Website Strategy Guidelines
Introduction to Energy.gov
Energy.gov serves as the primary digital platform for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), serving as the foundation to the agency's online presence, including public-facing information, stakeholder resources, and digital tools. This strategy is rooted in compliance with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA), which mandates that federal agencies modernize their digital presence to be user-centric, accessible, and cost-efficient. By centralizing content creation and distribution on Energy.gov, DOE provides a single, authoritative source of information, fostering transparency and efficiency. A unified platform benefits the public and stakeholders by:
- Offering a reliable location for accurate, up-to-date resources.
- Simplifying navigation and reducing confusion caused by fragmented or duplicated content.
- Ensuring accessibility and compliance with federal standards, including Section 508, which ensures accessibility for individuals with disabilities by requiring that digital content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
Energy.gov Core Values
The following core values guide DOE employees in their contributions to Energy.gov:
- Transparency: Ensure that all content is clear, accurate, and publicly accessible unless restricted by law or policy.
- User-Centered Focus: Prioritize the needs of the public and stakeholders by providing intuitive, easy-to-navigate resources.
- Compliance: Adhere to all legal and policy requirements, including accessibility, plain language, and security standards.
- Efficiency: Centralize content on Energy.gov to eliminate duplication, reduce costs, and ensure effective use of taxpayer dollars.
- Innovation: Embrace modern tools and practices to continually improve the digital experience for users.
Energy.gov Guiding Principles
Our core values shape the following guiding principles.
Cost Efficiency
The Department of Energy currently manages nearly 1,000 micro websites, many of which duplicate content, fragment information, and create unnecessary maintenance costs. Centralizing content on Energy.gov optimizes taxpayer dollars and consolidates information for public consumption. The Office of Public Affairs and Office of the Chief Information Officer are working diligently to migrate these microsites into the Energy.gov platform.
Unified Identity
Energy.gov strengthens DOE’s digital presence by providing a cohesive, recognizable platform. A single, centralized website ensures that stakeholders associate the DOE’s mission and accomplishments with one authoritative source and visual identity. Explore DOE's brand guidelines to understand the policies and standards for the proper use of DOE's logo, official seal, and other branding elements, ensuring consistency across all platforms.
Compliance and Accessibility
By consolidating content on Energy.gov, DOE ensures adherence to federal laws and standards, including the 21st Century IDEA, including Section 508 accessibility and plain-language requirements.
Improved User Experience
A unified platform simplifies navigation for the public, making it easier to find accurate, up-to-date information without confusion caused by scattered microsites.
Security and Maintenance
Centralization reduces the risks associated with maintaining multiple platforms, simplifying compliance with federal cybersecurity standards.
Legal and Policy Framework
21st Century IDEA
The 21st Century IDEA establishes a legal framework for modernizing federal websites. Its key mandates include:
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Websites must be accessible across devices.
- User-Centered Approach: Platforms should be intuitive and easy to navigate.
- Streamlined Experiences: Agencies must reduce duplication by consolidating redundant websites.
- Accessibility: Websites must meet Section 508 compliance standards, which ensure digital content is accessible to individuals with disabilities by requiring that it be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
This law provides DOE with the authority to enforce Energy.gov as the agency’s primary platform, ensuring compliance with congressionally mandated requirements. The DOE’s Office of Public Affairs and Office of the Chief Information Officer are responsible for overseeing the implementation of these requirements.
OMB Guidance on Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 2023 guidance emphasizes:
- Prioritizing a digital-first approach to public services, ensuring government websites meet modern user expectations for accessibility and usability.
- Centralizing digital efforts to enhance usability and efficiency, reducing redundancy across agencies.
- Avoiding fragmentation caused by microsites and duplicative platforms that lead to inconsistent user experiences.
- Streamlining content delivery through centralized and accessible platforms to provide accurate and up-to-date information to the public.
- Leveraging advanced technologies to continuously improve the quality and responsiveness of digital services.
U.S. Web Design System (USWDS)
The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) provides tools and resources to create accessible, mobile-friendly, and modern websites. DOE leverages USWDS to:
- Ensure consistent design across Energy.gov.
- Maintain compliance with federal usability and accessibility requirements.
- Implement ongoing updates in collaboration with DOE’s content management system (CMS) team and external stakeholders to incorporate feedback and enhance the website’s usability.
Web Policies for DOE Staff and Contractors
Primary Mandate
The Office of Public Affairs has purview over the DOE's public message in collaboration with DOE's departmental elements, including the Office of the Secretary. Program offices and any associated contractors are required to use Energy.gov as the primary digital platform for providing information to the public and DOE stakeholders. DOE-funded projects, programs, reports, research, and other materials requiring public communication are considered essential content for Energy.gov. For any questions about Energy.gov, DOE staff and contractors are encouraged to email doecms-support@hq.doe.gov.
Micro Website Policy
The creation of standalone microsites will only be considered under extremely rare and justified circumstances. Proposals must:
- Be reviewed and approved jointly by the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and Public Affairs (PA) teams at the concept phase of the project. Micro Websites that are developed without OCIO and PA approval will be denied immediately.
- Address needs that cannot be met within the capabilities of Energy.gov, such as specialized technical functionality.
- Note: Joint initiatives with external stakeholders are funded by DOE and taxpayer funds and must be reviewed at the beginning phases of a project.
- Have an official .gov address. Non-.gov addresses (.org, .com, etc.) are prohibited.
To request a new website, including a new domain name or sub-domain name, please follow the directions located on OCIO’s domain request page. Non-adherence to this policy risks duplication, increased costs, and non-compliance with federal mandates, undermining the DOE’s mission and public trust.
Section 508 Compliance
Section 508 compliance is a critical aspect of ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including individuals with disabilities. DOE adheres to the General Services Administration (GSA) Section 508 Accessibility Program to ensure Energy.gov meets these standards and uses SiteImprove to regularly test compliance. Key aspects include:
- Perceivable Content: Ensuring that information is presented in ways that users can perceive, such as providing text alternatives for non-text content.
- Operable Interfaces: Designing interfaces that are easy to navigate, including support for keyboard-only users.
- Understandable Information: Ensuring that information and the operation of user interfaces are clear and intuitive.
- Robust Platforms: Creating content that works well with current and future assistive technologies.
DOE provides training and resources to staff and contractors to support compliance with these standards, ensuring all content on Energy.gov—including documents, presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, videos, and social media posts—is accessible to the widest possible audience. Federal employees, including contractors, are required follow GSA's accessibility content creation guidelines to help produce content that meets Section 508 standards.
Have questions about 508 compliance? Email DOE's 508 Compliance program manager, Teddy Dyer, at doesection508coordinator@hq.doe.gov.
Plain-Language Requirements
Creating content in plain language is essential for ensuring clear and effective communication with the public and stakeholders. DOE adheres to the Plain Language Guidelines to simplify complex information, making it easier to understand and act upon. Key principles include:
- Writing in short, concise sentences.
- Using everyday language instead of jargon or technical terms.
- Organizing content in a logical structure with clear headings and subheadings.
DOE staff and contractors are required to follow these guidelines to enhance the accessibility and readability of content on Energy.gov. For additional resources and training, visit Plain Language Guidelines to learn more about:
- A professional and unified appearance across government websites, enhancing credibility and trust.
- Scalability and adaptability, enabling websites to meet evolving user needs and technological advancements.
- Efficient content management practices that streamline updates and reduce redundancy.
Want to get involved with efforts across the federal government to implement the use of plain language? Visit https://www.plainlanguage.gov/about/ to learn about the Plain Language Community of Practice.
Do you have questions about Plain Language? Email DOE’s plain language point of contact, Michael Coogan, at michael.coogan@hq.doe.gov.
Implementation and Support
Training and Resources
DOE provides training and resources to support staff and contractors in creating effective, compliant content on Energy.gov. Key resources include:
- The Office of Public Affairs provides comprehensive Drupal CMS training to existing and new employees, equipping users with the knowledge to add, edit, and organize content effectively on Energy.gov.
- CMS users who would like to request training and resources, please email CMS support for assistance at doecms-support@hq.doe.gov.
Topic Pages and Office Pages
Topic and office pages on Energy.gov are high-performing content designed to provide clear, concise, and accessible information about the DOE's mission. To ensure consistency and ease of navigation, the Office of Public Affairs offers templates and CMS support for creating and managing these pages. Regular audits are conducted to maintain quality and compliance.
Topic Pages
Topic pages consistently rank among the highest-performing content on Energy.gov due to their clear, concise structure and focus on educational information that highlights the DOE's mission and associated work. To support CMS users, the Office of Public Affairs offers topic page templates upon request. The requesting office assumes primary ownership of the topic page and is tasked with identifying and collaborating with secondary owners to ensure comprehensive management of the content. CMS users interested in creating a topic page are encouraged to email CMS support for assistance at doecms-support@hq.doe.gov.
Office Pages
Office pages are an essential part of Energy.gov, serving as the primary source for office-specific information while maintaining a uniform design across all program offices. These pages have a consistent look and feel, ensuring that the public can easily navigate and locate information about each respective office. It is important to make information easy-to-find, so program offices are encouraged to post critical details to centralized locations whenever possible. For example, consumer savings information can be cross posted to the Consumer Savings section of the website. For further assistance with office pages, DOE staff and contractors can email CMS support at doecms-support@hq.doe.gov.
Metrics for Success
Being data-driven is critical to effective content creation and management on Energy.gov. The Department of Energy uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to analyze website performance and user behavior. By leveraging this data, DOE website managers and CMS users can make informed decisions to better serve their audiences and align with DOE's mission.
Key website metrics to focus on when creating content for Energy.gov include:
- Page Views: Track the total number of views a page receives to understand its popularity and reach.
- Engagement Rate: Monitor how users interact with content, including time spent on a page and interactions with embedded elements.
- Bounce Rate: Identify pages where users leave the site quickly, indicating potential areas for improvement.
- Traffic Sources: Analyze where visitors are coming from (e.g., search engines, social media, direct links) to optimize outreach efforts.
- User Demographics: Understand the audience’s characteristics, such as location and device usage, to tailor content effectively.
DOE staff and contractors are required to use these metrics to guide their content strategies, ensuring Energy.gov remains a valuable resource for both the public and stakeholders. If your office needs access to Google Analytics, please reach out to CMS Support at doecms-support@hq.doe.gov.