16 May 2023

What should you do with unused domains?


Over time your website might need to change its address. This could be because of a new name, a merger or maybe the closure of a site that’s no longer needed. You may have brought a domain once but have never used it and don’t think you’ll need it anymore. When this happens, you’ll end up with a website domain that is no longer used. So, what should you do with an unused domain? Well, it depends on a few factors. If the domain has been pointing to a website, you’ll almost definitely want to keep it. You can redirect it to the new website domain, which can help maintain existing links and keep
06 Sep 2022

Avoiding duplicate content issues on your website


I once carried out a site audit for a large, information heavy website. The site wasn’t getting as many visitors through search engines as they’d hoped, and so I was carrying out a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) analysis to help spot the issues that were holding it back. I soon discovered that, due to a quirk of how it had been built, most of the content pages on the site were being duplicated. If you took these duplicate pages away, the site was about a third of the size. Having duplicate content and is generally seen as bad for websites. While Google doesn’t directly punish you for
03 May 2022

Mobile digital communications and trade unions


Mobile technology has been leading the charge of technological change for a decade, and it’s hard to exaggerate just how big an impact this has had. Mobile is now a key tool for digital communications. I’ve been working on a new report called ‘Making the most of mobile for union digital communications’ as part of my involvement with the TUC’s Digital Labs initiative. It’s now available to download from digital.tuc.org.uk. As of November 2021, it is estimated that about 54% of global web traffic came through mobile phones. Union websites are no exception – 65% of visits to the TUC website in
14 May 2021

How to write for the web


Understanding how to write for websites can make a big difference to the readability of a web page. It’s surprising how much an online page of text can be improved by following some simple guidelines. Reading text on a screen is different to reading print. People tend to scan content online, only reading a proportion of the words. A study by usability guru Jakob Nielsen discovered that: “on the average webpage, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely”. Here are some simple guidelines to help you make your writing easier to read on websites
09 Feb 2021

Why you should own your website - the importance of developer independence


Early on in my career, I remember the frustration of inheriting a website that was locked into a development company that provided terrible service. It was the first website I had managed, built using a bespoke Content Management System (CMS) developed and managed by this company. Requests for bug fixes or changes were often ignored or done badly, and I spent a lot of my time chasing up the developers to get anything done. I also found that the charges were far higher than they should be. However, we were stuck with this developer as they built and owned the software. I had to start planning
17 Jul 2019

Apprenticeship Essentials


I’ve been working with unionlearn to create a range of new tools for apprentices and those thinking of becoming apprentices. Called Apprenticeship Essentials, this suite of online resources can be accessed either via a dedicated app or on through the unionlearn website . Apprenticeship Essentials has range of features, from pay checking and guidance to elearning and job vacancies. Some of these require registration, but all are free to use. There are guides to apprenticeship basics, entering the world of work, employment rights and how trade unions can help in the workplace. There is also a
17 Jun 2019

Launching Careerzone for unionlearn


Unionlearn , the learning and skills organisation of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has recently launched a new careers area on their website called ‘Careerszone’. The aim is to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ with information and resources on careers. I’ve led on the development of this new facility, which uses official ‘big data’ sources to generate careers data alongside other resources. One of the key tools is a comprehensive careers directory, which has a detailed breakdown of almost 400 occupations as classified by the Office for National Statistics. This includes job descriptions, required
11 Apr 2018

Updating website privacy statements for the GDPR


Data Protection laws are undergoing a major upgrade when the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) supersedes the Data Protection Act on the 25th May 2018. These wide-ranging changes are impacting on a number of areas, and one of these is the website privacy statement. Websites have been displaying privacy statements for years, especially since infamous EU Cookie law came into force in 2012. They often take the form of a long page of detailed text. This privacy policy is then linked to on registration forms, website footers or the annoying cookie notification pop-ups some sites decided to
28 Feb 2018

How do visitors access your website?


In a relatively short period of time, smartphones and tablets have completely changed the way we access the web. Long gone is the assumption that each user has a desktop PC. It’s hard to imagine a world now where people don’t spend time glued to the smaller screens of their phones or tablets. While responsive website design now allows the same site to adapt to the different devices, it’s always useful to know how users are accessing a website. Greater prioritisation can be given to the various design elements if we know that, for example, the site is being heavily used by smartphone users or