Cisco.com User Experience Guidelines and Standards
Need for Content Review
Need for Content Strategy
Myriad stakeholders have pages directly linked to Cisco.com and level-one/category pages.
Writing style and quality varies widely, presenting many voices to customers rather than one unified "Cisco" voice.
Site visitors report they have trouble finding the information they need and that document titles are misleading and vague.
Goals of Content Review
Improve the consistency and quality of the writing by providing content
review of site copy.
Site copy review by Content Strategy team is a required part of page updates for level one pages, pages related to major marketing initiatives, and other high-traffic, high-value pages.
See the examples page for rewrites to headlines, product pages, and other page elements that demonstrate these goals.
Process
Benefits: High-Level Editing & Rewriting
Improves page content so that it is targeted to the customer, includes accurate information of value to users, and draws users to want to learn more.
Adds value to the display type and synopsis text, ensures consistency across all high-level pages, and builds a consistent voice for Cisco.com.
Ensures that the page quality meets the expectations of customers and the standards that Cisco wishes to achieve as a world-class marketing organization.
Role of Content Strategy and Services Team
Content Strategy and Services (formerly Corporate Editorial) has refocused its scope of work to provide stronger support for Web content. The team's responsibilities include:
Setting and enforcing basic style guidelines based on page templates, customer information needs, and marketing goals.
Reviewing new and revised site copy for user focus, match to templates, web content bet practices, and Cisco style.
Consulting on ways to improve copy, how to complete document sets, etc.
Participating in design clinics as content strategy and editorial experts
Auditing pages for consistency, freshness, and content balance.
Contact Information
Contact the Content Strategy team at cdc-edit@cisco.com with questions, to submit copy for review, or to set up an engagement for a project.
Areas Requiring Content Review and Editing
Current site areas which require site copy review include (but are not limited to):
Product area: category, series, model, promotion/landing, etc.
Root Pages
Solutions area: all site copy (segments, industries, featured technologies)
