Developing content audits with purpose: make them work for you
Linda Jameson (she/her), Website Content Manager at Newcastle University
University websites are huge. They’re complicated. Content gets added daily but very little is taken away. It’s tempting to ignore the problem, but you are damaging user experience, content performance and your organisation’s reputation.
This is where an audit comes in. When designed effectively and purposefully, they can help you make sense of the mess. Audits can support change in your university. From a drive to reduce page count, to improving content accessibility, the audit is your friend.
If we’re being honest, senior stakeholders often dismiss audits as complicated or dull: it’s so important that we communicate findings well.
In this session, Linda Jameson will share examples of audits, explain how to complete them effectively, make sure they are full of actions, and, importantly, are taken seriously by the influencers in your organisation.
Takeaways:
Understand how to define the purpose of an audit to guarantee success
Practical advice on setting up your audit with suggested templates, tools and tips to help you
How to act on your findings – from getting buy in for change, to actioning ‘quick wins’.
Bio
Linda Jameson is a self-confessed spreadsheet geek and loves making sense of digital mess. This talk is inspired by this need to organise stuff.
She has worked with web content in Higher Education for over 20 years, and currently leads a team of digital editors at Newcastle University with responsibility for supporting digital developments, campaigns and championing accessibility.
Linda also worked at Pickle Jar Communications on a range of content strategy and research projects – with plenty of audits thrown in too. Linda also delivered a talk on Taxonomy at Utterly Content 2021.
