Web Content Creation Guidelines

Website Pages

Rather than “reading” webpages like an article, web audiences scan pages for information to accomplish specific tasks, particularly when they are navigating through a large website. Generally, we have only 5 to 20 seconds to grab a reader’s attention.

• Keep content simple and the structure logical.
• Keep it short:
  • headers: 1-6 words (5-30 characters)
  • subheads: 1-6 words (5-30 characters)
  • sentences: 1-20 words
  • paragraphs: 1-5 sentences
  • documents: 300-500 words
• State the clear purpose for each page and section.
• Address the reader’s needs
• Clearly state the next step
• Use active voice and verbs
• Use “we” and “you”
• Omit needless words
• Avoid jargon and obscure acronyms
• Create concise, informative page titles
• Use “sentence case” in headers
• Front load key information
• Use short chunks of information
• Have all content proofread

Blogs

We follow a different template for blog writing. While blogs can be informative like web pages, they also include a story element that necessitates unique considerations. Below outlines our blog template.

HED: [~60 characters, 8-12 words max] This is the main title of the article. It should be informative and attention-grabbing.
DEK: [1-2 short sentences] This is the tagline that expands on the title and adds further context. When posting the blog, we also use this as a summary.
Social: This will not be published with the blog. Instead, we use it when promoting the blog on social media. We include it with the blog draft so that it can be reviewed at the same time and to expedite the posting process.
Article Text: [700-1500 words] This will be the main body text of the blog.

Blog best practices

• Begin with lead paragraph: This introduces the main point conveyed in the blog and provides a high-level summary.
• Support the lead paragraph with additional paragraphs: These should expand on the ideas discussed in the lead paragraph.
• Optional: Use two to three sub-heads to break up the text. While it’s usually best to include sub-heads, if the blog is short, sub-heads are not necessary.
• Conclude your blog in the final paragraph: summarize your discussion and clearly drive home your main point.
• Include a call to action (CTA) to further engage readers: This usually comes at the end of the blog. Our standard CTA encourages readers to “fill out the form below” (referring to an RFI (Request for Information) form we add when posting). The TCS System marketing team will write and add the CTA but please include a note with the draft if you have a special request.

Questions to consider when writing

• What is the intention of your blog? What can you communicate about the school you are highlighting? These answers should focus your writing.
• Who is the intended audience for your blog? Make sure you are writing for your intended audience to comprehend—and in a way that catches their attention. Though your article may address complicated academic research, be sure to write for a general audience. We suggest to “write for a seventh grader,” which is the level of comprehension for an average newspaper story.