Important content entry note! Don’t copy and paste text from Word or another program directly into the WYSIWYG. You have to “clean” the formatting off first by copy/pasting it into a text program, like Notepad, then copy/pasting it into the WYSIWYG. If you don’t, Word can carry over its own inline styles that will override our CSS stylesheets and make the text look weird (wrong color, wrong font, wrong size, etc.).
How to Write User-Friendly Content
- Use pronouns. The user is “you.” The Town of Farmville is “we.” This creates cleaner sentence structure and more approachable, conversational content.
- Use active voice. “The board proposed the regulation” not “The regulation was proposed by the board.”
- Use common words. By using keywords that your users use, you will help them understand the copy and will help optimize it for search engines.
- Chunk your content. Chunking makes your content more scannable by breaking it into manageable sections.
- Front-load the important information. Use the journalism model of the “inverted pyramid.” Start with the content that is most important to your audience, and then provide additional details.
- Use short sentences and paragraphs. The ideal standard is no more than 20 words per sentence, five sentences per paragraph. Use dashes instead of semi-colons or, better yet, break the sentence into two. It is ok to start a sentence with “and,” “but,” or “or” if it makes things clear and brief.
- Use bullets and numbered lists. Don’t limit yourself to using this for long lists—one sentence and two bullets is easier to read than three sentences.
- Use clear headlines and subheads. Questions, especially those with pronouns, are particularly effective.
- Use images, diagrams, or multimedia to visually represent ideas in the content. Videos and images should reinforce the text on your page.
Headings
Please use H2 as the main heading style for your content. You can use as many H2s on a page as you want. Use the other styles (H3, H4, H5, H6) as subheadings as needed.
This is a Heading 2
This is a Heading 3
This is a Heading 4
This is a Heading 5
This is Normal
Other Formatting Options
Italics – Use italics sparingly, as it is difficult to read long passages online that are italicized.
Table – Tables are normally used to show things like schedules or fees.
Image Size Reference Guide
| Content Type | Minimum Dimensions | Max File Size |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage Hero Banner (MMA) | 1600 x 820 pixels | 10 MB |
| Intro Content w/ Photo | 650 x 390 pixels | 10 MB |
| Header Image | 1600 x 420 pixels | 10 MB |
| Content with Photo Collage | 300 x 300 pixels | 10 MB |
| Featured Pages | 300 x 170 pixels | 10 MB |
| Contacts | 300 x 300 pixels | 10 MB |
Bulleted List (sometimes called an “unordered list” in programming lingo)—Use when the order of the items doesn’t matter:
- Police Department
- Housing Authority
- Code Enforcement
- Public Works
Numbered list (sometimes called an “ordered list”)—Use when putting things into a hierarchy.
- Donate
- Volunteer
- Apply for an internship
- Host a fundraiser
Use the Quote button in the editor to create a blockquote. Use this style for quotes and other information that you want offset from the regular paragraph text like this.
This is the citation field.
This is a horizontal line. Use sparingly to separate elements of the page.
Links
Using descriptive link text improves accessibility for disabled users. Blind users navigate by having links read aloud to them, so using descriptive links helps them understand where they are going when they don’t have the context of the surrounding words.
No: Visit the Beam & Hinge website here.
No: Click here to visit the Beam & Hinge website.
Yes: Visit the Beam & Hinge website.
Buttons
What is the difference between a button and a link? As a rule of thumb, buttons indicate that you want the user to do something, while links usually just mean they are being directed to another page. For example, you might want to use a button for “Give” or “Volunteer.” To add a button link, highlight the text and create the link using the editor, as you normally would. Then select from the “Styles” dropdown menu to choose the button style you want.
Accordions
Accordions
Accordions are very useful for when you have a lot of information, but you want the user to be able to review it at-a-glance.
Users can see all the headings at once, and click to expand the accordion for those that they are interested in. Accordions are great for FAQs!
Click to add an Accordion layout block. Add or remove additional accordion tabs by using the “Add Row” button, (+) or (-) symbols to the right.
Anchor Links
Anchor links are helpful for directing users to specific content on a page. When content within the WYSIWYG gets lengthy, an anchor link can be created and a button style applied to direct users back to the top of the page, as shown below.
Steps to create an anchor link in the WYSIWYG:
- Click where you want to anchor to (ie: before the first letter of the WYSIWYG content, if you want to anchor to the top of the page.)
- Navigate to the toolbar on the far right of the page and choose “Advanced”
- Add your anchor point word (ie: top), and save
- Create a hyperlink/button that goes to your anchor by entering the # symbol before your anchor text in the URL field: #top and save.
- Test your new anchor link. It is recommended you test in an Incognito window, or while logged out of the CMS to accurately see the behavior.
Administration
3672 North Main St. | (252) 753-5774
Code/Safety
3672 North Main St. | (252) 753-5921
Facilities & Grounds
4455 West Pine St. | (252) 753-6714
Finance
3672 North Main St. | (252) 753-5116
Fire
3713 North Main St.| (252) 753-2618
Garage
4455 West Pine St | (252) 753-2182
Library
4276 West Church St. | (252) 753-3355
May Museum
3802 South Main St. | (252) 753-6725
Police
3672 North Main St. | (252) 753-4111
Public Works
4455 West Pine St. | (252) 753-6714
Recreation
3672 North Main St. | (252) 753-6712
Utilities Administration
3672 North Main St. | (252) 753-3021
Utilities AFTER HOURS OUTAGE
(252) 753-4111