Chat or forum: choosing the right format
Chat or forum? Real-time chat and threaded discussion suit different communities. Compare pace, knowledge, time zones and workload to choose the right format.
Design & User Experience
Making a membership site clear, fast and easy to use.
What belongs in your website footer
What belongs in your website footer: the links, contact details and policies visitors look for at the bottom of the page, and what to leave out of it.
Author pages and bylines that build trust
Author pages and bylines build trust with readers and search engines. Learn what to put in a byline, how to write an author page and how to credit guests.
Designing for slow connections
Designing for slow connections: how to keep your membership site usable on weak mobile signals, rural broadband and data caps, from images to video.
Designing for older audiences
Designing for older audiences: practical ways to make your membership site easier to read, tap and navigate for older members, without talking down to them.
Where to put video on the page
Where to put video on the page: how to place, size and surround videos on lessons, articles and sales pages so people press play and get real value.
Forms beyond sign-up: contact, surveys and applications
Forms beyond sign-up: how to design contact forms, member surveys and applications that people finish, with clear questions and helpful confirmations.
Accessible email: messages everyone can read
Accessible email means messages everyone can read, including members who use screen readers or magnifiers. Here is how to structure, word and check them.
Icons and visual cues that help rather than confuse
Icons and visual cues that help rather than confuse: when to use icons, why labels still matter, and how to make badges and status markers clear to members.
Create a simple style guide for your membership content
A simple style guide for your membership content keeps voice, formatting and terms consistent, even when several contributors are writing for you.