Diagnosing and Solving Content Problems
Intelligent Content Conference 2014
Kathy Wagner and Theresa Putkey
Before we get started
• Ask questions to clarify as we go
• Hold comments and discussion points until the end
• Presentation is on Slideshare
• Twitter: #SolveContent
Theresa Putkey
@tputkey
slideshare.net/tputkey
Kathy Wagner
@Kathy_CS_IncSlideshare.net/content_strategy_inc
Imagine…
You’re an independent consultant who’s been asked to advise on
how to improve the content on a bank’s business website.
The bank is a national financial institution with a strong global
presence.
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The project team
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Where you fit in
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Your process
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Diagnosing Content Problems
High level diagnostic process
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Content Performance
Web analytics
Business goals
Strategic direction
Customer Experience
Data & demographics
User testing reports
Personas & scenarios
User journeys
Organization and Structure
Wireframes
Templates
Taxonomy
Content models
Content requirements
Site map
Content Branding
Messaging guidelines
Tone & voice guidelines
Content playbook
Content Quality
Writing style guide
Content processes
Content governance
Review Documents & Research
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Document & Research Problem Areas
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Content Performance
Web analytics
Business goals
Strategic direction
Customer Experience
Data & demographics
User testing reports
Personas & scenarios
User journeys
Organization and Structure
Wireframes
Templates
Taxonomy
Content models
Content requirements
Site map
Content Branding
Messaging guidelines
Tone & voice guidelines
Content playbook
Content Quality
Writing style guide
Content processes
Content governance
Stakeholder Interviews
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Interview a breadth of stakeholders:• Director-level, management, employees, key contractors• Different departments and lines of business
Ask questions about:• Project and business goals• What works well• What isn’t working• Content processes and decision-making
“We need to attract business customers.” ~ Marketing
“Content is confusing and difficult to find.” ~Digital Strategy
“Large corporations don’t want website content.” ~ Line of Business
Web content isn’t targeted to attract new customers?
Content is poorly organized and designed?
Doesn’t understand users needs and motivations?
Stakeholder Interviews
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Summarize findings from document review and stakeholder interviews
Focus on:
• Inconsistencies
• New considerations
• Patterns and associations
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User Research Report
• Small businesses have unique reasons for borrowing.
• Large enterprises want financial news and updates.
“Our small businesses are the same as our personal banking. Our big businesses don’t need website content.” ~ Line of Business stakeholder
Inconsistencies
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New considerations
Strategic Direction
?“We need to attract new customers.” ~ Marketing stakeholder
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Patterns and associations
“Content is confusing and difficult to find.”~ Digital strategy stakeholder
Personas and User Scenarios
?Site Map
is unnecessarily corporate focused
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Preliminary Findings
Key concerns
• Distinct customer needs are not being addressed.
• There is a lack of strategic direction.
• Users cannot easily find high-priority information.
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Content Diagnostic Process
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Audit & Assessment
Users can easily understand, use, and act on content once they find it.
Users can quickly access and identify content that is relevant.
Structure matches user expectations. Users can find info through browse or site search.
The brand message and corporate attitude that’s communicated through content.
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Audit & Assessment: Choose the right method
Page-level content audit
and assessment
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Audit & Assessment: Choose the right method
Structure and site search
audit and assessment
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Page-level content audit and assessment
1. Define relevant criteria
2. Establish ratings scale
3. Conduct audit
4. Analyze and communicate results
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1. Define relevant criteria
Objective criteria“What, where, when”
Subjective criteria“Why, who, and how”
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Page-level content audit and assessment
2. Establish ratings scale
Legend1 A Excellent High quality, best practice, and delivers considerable benefits.
2 B Good Supports ease‐of‐use and a positive customer experience.
3 C Average Some aspects may cause problems for users.
4 D Below average Poor quality and likely to cause problems for users.
5 E Poor Very likely to cause significant problems for users.
n/a n/a Not applicable Not applicable or unable to evaluate.
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Page-level content audit and assessment
3. Conduct Audit
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Page-level content audit and assessment
4. Analyse and communicate results
57% of content pages are focused on products.
9% of pages are FAQs. 34%
9%14%
9%
12%
22%
Content types
Product detail
Product comparison
Product overview
FAQs
Landing page
Other
Indicates lack of strategic goals beyond product promotion. FAQs indicate lack of user-centered content design & organization.
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Page-level content audit and assessment
2%
71%
10%
3%
Writing Mechanics
Excellent
Good
Average
Below average
Poor
1% 10%
26%
47%
16%
User Focus
Excellent
Good
Average
Below average
Poor
Indicates good general writing skills but poor understanding of user-focused web writing standards.
4. Analyse and communicate results
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Page-level content audit and assessment
Structure and Site Search Audit and Assessment1. Define relevant criteria
2. Evaluate site structure
3. Evaluate site search and search results
4. Analyze and communicate results
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Structure Audit and Assessment
1) Define Relevant Criteria
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Structure Audit and Assessment
2) Evaluate Site Structure
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Metadata contributes to findability and searchability
Analytics shows if people are able to find pages on the site.
The Personas helps you see who the site is targeted for – this can give you a good idea of which personas are currently catered to (or if the site isn’t targeted at all!).
Is structure too deep, too shallow?
Site Search Audit and Assessment
3) Evaluate Site Search Results• Use personas and their scenarios
• Use analytics to get most popular search terms
• Use your expert skills to evaluate the results.
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Site Structure and Search Audit and Assessment
20%
33%
47%
Applied Metadata
Accurate metadata
Pages with inaccuratemetadata
Pages without metadata
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4) Analyze and communicate results
Indicates metadata and taxonomy are not applied or are inaccurately applied to the majority of pages, reducing findability and searchability.
Site Structure and Search Audit and Assessment
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4) analyze and communicate results
Indicates the site lacks focus on any particular business sector.
10%
20%
5%65%
Personas and Pages
Commercial
Small
Government
None
Solving Content Problems
Content Diagnostic Process
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Your Priority Findings
Key problems to solve
1. Content findability and searchability problems
2. Poor content usability and audience focus
3. Tone and messaging problems
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Content Usability Problems
Difficult to scan and predict
Difficult to read
Difficult to understand
Difficult to act on
Content usability and audience problems
Audience Targeting Problems
Content for generic audiences
Content can’t be reused or customized
Corporate-focused writing
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Content Usability Problems
Difficult to scan and predict
Difficult to read
Difficult to understand
Difficult to act on
Content usability and audience problems
Audience Targeting Problems
Content for generic audiences
Content can’t be reused or customized
Corporate-focused writing
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Difficult to act on. Designed for a generic audience
Targeted and easy to act on
Audience targeting and usability toolkit
• Personas
• User journeys
• User scenarios
• Content flows
• User testing
• Style guide
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Tone & Messaging Problems
No distinctive tone or messaging
Tone and messaging not aligned with desired brand attributes
Inconsistent or contradictory tone or messaging
Tone and messaging problems
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Tone & Messaging Problems
No distinctive tone or messaging
Tone and messaging not aligned with desired brand attributes
Inconsistent or contradictory tone or messaging
Tone and messaging problems
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What’s your brand voice?Informal, modern, fun
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What’s your brand voice?Formal, traditional, successful
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What are your key messages?
Audience‐Targeted Messages
Principles of <Brand Attribute> Principle 1 + Global messagePrinciple 2 + Global message
Messaging hierarchy frameworkCompany Brand Statement
KeyMessage 1
KeyMessage 2
KeyMessage 3
KeyMessage 4
Audience 1 Audience 2Audience 3
Tone and messaging toolkit
• Style guides
• Messaging hierarchy/guidelines
• Content playbook
• Writing tips
• Personas
• Training
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Content findability problems
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Content Findability Problems
Content can’t be found in current navigation structure
Metadata and taxonomy are missing or ineffective
Content takes too long to find
Navigation isn’t designed for the user
Content findability problems
Content Findability Problems
Content can’t be found in current navigation structure
Metadata and taxonomy are missing or ineffective
Content takes too long to find
Navigation isn’t designed for the user
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Navigation isn’t designed for the user
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Navigation can be audience based
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Navigation can be topic/task based
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Based on user needs and clearly defined
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Findabilitytoolkit
• Personas
• Scenarios
• Card Sorting
• Task Testing
• Site Search Analytics
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Content searchability problems
Content Searchability Problems
Don’t know what people search for
Search yields no results or inappropriate results
Search results page design isn’t optimized
Content isn’t optimized for search
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Content searchability problems
Content Findability Problems
Don’t know what people search for
Search yields no results or inappropriate results
Search results page design isn’t optimized
Content isn’t optimized for search
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Search Results Not Designed
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Search Results Designed
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Seachabilitytoolkit
• Wireframes
• Personas
• Scenarios
• Site Search Analytics
• Taxonomy and Metadata
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Your process
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Kathy Wagnerwww.contentstrategyinc.com
Theresa Putkeywww.keypointe.ca
Questions?
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