Article
Develop a Style Guide for Your Site
Who Needs A Style Guide?
The purposes outlined here probably give you a good idea of who needs a style guide -- anyone who prepares and publishes content.
If you produce Websites, newsletters or ezines of any kind, a style guide could really make your job -- and that of anyone who works with you -- a lot easier. Even if you're only producing a one-off 3-page Website for a small client, a quick document explaining heading styles, link protocol and spelling conventions will make the standardization of the site in its first iteration, and the incorporation of future updates, much simpler and faster.
But it's when you solicit submissions for publication that a style guide really becomes essential. It stops would-be writers from sending you error-riddled content, articles in the wrong file format, pieces that are too short... the list goes on. Your style guide can really cut down on unnecessary work in this case.
A style guide can make the jobs of the following people significantly easier:
- the client who commissioned you to produce a site
- a designer or developer you hire to amend your site
- a freelancer or contractor you employ to develop or change the site in some way
- anyone who ever needs to update the site and/or its written content -- inside or outside your business
- staff who are new to the business, or new to making changes on the Website
What's in a Style Guide?
Ok, so you think a style guide sounds like it might come in handy. But how do you create one?
The standards you set out in your style guide will depend on the kind of content you publish, and who will use the style guide. SitePoint has two:
- one for the external audience (authors who wish to submit content for publication)
- one for the internal audience (staff members who format content for publication and manage published content)
The External StyleGuide
Here's an idea of the types of information we set out in the SitePoint StyleGuide for Authors.
"Introduction to SitePoint"
What it does: Briefly outlines the site and its objectives.
Why it's included: To orientate users by stating up-front what kind of site they're submitting to.
"What We're Looking For"
What it does: Describes the conceptual requirements we expect of submissions. For example, 'tell a story that leverages your personal and professional experience.'
Why it's included: this identifies what our site users want to read.
"Preferred Article Formats"
What it does: Explains the types of articles we prefer to publish (eg. 'Case Study').
Why it's included: this identifies clearly the outcomes we want for users who read our content, and how writers can achieve those outcomes through particular types of articles.
"General Article Specifications"
What it does: lists the requirements we have of all submissions -- where to send them, what file format to use, our policy on self-promotion, credit and compensation, etc.
Why it's included: provides clear, essential information on how to submit.
"Criteria for Assessment"
What it does: Lists the criteria we use to assess articles for publication.
Why it's included: allows authors to assess their own articles prior to submission, and gives them the chance to fine-tune their pieces to our requirements themselves.
"Content Consistency"
What it does: provides standards for spelling conventions and domain capitalisation used on the site.
Why it's included: to minimize editorial workload -- if these elements are correct when the article reaches us, the editing process will be much faster.
"Copyright Permission"
What it does: outlines the copyrights of submitting authors
Why it's included: to state up front what the rights are of authors published on our site.
So how does this differ from our own Internal StyleGuide? Let's take a look.