HUD's Web Publication Procedures and Style Guide

Appendix E: State Page Rules

1. General Rules

a. Templates

• Every state will follow the same template and format.
• Changes to the template/format must be vetted and agreed upon by ALL Regional Web Managers, and approved by the Departmental Web Manager for Field Operations, before they can be implemented.
• Only the Departmental Web Manager for Field Operations can instruct the contractor to make changes to the state page template.
• Anyone who has suggestions for new or revised content should send it to the Departmental Web Manager for Field Operations, who will coordinate it with the Regional Web Managers.

b. Content

• The center section of the topic level pages is to be used only for inherently local information - links ONLY should go to local (within that state) resources or to specific local content on national websites.
• New content should not duplicate existing content. Use links instead.
• Any content related to program policy must be vetted with the appropriate Headquarters program office to ensure it doesn't duplicate existing content and that it is accurate.

c. Page titles: All sections of the state pages – whether topic or lower level pages - must use the title convention:

Title: State Name (e.g., Homebuying: Florida)

d. Departmental links: Critical links to key Departmental information will go in the More from HUD box on the right. These links will be standard for all states.

e. Outside links:

• National non-HUD links should be submitted to the Departmental Web Manager for Field Operations, to be considered for the Departmental pages.
• In exceptional cases, national links to outside websites may be featured on both topic level pages and second level pages, in a box labeled Links. However, two conditions must be met before that happens:
  • The national links used must be agreed upon by the entire group of Regional Web Managers and approved by the Departmental Web Manager for Field Operations, and
  • There also must be a box or listing of appropriate links to national pages on HUD's website, again, agreed upon by the entire group and approved by the Departmental Web Manager. The reason for this requirement is that we don't want to send our audience off HUD's website, without being aware of all that HUD has to offer on the subject.

f. Good stories: On each topic level page, you have the option to spotlight a "good story" - success stories showcasing specific uses of HUD's programs and other innovative programs. If possible, you should have a "good story" on each topic level page. See Appendix F for more on good stories.

g. "Turning off" content: On each of the topic level pages, you may "turn off" a sub-topic in the center section until you have enough local information to make it viable. For example, if you can't find any local information on food banks, you can turn off that sub-topic on the homeless page.

h. Using links to national websites for local info: In some instances, the group may decide to link to the local information on a specific national website, for all states. In those cases, everyone will use the same link text.

• If for some reason that site does not provide content specific to a certain state, it is better to turn off the text than to direct it to a different URL and cause confusion to people who review more than one state page. In this case, use different text to point to the more helpful link.
• You may create an intermediary page if that would make your content more usable, as long as the originally intended URL is included on the new page.

i. Use links: Use links whenever you can – if you can find a website that is maintaining valuable information, use that link rather than try to maintain that information yourself. If you want to list addresses and phone numbers of homeless shelters in a state, for example, it is much more efficient to link to a state website that is maintaining that data than to try to collect and post the data yourself. It will be very time-consuming to keep those addresses and phone numbers current and accurate. Using links will save you time in verifying web content each quarter, it will save the contractors' time in doing constant updates, and it serves the audience just as effectively because they get the info they need.

j. Creating sub-level pages: Follow good usability practices. If your content will be more usable by breaking into 2 nd or 3 rd level pages so links are better organized, that's fine.

• All subordinate pages must follow all applicable rules.
• You must notify all of the other Regional Web Managers and the Departmental Web Manager for Field Operations when you introduce any variations from the template (e.g., new kinds of information, new second, third, forth level pages, etc.) so that the group can decide if this is something that everyone might want to do .
• Do not develop new sections to take the place of mandatory sections that have been agreed upon by the group.

k. Photos must be sent to the contractor to edit and turn into thumbnails.

• The contractor will maintain a photo directory for each Web Manager from which they can select photos for features, etc.
• Web Managers do not prepare and insert their own photos.