative
• Written knowing that it will be scanned by the reader rather than read
• Objective - using the Council ‘voice’, with a consistent tone
• Familiar, but not over-friendly
• Simple and free of jargon, abbreviations and acronyms – use Plain English
• Written assuming that the web user has not necessarily read preceding pages
• Written not assuming prior knowledge of the Council (structure, priorities etc)
• Spell checked and proofed.

Website visitors will be looking for information on the Council, its structure, councillors and committees. The content you create should be specific to the audience you are targeting.

Keeping content simple and straightforward

Keeping the content simple does not mean avoiding the use of technical terms. You can use them but you need to explain what they mean. All technical terms and unusual terms should be clearly explained.

Good online content is easy to read and understand. Try to use:

• Short sentences
• Sub-headed sections
• Simple vocabulary.

You should also make sure text is gender neutral wherever possible - eg firefighters not firemen, Chair instead of Chairman, spokesperson not spokesman, etc.

Avoid formal or long words when easy or short ones will do:

• 'Buy' instead of 'purchse'
• 'Help' instead of 'assist'
• 'About' instead of ‘approximately’
• 'More' instead of 'additional'. 

Try to use the active rather than passive voice.

Active example: The Council is achieving greater results due to excellent work with the Trust.
Passive example: Excellent work with the Trust has led to greater results being achieved by the Council

Reading versus scanning

People read differently on a screen.

• They read more slowly
• They tend to scan, so headings are very important
• They rarely read things in order.

If you are converting existing documents for the web, please remove references to specific pages and the order of sections. Replace these with direct links to named sections or pages wherever necessary.

Make it easy for the reader to access more information by providing links where possible, including links to the author or appropriate organisation that created the document.

Images

Images should be used carefully to ensure they add value. They should not create clutter on a page as this slows visitors down and creates obstacles.

The standard size of embedded images on web pages should be 200 x 200. This is best achieved by editing the original image using a graphics application such as Paint before uploading. This changes both the size of the displayed image and the size of the file.

Be aware that some software packages only change the displayed size of the image not the file size. This can result in poor web performance for the users if the file size is too large.

Images to be used on the Hub slideshow need to be 1250 x 450.

Accessibility Regulations came in to force for pre-existing public sector websites in September 2020.

It is the responsibility of the Council Service to ensure that any documents that need to be added to the Council website are accessible.

Documents must be appropriately structured, are tagged, use titles and headings within the programmes they are creating them in and not simply underlining or using bold for headings or new sections.

Any images in a document must have ‘alt text’ applied to describe them, so that a screen reader can understand the content for those that use screen reader technology. Tables must also always be formatted so that they meet accessibility standards and can be understood by screen reader technology. This includes ensuring all tables include a summary of what is contained within it.

The publication of PDFs should be a last resort for accessibility. The most accessible website content should be published within a web page and the information should be as simple and straightforward as possible.

If a document attached to a page is the only way that information can be published, then it must be created in an accessible format. Programmes such as Microsoft Word have accessibility checkers built into the programme, and these should be used to ensure the document is accessible. Only accessible Word documents should be converted to PDF and the accessibility criteria should be included within the PDF.

Our Website Accessibility Guidance section should be consulted if you’re unsure of how to make a document accessible. Please ensure that any content for the website has been made accessible before submitting it for publication.

If you need assistance or advice on creating new pages or sections of the website, before completing your Change Request form, please contact webmaster@eastdunbarton.gov.uk.