Creating a new web page
No new pages may be created on the website without the agreement of the Digital Communications team.
Content coordinators should follow the process detailed below in order to add a new page to their section of a website. If they wish to add a page to another section of the website, they should first get in contact with the relevant content coordinator for that website section.
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There must be a user need in order to create a new web page. This should be translated into a user story in the following format:
As a (persona),
I want to (task),
so that I can (goal).Once completed, this should be submitted to itservicedesk@st-andrews.ac.uk for approval.
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When the Digital Communications team receives a request for a new page to be created, they will assess the request on three levels:
- Is there a strong user need for this content? Does data support the need for this new content?
- Is this the location the user would expect to find the content within and does this content already exist elsewhere on the website?
- Is this content a priority according to the digital strategy and business objectives?
If a piece of content meets these criteria, the Digital Communications team will confirm that the new page can be built and update the information architecture. They will then create the relevant sections and pages within the content management system, ready to be populated with content. If the Digital Communications team does not think a piece of content meets these criteria, they will email you to explain why the new page has not been approved.
Examples of reasons that a new page may not be approved include:
- The content already exists elsewhere on the website.
- The new page would require significant development time and is not a priority according to the business objectives.
- The suggested location is not the right section of the website for the user.
- Data suggests that very few users are looking for this content.
- This content would be better communicated via another channel, such as email.
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Once a new page has been approved and the Digital Communications team has confirmed where it should sit in the information architecture, content coordinators should gather facts and information about the page to populate it with content. This may include taking information from a print publication, from University laws and regulations, from external bodies or from the experience of those knowledgeable about the subject. Content coordinators should confirm that these facts are up to date and relevant.
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After the key facts and information have been established, content coordinators are encouraged to write the content of a web page in Word Online. This makes it easy for content coordinators to share the content with other staff as required.
The content must be written in a web-accessible manner and follow the content standards as outlined to content coordinators during training.
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Once the content has been written by the content coordinator, it should be checked by someone who has knowledge over the content for factual accuracy. Content knowledge holders who have not completed writing for the web training will not be able to make changes to the content based on style.
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Once the content coordinator is satisfied that the content is factually correct, they should upload the content to the content management system. The section and pages will have already been created by the Digital Communications team, so content coordinators should populate each section and page with the relevant content.
At this point, content coordinators should also add in any links, media library files, calls to action or asides, as shown in the moderator training sessions. Content coordinators should never amend the navigation or section structure as created by the Digital Communications team.
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Using the preview mode in the content management system, the content coordinator should check over the content which is due to go live. This includes ensuring all media library files are loading, that the content does not include any typos, and that all links work and go to the relevant web address.
The content coordinator should then pass the content to the Digital Communications team to conduct a final QA before going live.
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Once the content has received final approval by the Digital Communications team, the page can be published out. Content coordinators are reminded that the University's content management system does not publish immediately, and it may take up to two hours for a new page to be live on the website.
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Finally, once the content coordinator has published a new web page, they should alert the Digital Communications team and any other staff who may need to be informed. Content coordinators should send a link to the live version of a newly published page as soon as possible once the new content is accessible.