Content
Content Audit
As a communicator for many years, there is a natural inclination to read and interact with online content from an editor point of view. This includes noticing inconsistencies, missing information, clunky or broken navigation after or during the purpose of my site visit. I have yet to provide feedback via a contact us button for random companies, no matter how much I have wanted to.
Fast forward to learning about content management and realizing that there is an actual process used to conduct a website audit, including a site inventory. Often this is done for website rebrands or a desire to improve the user experience. Reviewing a single page and not the whole site for this assignment required interacting with the page from every possible point of view and entry point. The exercise prompts questions like, are the results the same? How did I get here and how can I go back? Is the website informative and easy to use?
The culmination of the audit is a recommendation report. This report is professionally written, undergoing edits and revisions to ensure it effectively highlights the process and results of the audit, communicates the findings and opportunities for consideration.
Content Strategy
Being introduced to Poppin’ Joe’s Gourmet Kettle Korn business was the highlight of my digital media course. You quickly learn that Joe has Down Syndrome, but that hasn’t kept him from creating a successful small business, with help from family, and being a treasured member of his community. While creating a fictitious company to test course objectives can be fun, using Joe’s website added an element of inspiration and enlightenment to each assignment throughout the course.
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As the class worked toward the final project, the content strategy proposal, each step along the way was filled with an eagerness to invest time and energy as if we were actually presenting to Poppin’ Joe’s. It was easy to develop personas of potential site visitors and local customers. Conducting peer competitive analysis uncovered other young adults with developmental challenges who were also operating small businesses, complete with an online presence. Inspired is an understatement.
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This was my first ever attempt at such an undertaking, my experience up to this point was writing an online newsletter (including coding), but the audience, style sheet, brand and strategy were pre-established. Learning the little we did about Joe’s company simply by reviewing the website and letting our imagination take hold, the report offered insight to a revised version of the website, and recommendations in other areas, including brand, intended to help this small business grow its brand and engage with the community.
