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Web Writing Basics

Content that serves people

Sam Houston State University is relaunching its website with a renewed focus on serving our audiences. This guide is designed to help you create content that is clear, accessible, and aligned with the SHSU brand.

At the heart of this guide is user-centered design — the principle that our website should always be built around the needs, goals, and experiences of the people using it. Writing for the web is not about what we want to say; it’s about what our audiences need to know and do.

Why this guide matters:

  • Our website is often the first impression prospective students and families have of SHSU.
  • A user-centered approach ensures that information is easy to find, understand, and act on.
  • Clear, purposeful writing improves engagement and supports enrollment, alumni relations, and community connections.
  • Consistency in tone, style, and branding strengthens the SHSU identity.

Principles of user-centered web writing

  • Focus on audience needs first. Anticipate their questions and write with their goals in mind.
  • Keep it simple. Use plain language and clear structure to reduce barriers to understanding.
  • Guide users to action. Every page should make it easy for users to know what to do next.
  • Design for all. Accessible content ensures everyone can engage fully, regardless of ability or device.

This guide is a resource for anyone who contributes to SHSU’s web presence. Use it when creating new content or updating existing pages to maintain a digital experience that is consistent, accessible, and above all, user-centered.

Writing for Mobile Devices

More than 30% of SHSU’s web traffic comes from mobile devices — and in some areas, that number is even higher. For many users, mobile isn’t just the first impression; it’s the only impression.

Best practices for mobile-friendly writing

  • Keep paragraphs short. Limit them to 1–2 sentences.
  • Test your text. Preview content at different screen sizes and text settings.
  • Avoid PDFs. Unless a file is meant to be printed, publish content directly on the page.
  • Think in columns. Multi-column layouts on desktops stack vertically on mobile devices. Ensure each column makes sense when read independently.

Preview a page in Mobile view

  1. Open the page in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
  2. Right-click anywhere on the page.
  3. Select Inspect from the menu. The inspection panel will open, showing the page’s code.
  4. In the top-left corner of the inspection panel, click the icon that looks like a desktop and mobile device. The page will switch to a mobile preview.
  5. Click the same icon again to return to the desktop view.

Mobile View Gif

Key Takeaway

Put the audience first, always. SHSU's web guide exists to help contributors create content that is clear, accessible, and built around what users need to know and do, not what departments want to say. With over 30% of site traffic coming from mobile devices, that means writing in plain language, keeping content concise, and making sure every page works just as well on a phone as it does on a desktop.

Updated 6/15/26