Web Guidelines

Creating useful, accessible, and audience-focused web experiences.

ACC’s Web Guidelines provide practical guidance for creating, organizing, and maintaining effective digital content across the College’s websites and digital properties.

These guidelines support the ACC Web Standards by promoting consistent approaches to content development, editorial practices, accessibility, usability, and website quality.

Whether developing new content or improving existing pages, these resources help content creators and institutional partners make informed decisions that support ACC’s brand, institutional goals, and the needs of our audiences.

Our Approach to Web Content

ACC’s websites should be organized around the needs of the people who use them, rather than the organizational structures responsible for maintaining them.

Every page should serve a clear purpose, address an identifiable audience, and help visitors find information or take meaningful action.

Our approach emphasizes the following principles:

• Audience First: Understand who the content serves and what visitors need to accomplish.
• Clear and Useful Content: Use plain language, meaningful headings, and concise information that is easy to understand.
• Consistent Experiences: Apply established content patterns, terminology, and design conventions across ACC’s digital properties.
• Accessible by Design: Consider accessibility throughout content planning, creation, and maintenance.
• Findability and Navigation: Organize and describe information in ways that support navigation and search.
• Content Quality and Sustainability: Keep content accurate, relevant, current, and manageable throughout its lifecycle.

These principles help create a more unified digital experience while allowing individual programs, departments, and services to communicate effectively with their intended audiences.

Web Content Style Guide

Consistent writing and presentation help visitors understand information and recognize official ACC communications.

The Web Content Style Guide provides editorial conventions for writing and formatting website content, supporting clarity, readability, and a consistent institutional voice.

Use this resource when developing or revising page titles, headings, body copy, links, and other written content.

Explore the Web Content Style Guide →

Web Content Best Practices

Effective website content does more than communicate information. It helps visitors understand their options, make decisions, and complete tasks.

Web Content Best Practices provide guidance for planning, organizing, writing, and maintaining useful content.

Consider these practices when creating new pages, reviewing existing information, or improving how content supports the visitor’s journey.

Explore Web Content Best Practices →

Planning Content Around Your Audience

Before developing or revising website content, consider who needs the information, why they are visiting, and what they should be able to accomplish.

ACC’s public website prioritizes prospective students, community members, and other external audiences. Content intended primarily for current students, faculty, or staff may be more appropriately delivered through approved authenticated environments.

When planning content:

• Identify the primary audience and purpose of the page.
• Consider the questions visitors are likely trying to answer.
• Organize information around audience needs and common tasks.
• Use clear, descriptive language rather than internal terminology.
• Provide relevant next steps and calls to action.
• Avoid duplicating content already maintained elsewhere.

An audience-focused approach helps ensure visitors encounter the right information in the appropriate digital environment.

Organizing Content for Navigation and Search

Website content should be easy to find, understand, and navigate.

Clear page titles, meaningful headings, descriptive links, and logical content organization help visitors locate information through navigation, website search, and external search engines.

Content creators should consider how individual pages contribute to the overall website experience rather than treating each page as a standalone destination.

Good content organization also reduces duplication, improves search relevance, and supports a more consistent experience across ACC websites.

Maintaining Content Quality

Publishing a webpage is only one part of its lifecycle.

Content should be reviewed and maintained to ensure information remains accurate, relevant, accessible, and aligned with current institutional practices.

Content creators and responsible departments should periodically evaluate whether information should be updated, consolidated, relocated, archived, or retired.

Ongoing content maintenance helps reduce outdated information, improve visitor confidence, and support the long-term sustainability of ACC’s digital environment.

Web Standards and Requirements

Web Guidelines complement, but do not replace, ACC’s mandatory Web Standards.

All ACC digital properties must comply with applicable requirements for content, design, accessibility, technology, and website quality.

Content creators and institutional partners should consult the Web Standards when planning, developing, or maintaining ACC digital properties.

Review ACC Web Standards →

Questions About Web Content?

The Office of College Relations & Marketing (OCRM) provides guidance on web content strategy, editorial practices, website usability, and alignment with ACC’s institutional standards.

Departments and content creators planning significant content changes or new digital experiences are encouraged to consult OCRM early in the process.

Contact the OCRM Web Team →