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Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 
    Best Practices Writing

    Content Components

    Giving content a structural meaning with headings is critical for screen reader users. One of the popular ways for a screen reader user to navigate is to use the headings menu. The heading level tells the user the hierarchy or importance of content on the page and how it fits into the overall page structure. Content authors should know what the heading levels are when authoring a page:

    H1 - H6 structure

    The Hero structure is used for content hierarchy. Here is an example of a typical structure:

    • H1 tag is usually the page title.
    • H2 heading, is a hero headline
    • H3 is brief, intro or sub copy that relates back to the H2
    • H4 is body copy that relates back to the H2
    • H5 is body copy relates back to the H2
    • H6 is usually closing body copy
    • CTA

    CTAs (Calls-to-action)

    A call-to-action is a clickable line of hyperlinked copy or a button that lets the site visitor know what you want them to do on a particular page. Historically, CTAs have been vague or even unhelpful, but improving accessibility is one of the goals of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public Web Presence project so understanding what makes one CTA better than another can help you write more accessible CTAs.

    A good CTA button will let the user know what happens after they select:

    • Submit this form
    • Apply for benefits
    • Explore our services

     

    Out-of-date (old school) CTAs offer little information about what users can expect next, and some use non-accessible language:

    • Click Here
    • Download Now
    • Get Help

     

    H1: Page Titles 101

    1. Page titles use the H1 tag
    2. A web page should only use one H1 tag
    3. Avoid using punctuation
    4. Lead with the section name, which changes from page to page, instead of the agency name first

    CTA Button Best Practices: 

    DON'T:

    • Click Here
    • Download Now 
    • Get Help

    DO:

    • Submit this form
    • Apply for benefits
    • Explore our services

    When crafting copy for a button, there are a few things you must pay close attention to:

    • Most buttons have character limits 
    • Use clear, actionable language to explain what the button does or what action you want the user to take.
    • 2-3 words are a best practice for CTA button copy