Content is the most important element of any website. User-oriented design focuses less on what you have to say and more on what the user needs to know. What features, functions, and content will users need to accomplish their goals?
Site Traffic & Web Analytics
Consider the most important and frequent tasks users want to complete on your site. You can begin by using the emails and phone calls your department receives to create a section with frequently asked questions. Key words and phrases in the content are very important. Most of the visitors to TravisCountyTX.gov find the content they need through search, not by navigating through the homepage and by department.
The webteam actively monitors site traffic and continually updates the website to enhance usability. The webteam can provide up-to-date traffic reports that analyze departmental site traffic. During any redesign process, search terms, page popularity, and other metrics strongly inform the site organization and information architecture.
General Style Principles
Readers have short attention spans for web copy; lead with the most important information:
- Use short words and phrases, rather than longer ones, and omit unnecessary words. Summarize the most important information in the first sentence.
- Keep it simple. Express one thought at a time, and use plain language.
- Don't use metaphors, figures of speech, and technical jargon unless they help make a point.
- Stick to the facts. Avoid stating personal opinions.
- Omit personal and private information from content (e.g., social security numbers, etc.).
- Omit any information that could be construed by the public as using the county resources for personal campaigning for elected officials.
Navigation and Organization
The webteam highlights the categories that have the highest web traffic, and organizes the site into logical topics to funnel users to appropriate content. Use commonly searched for words and terms relating to the topic to help users find the page through search. It is very important to organize content into service-oriented topics for the public, rather than Travis County’s internal, administrative structure.
View standard designs and layouts.
Left Navigation
- Aim to list alphabetically when possible, except for a contact page link at the bottom of the list.
- For large sites, organize content into broader categories.
- Try to keep link names as intuitive, and short as possible.
- Define acronyms.
Right navigation
- The right-side should include a contact box on the main landing page.
- The contact box may include the title and name the appropriate department head, a departmental phone number, and an email address, as well as any social media icons and links.
- Subpage navigation can highlight main categories.
File Naming Conventions
- For dated press releases you may label using YYMMDD convention, i.e. 130605-filename.pdf.
- Replace existing PDFs with the same title instead of renaming the file.
- Do not use capitalization or special characters.
- Do not include spaces, instead use a dashes "-" as needed.
- Try to keep the file name as short as possible.
- Good example: ccp3-training.pdf
- Bad example: January 20'th,2012 Commissioners Court Precinct 3 Training's & Stuff.pdf
Links
- Link titles help users predict what will happen if they follow a link.
- Link titles should be less than 80 characters, and should only rarely go above 60 characters. Shorter link titles are better.
- Links to PDF files and to outside websites should open in a new browser tab or window. Links to internal pages should open in the same browser window or tab.
Policies
Accessibility
Travis County takes accessibility very seriously. Text equivalents must be provided for all non-text elements that convey information, including images and graphical representations of text. This ensures that users with visual impairments who use screen readers or other assistive technologies have equal access to information.
Fundraiser Announcements
The webteam regularly posts information about county fundraisers that benefit charitable organizations. However, Information Technology Services staff is unable to send all-employee emails or post announcements for fundraisers that do not benefit charities.
