Here at ACC the term “top level” of the website has meant “anything that the homepage links to or anything that Marketing controls”. As we have through the website redesign project this term has been broadened and refined to reflect the actual nature of content.
Top level content now means it is content that is public facing, most accessed, and most needed. Any entity within the college can control and maintain top level content. This makes a proper content strategy that much more important. As the website user needs increase, the need to have that top level content be as accurate and user friendly as possible increases.
For example, one of ACC’s most accessed pages that Marketing does not control is Financial Aid Office webpage at http://www.austincc.edu//support/financialaid/
Review of this content has to showcase:
- What is the task at hand?
- Is it effective in helping user’s complete tasks?
- Is the information “findable” and helpful in the task at hand?
- Is the content easily scannable with “chunked content blocks?
- Does the content have descriptive headings that make sense?
- Do links to other content seem appropriate and relatable to the task?
- Does the content communicate information that is important to this user but that the user may not have specifically asked for?
Obviously, these questions can be applied to any set of content on the website, even when content has a small audience or shorter reach.
The following list is a preliminary list of top level content. This list is the culmination of the content card sort exercises both digital and on paper, content team member analyses, Google Analytics data, surveys, and my own research. This list defines the starting point of the ACC website’s information architecture.
Audience Identifiers | Users who self-identify to access content that is relevant to them
Future Students
Former Students
Current Students
Faculty and Staff
Business and Community
Alumni & Friends – (Hold)
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About ACC
Fast Facts
Newsroom
Accreditation
History of ACC
Economic Impact
President’s Office
Board of Trustees
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Admissions (Destination ACC)
International Student Admissions
Early College Start Enrollment
Adult Education GED Classes
Degrees and Certificates
College Catalog
Available Degrees and Certificates
Workforce Programs
Locations
Campuses & Centers
Visit a Campus
Maps and Directions
Find Locations
Parking
Public Transportation
Self Guided Tours
Courses
Registering for Classes
Course Schedules
Choosing Courses (Advising)
Core Curriculum
Online and Distance Learning
English as a Second language
Tuition and Costs
Compare Costs
Tuition Payment Plans
Apply for Financial Aid
Apply for Scholarships
Update Residency Status
Textbook Costs
High School to College
College Connection
High School to College
Early College High School
Early College Start
ACCTech
Complete Your Degree
Graduate
Commencement / Graduation Ceremony
Transfer Options
Get Transcripts
Student Experience and Community
Student Life
Honors Program
Study Abroad
Student Government Association
Men of Distinction
Youth Programs
Former Foster Youth
African-American Cultural Center
Latino/Latin American Studies Center
Calendars
Key Dates
Registration Eligibility Calendar
Tuition Payment Deadlines
Complete Academic Calendar
Campus Event Calendar
Student Life Calendar
University Transfer Events
Arts and Humanities Events
All Calendars
Academic Support
Tutoring and at the Learning Labs
Assessment Preparation
GPA Calculator
Library
Computer Labs
Textbook Loan Program
Bookstore
Services for Students
Services for Students with Disabilities
Services for Military and Veterans
Personal Counseling
Financial Aid Counseling
Distance Learning support
Student ID Cards
Student Need to Know
Emergency Notifications
Student Right to Know
Student Safety and Security
Legal Notices
Contact ACC
Helpdesk
Request Information
Instructional Departments
Web Feedback
Public Information Requests
Utility Tools
A to Z Index
Site Map
Search ACC
ACCMail
ACCeID
Online Services
Blackboard
Employee Directory
Help / (Helpdesk)
Stand Alones
Continuing Education
Doing Business with ACC
Campus Police
Give to ACC
Bienvenidos
Employment
Mobile
Social Media