The University of Iowa

Web Community

We're here to help you build the best possible site. Our team offers training to content editors and site owners looking to build more effective websites. Currently, we offer training on web content strategy, Layout Builder, Siteimprove, and Google Tag Manager.

Layout Builder

Layout Builder is a feature included with your SiteNow v3 site. It provides a full suite of content editing tools that enable you to build custom page layouts using a drag-and-drop interface. These trainings will introduce the basics and help you get started with using Layout Builder effectively.

Skills you'll gain:
web design page layout content editing

Select a training

Our Introduction to Layout Builder training covers the basics of using layout builder, creating a page, adding content, adding sections and components and using administrative functions.

Our Layout Builder: Tips and Tricks (Part 1) training covers how to add PDF files to your site, using the person content type, adding pages to your main navigation menu, adding a horizontal menu, using tagging with the person content type, adding people to a page in a particular order and best practices for page design.

Our Layout Builder: Tips and Tricks (Part 2) training covers best practices for using page blocks and adding a news archive using the article content type, best practices for inserting images and replacing files on your SiteNow site.

Our Building Effective Student-Focused Web Pages training covers how to build out an effective web page targeted towards students from scratch using Layout Builder (with a step-by-step guide) and how to integrate web strategy into your page design.

Our Building Effective Alumni-Focused Web Pages training covers how to build out an effective web page targeted towards alumni from scratch using Layout Builder (with a step-by-step guide) and how to integrate web strategy into your page design.

Our Introduction to Webforms training covers the basics of how to create a webform, add an element, place it on a page on your site and conditional formatting.

Our Creating and Using Articles training covers the basics of how to create and use articles, pulling articles onto a given page, tips and tricks, and best practices.

Our Using Patterns Effectively training covers the basics of how to add patterns to a page, how to use them effectively, and practices to avoid in terms of patterns and colors on a given page.

Our Using Buttons and Calls-to-Action (CTA) training covers the basics of how to add buttons and CTAs, how to use them effectively, and practices to avoid in terms of buttons and CTAs on a given page.

Our Utilizing Taxonomy and Tagging training covers the basics of how to use taxonomy and tagging, why you should consider using it, and how to pull specific people onto a page using tagging.

Our Optimizing Pages for Better Spacing and Patterns training covers how to improve pages with poor spacing and excessive background pattern use using Layout Builder (with a step-by-step guide) and how to integrate web strategy into your page design.

Our Optimizing Article Organization on Pages training covers how to improve pages with poor article usage and effectively manage article content using Layout Builder (with a step-by-step guide) and how to integrate web strategy into your page design.

Our Person Content Type training covers how to add a person to your website, how to pull them into a specific page on your website, using the local people directory and people list block, and various best practices when using this content type.

Our Main Navigation Menus and Advanced Webforms training covers how to add a page to your main navigation menu, how to set up a horizontal menu, how to create an advanced webform with conditional logic, and how to add a webform to a specific page on your website.

Our Setting Up an Events Feed and Using the Events Component training covers how to add an events feed to your website, how to add an event that only displays on your website, and the advantages and disadvantages to using each component.

Our Managing Featured Content and Creating Region Settings training covers how to add content to be featured on a given page on your website and how to add a region setting including: after content and pre footer content to your website.

Our User Roles and Permissions training covers how to add a user to your website and various user roles and permissions.

Our Getting Started with the Statistic Component training covers how to add a statistic to your website and various options for displaying them on a given page.

Our Quick Guide to the Find Text Feature training covers how to use the Find Text tool on your SiteNow website.

Our Building Out Better Pages and Setting Up Anchor Links training covers how to build out a page from start to finish and how to set up anchor links on your SiteNow website.

Web content strategy

Web content strategy isn’t something you can see or click — it’s the overall experience on a website that is shaped by a thoughtful, strategic, and data-driven approach. Having a content strategy is essential for understanding what your users need and how to create content that meets those needs. These trainings cover the fundamentals of creating effective content for both new and existing websites, including how to design intuitive navigation menus, build content models, and lead a strategic web project.

Skills you'll gain:
content strategy for web laying out intuitive menus writing for web

Select a training

Our Introduction to Web Content Strategy training covers the importance of web content strategy and how to create an effective strategy for your website.

Our Writing Effective Web Content training covers how to create impactful web pages. We teach you how to start from scratch using Layout Builder, offering a detailed, step-by-step guide. Additionally, we'll show you how to seamlessly incorporate web strategy into your page design, making it more user-friendly by effectively organizing text-heavy content.

Our Building Effective Student-Focused Web Pages training covers how to build out an effective web page targeted towards students from scratch using Layout Builder (with a step-by-step guide) and how to integrate web strategy into your page design.

Our Building Effective Alumni-Focused Web Pages training covers how to build out an effective web page targeted towards alumni from scratch using Layout Builder (with a step-by-step guide) and how to integrate web strategy into your page design.

Our Website Launch Steps training covers the essential steps you need to take before you launch your website. These steps include utilizing the 'find text' feature, configuring Google Analytics, implementing meta descriptions, archiving outdated content, conducting Siteimprove checks and more.

Our Adding Dynamic Web Images training covers the basics of how to search and select dynamic imagery for your website using Photoshelter and placing it on a given page. This training covers adding departmental-specific images and general campus images.

Our Card Sorting and User Testing training covers the basics of how to conduct a card sort and do user testing. This training covers testing methods, questions to ask users, and the benefits of user testing and card sorting.

Our Introduction to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) training covers the basics of how to use SEO to make data-driven decision for your SiteNow website and building a foundation for SEO success. It also covers using Google Search Console, writing effective meta descriptions, and submitting a sitemap.

Our Organizing Content Heavy Pages training covers how to build out an effective web page that contains a lot of text-heavy content using Layout Builder (with a step-by-step guide) and how to integrate web strategy into your page design.

Our Fundamentals of Writing for the Web training features Tracy Playle of Pickle Jar Communications and discusses how to craft compelling website copy and the fundamentals of writing for the web as it relates to University of Iowa websites.

Calendar Invite

Want a calendar invite for an upcoming training? Just fill out the form and we’ll send it your way.

Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager is one of several tools you can use to better understand your website’s analytics and data. These trainings will show you how to set up GA4 both with and without using Google Tag Manager.

Skills you'll gain:
web analytics web data web performance

Siteimprove

Siteimprove is a tool that helps you improve the quality, performance, and accessibility of your website. This training will cover the basics of how to use Siteimprove to gain valuable insights and make your site better.

For information on setting up Siteimprove, visit https://its.uiowa.edu/services/siteimprove.

Skills you'll gain:
web accessibility web quality web performance