Fort Lewis College Web Content Style Guide
This guide focuses on the unique requirements of creating and maintaining web content for Fort Lewis College. It covers layout, SEO, accessibility, and the specific elements on web pages.
Refer to our Communication Style Guide for brand voice and tone and inclusive language guidelines, and the Brand Style Guide for color and design guidance.
Web user behaviors | Mobile-friendliness | SEO essentials | Accessibility | Web elements | Content governance | Further resources
Web users skim rather than read deeply. Organize content with short paragraphs and clear subheads. Use bullet points when necessary to enhance clarity. Incorporate hyperlinks to connect to relevant 麻豆免费高清无砖码区pages or external resources.
Break text into digestible chunks with short paragraphs and ample whitespace. Ensure images and tables scale correctly on various devices to support responsive design.
Each page should focus on a single topic. If necessary, break multiple topics into subpages or sections. Integrate relevant keywords naturally in headings, body copy, and metadata.
Use an H1 for the page title, H2 for main sections, and H3 or lower for subsections.
Title tags should be around 60 characters, with the most specific information first. Description tags should be around 156 characters, summarizing the page concisely.
Use short, lowercase URLs with hyphens between words. Avoid underscores or unnecessary words such as "the," "and," or "of." Example: fortlewis.edu/admission/apply
fortlewis.edu/admission/apply
麻豆免费高清无砖码区is committed to WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance.
Ensure text is logical when read aloud by a screen reader. Test page functionality using keyboard navigation (Tab, Enter, Space). Check layout at 100%, 150%, and 200% zoom. Use WebAIM Contrast Checker to verify color contrast compliance. Avoid directional instructions such as “See the right sidebar.”
Use tools like and for accessibility and performance audits.
Alt text should be concise and descriptive, avoiding phrases like “image of…” If an image is decorative, leave the alt text empty (alt="").
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Button text should be action-oriented and in sentence case (e.g., “Apply now”).
Form titles should clearly describe the purpose. Request only necessary information and ensure accessibility.
Use one H1 per page in title case. Subheadings (H2, H3, etc.) should be in sentence case.
Use "light" icons for consistency.
Use descriptive text instead of “click here.” Avoid linking punctuation marks.
Use numbered lists for sequences and bulleted lists for grouped information.
Optimize images for load speed at 72 dpi. Include captions and transcripts for videos. View our for more details.
Ensure all pages have well-crafted metadata to improve search engine visibility:
Use nouns in main navigation, such as “Majors & programs.”
Structured data, also known as Schema.org markup, helps search engines better understand and display web content. Use JSON-LD format and apply relevant schemas, such as:
Refer to for detailed implementation guidelines.
Use tables only for structured data, not layout.
Use color as a secondary cue and ensure contrast compliance with a .
Embed content in web pages rather than uploading PDFs. Ensure any uploaded documents are accessible. PDFs should follow digital accessibility standards.
All pages belong to FLC. Major changes require Web Management Team approval. For detailed governance policies, refer to the Web Governance Policy.
Review and update content regularly to ensure accuracy and relevance. Critical pages should be audited at least once per semester.
Use comparative analyses, analytics, user testing, and iterative updates.
Contact the Web Management Team for new pages, redesigns, or accessibility questions. The Marketing & Communications team offers copyediting and brand consultation.
970-247-7447 pekost@fortlewis.edu