Cleaning Up Website Content
Across the UNC School of Medicine’s WordPress network, maintaining an effective and user-friendly website requires regular evaluation and cleanup of content. Web editors and authors play a critical role in ensuring content is relevant, organized, and aligned with the site’s goals. By focusing on performance, purpose, and audience, you can keep your site nimble and well-structured to better serve users and meet institutional objectives.
Why It Matters
A lean, focused website is:
- Easier to maintain and update.
- More intuitive for users, improving their experience.
- Aligned with organizational goals and audience needs.
By regularly evaluating and cleaning up your WordPress content, you ensure your site remains effective, efficient, and adaptable to future challenges. Embrace the principles of purpose-driven content, clutter-free dashboards, and audience-focused design to keep your website performing at its best.
The following are some tips and best practices to help clean or refocus your efforts.
Understand Content Purpose and Performance
Every piece of content on your website should have a clearly defined purpose and audience. Begin by asking key questions:
- What is the purpose of this content? Is it meant to inform, recruit, or guide?
- Who is the intended audience? Prospective students, patients, faculty, or staff?
- Is this content successful at its purpose? Use tools like Google Analytics to evaluate performance:
- Where is the traffic coming from (geographic, search engine, etc.)?
- Are users engaging with the content (time on page, bounce rate)?
Example:
If a page designed for prospective residency applicants receives mostly international traffic, it may not be effectively reaching its intended audience. Similarly, patient care pages targeting North Carolina residents that attract out-of-state traffic may require refocusing to serve their intended audience better.
Understand Web Users’ Behavior
Knowing how users interact with your site helps you tailor content to meet their needs. In 2024, North Carolina users spent an average of 1:02 per session and viewed 4.8 pages per visit on UNC School of Medicine websites. This data highlights the importance of:
- Concise Content: Users have limited time and attention. Avoid overwhelming them with excessive details.
- Actionable Information: Deliver what users need quickly and efficiently to keep them engaged.
Strategies for Effective Content Management
Regular Content Audits
- Use tools like Google Analytics to identify low-traffic or misaligned pages.
- Evaluate whether each page still serves its intended purpose and audience.
Simplify Site Structure
- Delete outdated or irrelevant content instead of archiving or hiding it.
- Consolidate information where appropriate to reduce the total number of pages.
Streamline Navigation
- Align navigation menus with the site’s structure to make it easier for users to find content.
- Avoid creating unnecessary layers or clicks to access key information.
Delete, Delete, Delete
A lean, well-organized website is easier to maintain, adapt, and align with current goals. Keeping unnecessary content—even if unpublished or hidden—creates clutter and increases the risk of errors.
Best Practices for Content Deletion:
- Remove Outdated Content: Delete old drafts, past event pages, and any other content that no longer serves a purpose. Unpublished or hidden content should not live in WordPress.
- Clean the Media Library: Remove unused images, documents, and videos. Remember, anything in the WordPress media library can be found by search engines, even if it’s not linked to a page.
- Avoid Using WordPress as Storage: Non-public content should be stored in shared drives or secure storage solutions outside of the CMS.
- Keep the Dashboard Clutter-Free: A clean dashboard helps you stay organized and ensures no unwanted content is accidentally published or left accessible to search engines.
By embracing a “delete, delete, delete” mindset, you’ll create a streamlined, efficient website that’s easy to manage and aligns with institutional goals.