Working with the Web Team
Creating engaging web properties and implementing web changes is a team effort. Stakeholders and members of the web team are expected to work together to achieve results. The web team’s purpose is to not only carry out the tasks at hand, but to provide guidance and advice on how to best display web properties.
Large projects and requests should start with a meeting where both parties can relay context, goals, and address any questions or concerns. Web team members will then work to create a final product that meets stakeholder and user needs. The web team is also trained to review content for grammatical errors and AP style and will provide suggestions for noted issues in those areas.
To publish web changes, the stakeholder must give the web team approval to do so, making the communication between the two parties so critical.
The web team is responsible for assisting University stakeholders with web design, online user experience, SEO, web analytic reports and calendar updates. To reach the web team, stakeholders should submit a request highlighting the goals of your proposed assignment, along with any additional content the web team will need.
What Does It Mean to Be a Stakeholder?
A stakeholder is the person who is responsible for the site’s outcomes. Stakeholders can either be identified by the college/department as the “official representative” for a page or they can be anyone with credentials that match the site’s information.
This can differ from page to page, so make sure to view the following examples:
- Example: uidaho.edu/law/people/faculty
This is a faculty page highlighting the faculty who work in the College of Law. Therefore, a representative of the College of Law (Admin Assistant, Department Chair, faculty member, etc.) would be considered a stakeholder for this page and could request content updates. - Example: uidaho.edu/admissions/international/admissions-requirements
The purpose of the requirements page appears to be business related. Thus, the stakeholder would be IPO. IPO would be responsible for requesting content updates. - Example: uidaho.edu/events/uidaho-bound
The purpose of the page appears to be marketing & recruitment focused. Thus, SEM’s marketing team would be considered the stakeholder and could request content updates. Those who work in IPO may also request content edits since they understand the admissions process and requirements. The Web team would expect SEM to coordinate with IPO on changes to make sure they are factually accurate.
The stakeholder’s job is to provide the web team with accurate content pertaining to the web property. The stakeholder has the final approval before any web changes can be published, and they are expected to communicate with the web team to ensure results.
Roles & Responsibilities
Stakeholder:
Arranges an appointment with the web team to discuss their content goals and desired outcomes. If the stakeholder would like to establish KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), this should be discussed with the web team as well.
Web Team:
Provides consultations to advise the stakeholder on how the web layout and user experience will affect the content strategy and help achieve their goals.
Stakeholder:
Writes, coordinates and provides any content necessary for the task. (E.g. - copy, images, video, links, etc.)
*The web team is not responsible for creating content. If you require photo, video, or graphic design services, reach out to Creative Services. For help with copywriting and proofreading, reach out to the Communication Team.
Web Team:
Provides advice on how to best deploy web content and how users will interact with said content.
Stakeholder:
Places a request with the web team and communicates the objective for a web property, providing relevant information or content for the web team to use.
When meeting with the web team, consider the following:
- Discuss your audience (visitors). Who are they? What are their self-interests? Why are they important to you and why are you important to them? We suggest grouping visitors into audience types (we call these personas).
- Define desired outcomes for your visitors. What do you want them to do or learn? Prioritize these outcomes. Define what success looks like for each outcome (we call these key performance indicators --KPIs).
- Think about why visitors would want to visit your website. And once they are there, what types of content will persuade visitors to do whatever it is you want them to do. Please consider aligning with one of their self-interests. We call this effort defining a content strategy.
Web Team:
Based on desired outcomes, and using submitted content, crafts well designed and usable web properties. The web team members are also there to make editorial, accessibility, SEO, grammatical, and style-guide suggestions. After meeting with the stakeholder and addressing an audience, outcome, and a content strategy, the web team will work to create an excellent user experience.
Stakeholder:
Requests analytics reports by providing the web team with criteria and goals for the web properties in question. For the most accurate analytics reports, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) should be discussed with the web team beforehand.
Web Team:
Analyzes metrics vs stakeholder goals and provides analytic reports and recommendations to the stakeholder.
Stakeholder:
Receives proofs from the web team, which they can either respond to with their approval or request changes to the proof. Depending on the task type and needs, the stakeholder might share this proof with others for feedback and approval. The stakeholder who submitted the request is responsible for compiling all required changes and feedback into one response for the web team member. Once the stakeholder’s approval is received, the web team will implement all changes.
Web Team:
Submits a proof to the stakeholder and makes updates based on feedback. Continues to provide design, content and UX feedback throughout the revision process, until the stakeholder is happy with the end product.
Stakeholder:
Approves proof, allowing the web team to publish the web content.
Web Team:
With approval from the stakeholder, the web team member will publish web content.
Stakeholder:
Creates marketing project plans, defines KPIs and serves as the project manager for the task, communicating with all parties that the site concerns.
Web Team:
Advises on how best to deploy web properties based on desired outcomes. Recommends how to track user behavior based on desired outcomes and KPIs.