Content inventory
Encyclopedia
A content inventory is the process and the result of cataloging the entire contents of a website
. An allied practice—a content audit—is the process of evaluating that content. A content inventory and a content audit are closely related concepts, and they are often conducted in tandem.
s (html), meta element
s (e.g., keywords, description, page title), images, audio and video files, and document files (e.g., .pdf, .doc, .ppt). A content inventory is a quantitative analysis
of a website. It simply logs what is on a website. The content inventory will answer the question: “What is there?” and can be the start of a website review.
A content audit is a qualitative analysis of information assets on a website. It is the assessment of that content and its place in relationship to surrounding Web pages and information assets. The content audit will answer the question: “Is it any good?”
Over the years, techniques for creating and managing a content inventory have been developed and refined by many experts in the field of website content management
.
A spreadsheet
application (e.g., Microsoft Excel
) is the preferred tool for keeping a content inventory; the data can be easily configured and manipulated. Typical categories in a content inventory include the following:
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
. An allied practice—a content audit—is the process of evaluating that content. A content inventory and a content audit are closely related concepts, and they are often conducted in tandem.
Description
A content inventory typically includes all information assets on a website, such as web pageWeb page
A web page or webpage is a document or information resource that is suitable for the World Wide Web and can be accessed through a web browser and displayed on a monitor or mobile device. This information is usually in HTML or XHTML format, and may provide navigation to other web pages via hypertext...
s (html), meta element
Meta element
Meta elements are the HTML or XHTML <meta … > element used to provide structured metadata about a Web page. Multiple elements are often used on the same page: the element is the same, but its attributes are different...
s (e.g., keywords, description, page title), images, audio and video files, and document files (e.g., .pdf, .doc, .ppt). A content inventory is a quantitative analysis
Quantitative analysis
Quantitative analysis may refer to:* Quantitative analysis , an analysis technique applying mathematics stochastic calculus to finance...
of a website. It simply logs what is on a website. The content inventory will answer the question: “What is there?” and can be the start of a website review.
A content audit is a qualitative analysis of information assets on a website. It is the assessment of that content and its place in relationship to surrounding Web pages and information assets. The content audit will answer the question: “Is it any good?”
Over the years, techniques for creating and managing a content inventory have been developed and refined by many experts in the field of website content management
Content management
Content management, or CM, is the set of processes and technologies that support the collection, managing, and publishing of information in any form or medium. In recent times this information is typically referred to as content or, to be precise, digital content...
.
A spreadsheet
Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper accounting worksheet. It displays multiple cells usually in a two-dimensional matrix or grid consisting of rows and columns. Each cell contains alphanumeric text, numeric values or formulas...
application (e.g., Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
) is the preferred tool for keeping a content inventory; the data can be easily configured and manipulated. Typical categories in a content inventory include the following:
- Link — The URL for the page
- Format — For example, .htmlHTMLHyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
, .pdf, .docMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
, .pptMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft PowerPoint, usually just called PowerPoint, is a non-free commercial presentation program developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite, and runs on Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS X operating system... - Meta page title — Page title as it appears in the meta
tag</li> <li> Meta keywords — Keywords as they appear in the meta name="keywords" tag element</li> <li> Meta description — Text as it appears in the meta name="description" tag element</li> <li> Content owner — Person responsible for maintaining page content</li> <li> Date page last updated — Date of last page update</li> <li> Audit Comments (or Notes) — Audit findings and notes</li></ul> <br /> <br /> There are other descriptors that may need to be captured on the inventory sheet. Content management experts advise capturing information that might be useful for both short- and long-term purposes. Other information could include:<br /> <ul> <li> the overall topic or area to which the page belongs</li> <li> a short description of the information on the page</li> <li> when the page was created, date of last revision, and when the next page review is due</li> <li> pages this page links to</li> <li> pages that link to this page</li> <li> page status – keep, delete, revise, in revision process, planned, being written, being edited, in review, ready for posting, or posted</li> <li> rank of page on the website – is it a top 50 page? a bottom 50 page? Initial efforts might be more focused on those pages that visitors use the most and least.</li></ul> <br /> <br /> Other tabs in the inventory workbook can be created to track related information, such as meta keywords, new Web pages to develop, website tools and resources, or content inventories for sub-areas of the main website. Creating a single, shared location for information related to a website can be helpful for all website content managers, writers, editors, and publishers.<br /> <br /> Populating the spreadsheet is a painstaking task, but some up-front work can be automated with software, and other tools and resources can assist the audit work.<br /> <H2>Value</H2> A content inventory and a content audit are performed to understand what is on a website and why it is there. The inventory sheet, once completed and revised as the site is updated with new content and information assets, can also become a resource for help in maintaining <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("70653",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("70653")' href="/topics/Website_governance">website governance</a><span class="hp" id="m70653"><div class="hpHeader">Website governance</div><div class="hpContent">Website governance may be defined as an organization's structure of staff ; technical systems; and the policies, procedures, and relationships such staff have in place to maintain and manage a website...</div><br></span>.<br /> <br /> For an existing website, the information cataloged in a content inventory and content audit will be a resource to help manage all of the information assets on the website. The information gathered in the inventory can also be used to plan a website re-design or site migration to a <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("44082",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("44082")' href="/topics/Web_content_management_system">web content management system</a><span class="hp" id="m44082"><div class="hpHeader">Web content management system</div><div class="hpContent">A web content management system is a software system that provides website authoring, collaboration, and administration tools designed to allow users with little knowledge of web programming languages or markup languages to create and manage website content with relative ease...</div><br></span>. When planning a new website, a content inventory can be a useful <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("42825",this,"project_management.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("42825")' href="/topics/Project_management">project management</a><span class="hp" id="m42825"><div class="hpHeader">Project management</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i42825"></div>Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...</div><br></span> tool: as a guide to map <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("92196",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("92196")' href="/topics/Information_Architecture">information architecture</a><span class="hp" id="m92196"><div class="hpHeader">Information Architecture</div><div class="hpContent">Information architecture is the art of expressing a model or concept of information used in activities that require explicit details of complex systems. Among these activities are library systems, Content Management Systems, web development, user interactions, database development, programming,...</div><br></span> and to track new pages, page revision dates, content owners, and so on.<br /> <H2>See also</H2> <ul> <li><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("16254",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("16254")' href="/topics/Web_content_management_system">Web content management system</a><span class="hp" id="m16254"><div class="hpHeader">Web content management system</div><div class="hpContent">A web content management system is a software system that provides website authoring, collaboration, and administration tools designed to allow users with little knowledge of web programming languages or markup languages to create and manage website content with relative ease...</div><br></span></li> <li><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("87169",this,"design_methods.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("87169")' href="/topics/Design_methods">Design methods</a><span class="hp" id="m87169"><div class="hpHeader">Design methods</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i87169"></div>Design Methods is a broad area that focuses on:* Divergence – Exploring possibilities and constraints of inherited situations by applying critical thinking through qualitative and quantitative research methods to create new understanding toward better design solutions* Transformation – Redefining...</div><br></span></li> <li><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("85913",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("85913")' href="/topics/Information_Architecture">Information architecture</a><span class="hp" id="m85913"><div class="hpHeader">Information Architecture</div><div class="hpContent">Information architecture is the art of expressing a model or concept of information used in activities that require explicit details of complex systems. Among these activities are library systems, Content Management Systems, web development, user interactions, database development, programming,...</div><br></span></li> <li><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("35285",this,"web_design.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("35285")' href="/topics/Web_design">Web design</a><span class="hp" id="m35285"><div class="hpHeader">Web design</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i35285"></div>Web design is the process of planning and creating a website. Text, images, digital media and interactive elements are used by web designers to produce the page seen on the web browser...</div><br></span></li> <li><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("59342",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("59342")' href="/topics/Website_governance">Website governance</a><span class="hp" id="m59342"><div class="hpHeader">Website governance</div><div class="hpContent">Website governance may be defined as an organization's structure of staff ; technical systems; and the policies, procedures, and relationships such staff have in place to maintain and manage a website...</div><br></span></li></ul> <br /> <H2>Further reading</H2> <ul> <li> In his article <a rel='nofollow' class='greylink1' href="http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/a-map-based-approach">A Map-Based Approach to a Content Inventory</a>, Patrick Walsh describes how to use <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("83399",this,"microsoft_access.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("83399")' href="/topics/Microsoft_Access">Microsoft Access</a><span class="hp" id="m83399"><div class="hpHeader">Microsoft Access</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i83399"></div>Microsoft Office Access, previously known as Microsoft Access, is a relational database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools. It is a member of the Microsoft Office suite of...</div><br></span> and Microsoft Excel to link a data attribute with a structural attribute to create “a tool that can be used throughout the lifetime of a website.”</li></ul> <br /> <ul> <li> In the article <a rel='nofollow' class='greylink1' href="http://www.louisrosenfeld.com/home/bloug_archive/000448.html">The Rolling Content Inventory</a>, author Louis Rosenfeld argues that “ongoing, partial content inventories” are more cost-effective and realistic to implement.</li></ul> <br /> <ul> <li> Collen Jones writes from a UX design perspective in <a rel='nofollow' class='greylink1' href="http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/08/content-analysis-a-practical-approach.php">Content Analysis: A Practical Approach</a>.</li></ul> <br /> <H2>External links</H2> <ul> <li> <a rel='nofollow' class='greylink1' href="http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html">Xenu's Link Sleuth</a></li> <li> <a rel='nofollow' class='greylink1' href="http://siteorbiter.com/">SiteOrbiter</a></li> <li> <a rel='nofollow' class='greylink1' href="http://www.webconfs.com/similar-page-checker.php">Similar Page Checker</a></li> <li> <a rel='nofollow' class='greylink1' href="http://www.cryer.co.uk/resources/link_checkers.htm">Link Checker Tools</a></li></ul> <div class="article-reference">The source of this article is <a class='greylink1' href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_inventory">wikipedia</a>, the free encyclopedia. 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