Communication Services and Information Technology 

While this xkcd cartoon pokes fun at most university Web sites, there's a lesson here for all ANR Web communicators.  Take a quick look at your Web site or blog. How many times do you use the words I, we, and our?

Now how many times do you use the words you, your, or local?

Where are programs and services related to your top search terms? 

Now, who do you think your Web site serves?

A couple of years ago, with the help of Bob Johnson, we surveyed a sample of our county clients about the information they're looking for on our Web sites.  What was illuminating about the survey results, was not really the data, as it told us a lot about what we already know.  Rather, it spoke to how little regard we give to this information when designing navigation and creating content.

You can get a quick snapshot of what your clients care about by comparing the Carewords survey results with search term results from your site.  Those two sources will give you a good idea of what information should appear "above the fold" on your site.  You can pull search terms using either Smarter Stats or Google Analytics.  Hey, if you're feeling adventurous, you can do both!

Once you've made some decisions about page placement and navigation, look at the voice of your content.  If you're writing from inside your perspective rather than an understanding of what your program can deliver to your clients - you're missing the boat.