A small wording difference can create a surprisingly awkward question. Is MightyDigitalStudioUK the same brand as a version written with spaces? Does “current” mean the same thing as “live”? Does “contact us” reach the parent brand or the specialist business named on the page?
A shared terminology guide answers those questions before the wording spreads through websites, forms, documents and emails. It records the terms a business portfolio uses, what each one means and where the current version comes from. It should be short enough to check while somebody is writing, not a weighty brand manual that sits unread.
MightyGroupUK’s current portfolio brings together different ventures with their own audiences and subject matter. Those brands do not need identical voices. They do need reliable names, honest status labels and clear routes for people trying to take the next step.
Start with words that affect a decision
There is little value in cataloguing every adjective. Begin with language that could change what a reader understands or does:
- official brand, product and project names;
- status words such as current, live, historical and in development;
- service labels that explain what each brand does;
- names for customer, partnership and general enquiries;
- repeated actions such as “contact MightyGroupUK”, “visit the brand” or “read the update”;
- older names that may still appear in archives, documents or search results.
The current MightyGroupUK brands page presents the digital studio as MightyDigitalStudioUK. That exact styling belongs in the guide, along with the page that confirms it. Writers and editors then have one answer rather than choosing a new version each time.
Record the meaning as well as the spelling
An approved spelling is useful, but it does not explain when to use the term. A compact entry can cover:
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Approved term | The exact public wording, including capital letters and spacing. |
| Meaning | What the term describes and any boundary that prevents a misleading use. |
| Use it for | The pages, actions or situations where the term fits. |
| Avoid | Old, informal or ambiguous alternatives that should not appear in current copy. |
| Authoritative source | The live page or approved record that confirms the current form. |
| Owner and review trigger | Who confirms a change and what event should prompt another check. |
The meaning field matters most for status words. “Historical” should not quietly turn into “live”, and work described as “in development” should not be presented as available. The MightyGroupUK guide to portfolio status labels explains how those distinctions help readers understand what they can use or enquire about now.
Keep each brand’s voice
A terminology guide is not a script. It does not require a vending service, a software product and a specialist community to sound alike. Their audiences need different detail and may use different everyday language.
The shared guide should control the small number of terms that must stay dependable. Brand names should be exact. A repeated action should have a recognisable label. A status should carry the same meaning wherever it appears. Beyond that, each specialist brand can explain its work in the language that suits its readers.
This follows the division described in One family, four brand voices: the parent site explains the connection, while specialist detail stays with the relevant brand.
Make repeated actions predictable
Terminology is not limited to names and descriptions. Button text, form labels and link wording also tell people what will happen next.
The W3C’s guidance for WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 3.2.4 says that components with the same function within a set of web pages should be identified consistently. Its scope is web accessibility, but the practical instruction is plain: if two actions do the same job, label them consistently. If they do different jobs, make that difference clear.
For a portfolio website, “contact the brand” and “contact MightyGroupUK” should not lead to different destinations without the surrounding copy explaining why. A terminology guide can record the preferred label, destination and context for each repeated action.
Keep old terms visible in the record
When a name or label changes, do not simply erase the old entry. Mark it as retired, note the replacement and record where the older version may still be valid.
A dated news article may accurately use a former name. Rewriting it could damage the historical record. A current service page is different and may need prompt correction. Keeping both terms in the guide helps an editor decide whether to update the wording, add a note or leave an accurate archive alone.
Search the less obvious places too: navigation menus, form confirmation messages, email templates, page titles, meta descriptions, image captions and accessible names. Public wording often drifts in templates that are copied more frequently than they are reviewed.
Review terms when something changes
A yearly tidy-up is better than nothing, but real changes should trigger the review. Check the guide when a brand changes status, a service is renamed, an enquiry route moves or a new parent-level summary is prepared.
Confirm the term at its authoritative source first. Then search every place listed in the entry, make the necessary corrections and open the public pages to verify the result. This works alongside clear website content ownership: the ownership record says who confirms a fact, while the terminology guide says how that fact should be named.
Build the first version from live copy
- Choose the brand names, status words and repeated actions that readers see most often.
- Check each one against the current authoritative page.
- Record the exact form, meaning, owner and review trigger.
- Add older alternatives that somebody might otherwise reuse by mistake.
- Search current websites and templates for mismatches.
- Correct only what has been checked and approved, then record the result.
The useful version may fit on one page. Its job is simply to stop a settled term becoming a fresh decision every time somebody writes a headline, button or portfolio summary.
Sources and further reading
- MightyGroupUK: Our Brands, for the current parent-level presentation and brand names.
- MightyGroupUK: One family, four brand voices, for the distinction between shared standards and specialist brand language.
- MightyGroupUK: Keeping several business websites accurate starts with clear ownership, for authoritative sources and update ownership.
- W3C: Understanding Success Criterion 3.2.4, Consistent Identification, for consistent labels on repeated web functions.