Website Best Practices

Approved File Types

.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .pdf

File Size (less is more)

Images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif)

• Optimal: under 100KB
• Max: 250KB
• Optimize images
  • squoosh.app

Note: It is best practice to remove unused images from the media library.

Documents (.pdf)

• Max: 3MB
• Above 3MB should be hosted on a cloud storage platform (suggested resource: DropBox or Google Drive)

Note: Word docs are not recommended for web. These files may have compatibility issues with certain devices and are easily editable. It is best practice to use PDF’s when sharing a document on the web.

Video/Audio

• DO NOT UPLOAD VIDEO or AUDIO
• Use: YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, PodBean

Word Count

300-700 words per page is optimal for SEO purposes.

Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.)

Headers are used to structure content for SEO and accessibility.

• Only use one H1 per page
• Use headings as a hierarchy of content
• Keep headings short and direct
• Clearly describe content below
• Avoid abbreviations and technical terms

Links

Internal linking

• When possible, link to existing content on your site rather than duplicating it

External links

• Target new window
• Test links (broken links hurt SEO)

User Creation

It is best practice to NEVER share an individual’s user credentials with anyone else. If an additional user needs access to your website, they need to be issued their own user credentials.

*Some hosted websites may have stricter restrictions than others. This is precautionary, due to recorded potential threats on the site.

User Name

• Do not use email address as user name
• User name should be unique (i.e. do not use users first name)
• Never use the following:
  • admin
  • administrator
  • yourdomain.com
  • yourdomain

Password

• Use a unique password for your website
• Use a strong password
• Change password regularly
• Check how strong your password here

User Roles

Administrator level access should be used with caution. This level of access can alter custom code, paid upgraded features, and the potential to damage your website if not used correctly. Typically Editor level is sufficient to accomplish most business edits.