The words, tables, graphs, images, audio and video in a website all constitute the contents of the site.  

The decision about what content to include should be guided by:

• the aim and purpose of the site
• the audiences for which it is intended
• the resources available to provide and sustain the content
• the format of the content - eg too many rich images may result in a site which is slow to download and view
• its availability in a web-ready format - eg it is in a word processor document or photo that has already been scanned
• its importance within the operation of the organisation
• legal issues such as copyright and privacy laws.  

When preparing content for the website the content editor has to resolve the following questions:

• What message do you want to get across in each section of the site?
• Who is the audience you are trying to reach - customers in Australia or overseas or both?
• Where are words or images required in the site?
• What type of text is required? (introductory, explanatory, narrative, captions, instructions, advertising)
• What style is appropriate for each section of the site? (casual, formal)
• What age group will the vocabulary be designed for? (dictated by the target audience)
• What text and images already exist? How much can be used and how much needs to be written, photographed or created?
• Who will write the new text or rewrite any existing text, take photos, draw diagrams?
• Who will edit the contents before the site goes live to check for factual accuracy, spelling, grammar, sense, relevance in time and place, vocabulary level and cultural sensitivities?  

What to do

Inevitably, decisions need to be made as to what content to include in a website. You can use the following checklist to help you decide about each item of content. The more times you can say "yes" to each of these questions, the more appropriate the content is for inclusion in the website

• Is it relevant to the aims and objectives of the organisation?
• Does it add value to the site?
• Have you permission of the content owner to use it on the site?
• If permission to use it on the site has not been secured, is the time and cost to secure it reasonable?
• Does it already exist in electronic format - eg on the word processor?
• If it does not exist in electronic format, is the time and cost to digitise it reasonable?
• Do you know the item to be accurate?
• Do you know the item to be up-to-date?
• Is it likely to be interesting to a majority of visitors to the site?
• Will making it available on the site save staff time or offer some other efficiency?
• Will it encourage people to re-visit the site?
• Is it culturally-sensitive - ie avoids colloquialisms or ideas or words that may offend people of a particular religion or background?
• Is the content within the law? (libel, fair dealing, privacy, security)  

As a general rule, if still in doubt about some content, leave it out until you are happy with the answer to every question posed. Remember that a website is dynamic, and content can be added or removed at any time.  

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