A requirements list tells an agency what to build, not what problem to solve. Skip the "why" in your website RFP and you'll get checklist responses and a decision made on price. #RFP

The biggest mistake with Schema markup is treating it as a shortcut to AI visibility. My latest digs into what the research actually says, where it helps, and why getting your content right still comes first. electriccitizen.com/insights/sch...

AI can answer the question. It can't fix the reason someone had to ask. Bury permit applications or tuition details behind poor navigation and messy pages, and the bot becomes the permanent workaround. Fix the structure. AI should make a good experience faster, not paper over a bad one.

Before you add AI search to your site, fix what’s underneath it. From duplicate pages to outdated information, AI won’t solve those problems. It surfaces them. Clean up your content and assign ownership first. #AI #ContentStrategy

I've watched organizations spend months fixing website accessibility, then quietly lose all of it because nobody changed how they publish. Accessibility lasts when it's built into everyday content governance — not bolted on during a redesign. #Accessibility #WCAG

Too many large organizations rely on a PDF when a web page would do the job better. They're easier to update, easier to find, and more accessible. On the open web, the PDF is almost never the right answer. #Accessibility #ContentStrategy

Creating a dedicated website for a new program deserves a second look. If the content shares the same team, search, accessibility standards, and publishing process as your main site, a subsite usually delivers the same experience with less long-term upkeep than a microsite.

One mistake I see in website redesign projects: writing the RFP before there's agreement on who the site is meant to serve, what users struggle to find, or how you'll measure success. That's how feature lists end up replacing strategy. #WebsiteRedesign #DigitalGovernment #HigherEd

Improving accessibility takes time, but it shouldn't require custom development. When a dated CMS or weak governance is what's holding a team back, the problem usually isn't effort—it's the foundation. #DigitalStrategy #ContentStrategy

Government and university websites are often redesigned every 3–5 years, but the same issues keep returning: outdated content, duplicate pages, and unclear ownership. A redesign can refresh the experience. Ongoing content governance is what keeps it from rotting. #UXDesign #DigitalStrategy

Inherited a site no one's touched in years? Before you start the redesign, know that you're also paying down years of deferred decisions. Neglected sites need that work first — the debt always comes due. #ContentStrategy #DigitalStrategy

A pattern I see across government and higher ed: sites grow for years, but content ownership never grows with them. Outdated pages, duplicate info, and frustrated users pile up. The fix isn't a redesign—it's deciding who owns what, and when it gets reviewed. #ContentStrategy

I'm at the U of M today for #DigiColMN — a full day on the web and higher ed. Melanie Lindahl's keynote, "What we miss when we don't ask," gets at what we tell clients: a site built for the institution, not the person, quietly loses people you never hear from. If you're here, let's connect.

Tomorrow I’m at the U of M for #DigiColMN — a full day on the web and higher ed. Melanie Lindahl's keynote, “What we miss when we don't ask,” gets at what we tell clients: a site built for the institution, not the person, quietly loses people you never hear from. If you’re there, let’s connect.

On gov & university sites, users scan—not read. Page summaries give quick context: what it is + who it’s for. They improve consistency across large multi-department sites and help search/AI understand content. Start with high-traffic pages. #PublicSector #UXStrategy

A dated website isn't just the web team's problem. The cost lands on everyone desk — comms waiting days for a simple edit, content scattered across half a dozen places, no one sure who owns what. By the time it reaches the public, your site is speaking for you. Badly. #CMS #ContentStrategy

Many government and university websites we work on have 1,000+ pages. One simple improvement: add an 85–100 word summary at the top of key pages. It helps visitors quickly understand what they're viewing and whether they're in the right place. #UXDesign

Government and higher ed websites have the answers people are looking for. The problem is users can’t find them. Make sure the navigation and user flow is designed to speak to your primary audience, and not your internal staff. #UXDesign #InformationArchitecture

Over time a website becomes a junk drawer only one person knows how to dig through. The risk isn't that person — it's a system that made them irreplaceable. We've rescued plenty of sites built on that single point of failure, ideally before things hit the fan. #WebStrategy

Most people don’t want to read your long article online — so tell them what’s in it first. A short summary up top (85–100 words) helps readers decide quickly if it's for them. Bonus: it hands AI search a clean block to pull into answers. #UX #ContentStrategy

Best question to start a redesign isn't "what should we add?" It's "what's already here that shouldn't be?" A content audit answers it — duplicates, orphaned pages, accessibility gaps. Skip it and every decision after gets harder. #ContentStrategy #UXDesign

PDFs are where good information goes to get stale. Forms, deadlines, policies — uploaded once, then left alone. No version control. No review cycle. No clear owner. Users keep downloading last year's form. A CMS fixes what PDFs can't: content updated in place, reviewed before it's published.

Who owns your website content? Governance gets real when control meets flexibility. Without structure: too many cooks or last-minute chaos. The fix is clarity—core team owns, SMEs contribute, comms align. Defined roles = better decisions, better content. #ContentStrategy #UXDesign

Does your website has too many PDFs? What’s blocking your team from publishing web pages—training, CMS, or layouts? PDFs are easy, but static. Web pages are flexible, searchable, and built for users. Fix the system, not the workaround. https://electriccitizen.com/ #ContentStrategy #UXDesign

Content doesn’t fall apart overnight. It breaks when there’s no process behind it. Silos form. Standards drift. Pages pile up. It’s not a lack of effort—it’s a lack of structure. Fix the foundation, not just the symptoms. #ContentStrategy #UXDesign

Clear language isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s accessibility. ✍️ Plain language helps people find information faster, supports cognitive disabilities, and improves access for non-native speakers. It aligns with WCAG—so it’s compliance, not just best practice. #PlainLanguage #Accessibility #WCAG

We support government and higher education teams with a full suite of web services—helping them maintain digital experiences that are clear, accessible, and sustainable over for the long-term. #WebDesign #Accessibility #CivicTech

PDFs are one of the most common ways organizations share information—but are yours accessible? Improving accessibility doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Take inventory, prioritize what matters, and focus where it counts. Small steps can make a big difference. #DigitalAccessibility #ADACompliance

14 disconnected sites. Inconsistent structure. No room to scale. We unified UMN OACA’s flagship site + 13 subsites into one accessible Drupal platform with structured content and governance built for growth. One cohesive system. Built to scale. #HigherEdWeb #Drupal #UXDesign

“Just add a widget” sounds simple — until you open your PDF library. Most orgs have hundreds of inaccessible PDFs. Tools can flag issues, but real fixes often mean rebuilding or moving content to HTML. Accessibility isn’t a widget. It’s structural. #WebAccessibility #UXStrategy