{"id":560,"date":"2011-04-04T08:29:36","date_gmt":"2011-04-04T12:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meetcontent.com\/?p=560"},"modified":"2017-04-19T23:58:01","modified_gmt":"2017-04-20T03:58:01","slug":"three-higher-ed-content-problems-a-strategy-can-solve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meetcontent.com\/blog\/three-higher-ed-content-problems-a-strategy-can-solve\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Higher Ed Content Problems a Strategy Can Solve"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Problems
Solve common higher education content problems<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the goals of Meet Content is to make content strategy more tangible for higher education web professionals. Many discussions on content strategy (including those led by me) look at it from a wide-angle lens, which demonstrates the necessary holistic approach to content. However, this approach can also make the discipline seem overwhelming and unmanageable. So, to bridge the gap between concepts and daily challenges, I’d like to highlight three common higher education content problems that a content strategy can solve. <\/p>\n

FAQ pages<\/h2>\n

The problem with most FAQ pages is they don\u2019t offer actual user questions. Instead, they answer questions content owners expect users to ask\u2014or worse, questions content owners want<\/em> users to ask. As a result, FAQ pages become miscellaneous content buckets to drop information that doesn\u2019t have a home. They’re used as a crutch. If you need a FAQ page to communicate important, valuable information, then the web content it supports is likely ineffective. <\/p>\n

FAQ pages done right<\/h3>\n
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FAQ pages become miscellaneous content buckets to drop information that doesn\u2019t have a home.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Although I caution people about using FAQ pages, there are appropriate uses. Simply stated, if it meets user needs, a FAQ page is appropriate. You can evaluate your FAQ page through user research, usability studies and analytics analysis. Understanding how users seek information is necessary for creating effective web content. <\/p>\n

Done well, FAQ pages demonstrate good customer service by providing actual user questions and answers. Publishing user questions allows others to benefit from the answers. This builds trust and loyalty as readers feel they are being heard. FAQ pages can also support search engine optimization (SEO) by including "real-world" questions and keywords.<\/p>\n

Regardless of whether a FAQ page is appropriate or not, I encourage organizations to maintain an internal list of common questions. These may come from offline sources, such as the Admissions Office or Student Services. Such questions can provide invaluable information for understanding user intent and creating content that meets users\u2019 needs. <\/p>\n

For a great list of FAQ page problems and solutions, check out Rahel Bailie’s post on how to create useful FAQ pages<\/a>. <\/p>\n

PDFs<\/h2>\n
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PDFs are web pages if they\u2019re on your website.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Higher education loves PDFs. Academic websites are littered with them. It’s easy to understand why: they are easy to create, they preserve page layout and design, and they offer security to manage access and use. The problem is they often result in poor web writing, inconsistent design and branding, poor usability, poor accessibility and poor SEO. Oops! <\/p>\n

Because PDFs are easy to create and distribute, they are often employed as a shortcut to publishing online\u2014bypassing the publishing process and resulting in poorly developed web content. Why deal with an editorial process when you can "Save as PDF"? <\/p>\n

Consider quality PDFs a low priority? Think again. An informal advanced Google search shows that PDFs represent nearly 30 percent of all public-facing higher ed web-based file types.¹<\/strong> How many of those PDFs at your institution meet your style guidelines? If you’re like most, the answer is "not many." <\/p>\n

PDFs have appropriate applications, but they are never an adequate substitute for standard web pages.<\/p>\n

PDFs done right<\/h3>\n

If PDFs are part of your content strategy and included in your editorial process, then they can be implemented effectively. <\/p>\n