1. Reuse events from last year
Events on the Extension website automatically disappear from lists and search results once the date has passed. However, the records still exist in the system, so if an event occurs annually, you can reuse the content from the previous year. This has several benefits:
- You can save effort now by reusing work from last year. All you need to do is update the dates (and flyer if there is one).
- Visitors who may have bookmarked last year’s event (or find it through Google) will see current information if they visit the page again.
Instructions:
- Go to the group content page for the group that you originally entered the event in.
- If you remember the title of the event, you can search for it. Otherwise, you can select “Event” in the “Type” filter above the list of content.
- Once you find the previous year’s event, click the “Edit” button next to it and update the dates. This will put it back in event lists and search results.
2. Store files in Box
Box is OSU’s file storage platform. Anyone with an ONID account can store unlimited files on Box and share them with other employees or the public. Box was created specifically for file management and has many useful features, including:
- File versioning – if the document changes each year, you can easily replace the old file with the new one without changing the link.
- Privacy settings – you can set files up so anyone (the public) can access them, only people who know a specific password, or only people with an ONID account
Instructions:
- There is documentation about using Box on OSU’s Box page and our Website user guide.
- Some tips for effectively setting up files in box:
- To share a file or folder with the public, click “Share” next to it. Then, turn on the “Enable share link” toggle. It is very important that you set the dropdown below the share link to “Anyone with the link.” Otherwise people will need to log in with an ONID to see the file.
- There is a link near the share link box for “Link options”. This is where you can set a password to protect the file or get the “direct download” link (which allows visitors to download the file directly without seeing it in Box first).
- Be sure to set one of your coworkers as a co-owner or editor of the file, in case you leave or otherwise can no longer access it someday.
- When you have the “share link” for the file, create a program resource and select “External website” as the resource type. This will give you a field to paste the link.
3. Break up long pages
If you have long pages that are difficult to scan, there are options to make it a little easier: page section settings and nested pages.
Page sections:
For most page sections, you can configure:
- Background color (alternating background colors is a good way to break up the page)
- List style (you can make lists more condensed by using a “Text list” style, which doesn’t display images with items in the list)
- Section id (you can use section IDs to create a “table of contents” at the top of the page that links to sections further down)
Instructions:
- Edit the page
- At the top of where page sections are configured on the edit screen, there are two tabs: “Content” and “Settings”
- When you switch to the settings tab, you can configure options for each section
Nested pages:
One of the best ways to help a long page is to break it up into several shorter pages. Then, to prevent the sidebar from getting unwieldy, you can nest the new pages under the original, so they only appear in the sidebar when the parent is selected.
Instructions:
- Go to any program page that shows the sidebar and click the “Reorder Pages” button at the bottom.
- On the next screen, you can drag the pages into any order you want. To nest one page under another, drag it under and to the right. When you’re done, click “Save order”.
4. Look at peers for ideas
One of the best ways for you to get ideas for your own pages is to look at pages from programs similar to yours. Here are some programs that have been set up with some of the website’s new design features and serve as good examples:
- 4-H
- BEPA 2.0
- Master Gardener
- Tree School
5. Think about all your audiences
Programs produce content for many audiences, including:
- Prospective members
- Current members
- Volunteers/leaders
- Program faculty/staff
It is, in general, usually best to organize content according to audience, and depending on what audiences your program serves, we may recommend options outside of the Extension website for content (e.g. the Extension Employee Intranet or an OSU WordPress blog).
Another audience that all programs have but that often gets overlooked is the general public. There are many reasons why the public would be interested in content produced by a program, including:
- They utilize the services provided by program volunteers (e.g. MG plant clinics)
- They are affected by the program’s outcomes or impacts
- They want to learn the information taught to program participants, but for whatever reason can’t participate themselves
However, visitors often perceive program pages as being only for active participants in a program. So, if you produce program-related content for the general public, make sure it can be found through topic and county pages, where the general public is more likely to look.
