Getting the content right

Nothing different here; the same principles as for help files, brochures, user guides, marketing mailshots…………….

To be useful, your web pages must give users information they need or are interested in or they must help users carry out some important task (such as order software). It is easy to take it for granted that the information you put on the page is relevant when it’s not.

If the information is useless, nothing else matters. Nobody will read it. So what to do?

• Make relevant, high-quality content your number one priority. Everything else is secondary, including look and feel and ease of use
• Make sure you know why you are publishing the information. "Because we have it" isn't the right answer. Who will read the information and why?
• Tell people how your site is relevant to them. I know it should be obvious but it isn't always

Your site should also have enough information to be relevant to more than a niche audience. However, if the subject matter is too broad, the goal of the site may be unclear. Links, archives, or search engines can provide a balance between providing valuable content and providing so much information that your site is hard to use or understand.

Up-to-date information is more reliable and more interesting than out-of-date information. Your pages should contain the latest information available and clearly tell people when and how often you update the content. Don’t count on people browsing around to discover that you have new content.