Web Team

The web team utilizes a ticket-based system to deliver high quality service efficiently. Below you will find a few tips for working with us and five steps for submitting a work request. 

• Please work closely with your assigned web coordinator. Ticket and project management tools help organize the work, but it takes collaboration to be successful. 
• As the ticket submitter, you are our single point of contact. This keeps lines of communication and approval authority clear.
• We will always send you a proof. As our point of contact, it is your responsibility to share the proof, gather feedback and sent us approved changes. 
• You must approve the final proof before we send your email or publish your web content. 

Step One

Visit our request form.

You will be asked to identify the college or unit you report to. This will allow us to parse to work correctly and track effort per unit. Click next. 

Step Two

Define the service you want from the dropdown list. And then define a priority - normal or critical. Click next. 

Step Three

Fill out the data fields. Please provide context and the desired outcomes. This will help us understand and design around your goals. Click next

Step Four

Add your name and email address. You will be the primary contact and updates will be sent to your email address. Submit the form and you will receive a confirmation email with a ticket number. 

Step Five

Once work begins on your ticket, the assigned web coordinator will email you updates and requests. All communication will reference your ticket number. 

Working with the Web Team should be a collaborative effort. For more information about roles and responsibilities, click here.

Updating Existing Pages

• See an example

• Use Snipping Tool to get a screenshot of the page, or alternatively-

  • Windows: Press 'PrtSc' on keyboard OR 'Windows key' +'Shift'+'S' to get a screenshot

  • Mac: Press the 'Command', 'Shift' and '3' keys to get a screenshot

  • You can use Shift + minus/dash to zoom out and show entire page on one screenshot

• Show changes on the screenshot

  • Use whichever is easiest for you to show changes– Paint, Word, PowerPoint, Adobe products

  • Strike out content you want removed

  • Highlight or use different colored text to show changes in text

• Include URL links for each page you reference

Updating Existing Text

• Include the actual text you want copied onto the page. If the page has similar content in two spots, make it clear which you are referring to

  • Highlight additions, strike through any text being removed or replaced

  • See examples which include common Editorial Style Guide changes

Updating images or files

• Include the new image you want to use as an attachment rather than putting it into a word document. If you’re not sure it can be used, submit it and a member of the Web Team can help resize the photo or work with you to find a suitable image

• Make it clear which file or image you want to replace

• Person profile templates

  • Faculty profile

  • Staff profile

• New page

  • If you are unsure if you need a new page or what the best strategy is, you may submit a ticket and just let us know what you are thinking, and we can begin a conversation about ideas.

  • Consider if there is enough content for a new page, or if changes to current pages can be re-worked. 250 words minimum is suggested.

  • Consider if this content is already listed on another U of I page, and linking to it instead of duplicating content.

  • If there is another page you want it to look like, include the URL and mention that. Note if that page has any images, the different items such as accordions or links to other pages, subheadings, and amount of text.

  • Consider where it should exist within the navigation, such as which section it goes under in the side navigation menu.

  • Attach any images separately, and use the title of the image when referring to it in the list of changes

You are the content expert and owner, but University Communications and Marketing can help you refine content for a desired audience and communication channel.

For help defining a content strategy and writing marketing content, please reach out to the marketing team. For proofreading and editing services, please reach out to the communication team.

If you'd like to take a crack at writing your own web content, please see the tutorial posted in our team Knowledge Network. Additionally, the web team is happy to advise on how best to design and deploy your content via web and bulk email channels. 

Please reach out to Creative Services. They have excellent photography and videography teams. 

Marketplace and webpages are administered through the Office of Information Technology (OIT).

Below are a few articles we found on OIT's support site regarding Marketplace and webpages. 

• Creating a new Marketplace store. 
• Adding or editing products in an existing Marketplace store.
• How do I request web hosting space for a personal website?
• How do I access my UI web space?

Regarding webpages, the university does not provide personal web space by default. However, faculty and staff can request web space by demonstrating an academic need or purpose. For help, please reach out to your unit's Technology Solutions Provider. 

For social media help, please contact the marketing team. 

The directory lists student and employee contact information based on their university profile stored in Banner. If the information is incorrect, please see the directory help page for instructions. 

The web team oversees a variety of units and departments across the university. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that you appoint several web authors within your department or unit who can assist with web content maintenance and updates for their assigned area. 

Web authors are individuals within a department or unit who can assist with web content maintenance and updates for their assigned area. These authors have access to the CMS and can make content changes directly to web content without going through a request form.

If you or someone in your department is interested in becoming a web author, reach out to your assigned web team manager. They will provide training and access.

Websites are created for an audience and a purpose (desired outcome). It is best to start with broad strokes and then work down to specifics.

1. Discuss your audience (visitors). Who are they? What are their self-interests? Why are they important to you and why are you important to them? We suggest grouping visitors into audience types (we call these personas).
2. Define desired outcomes for your visitors. What do you want them to do or learn? Prioritize these outcomes. Define what success looks like for each outcome (we call these key performance indicators --KPIs).
3. Think about why visitors would want to visit your website. And once they are there, what types of content will persuade visitors to do whatever it is you want them to do. Please consider aligning with one of their self-interests. We call this effort defining a content strategy.

The questions above can be difficult to answer. We are here to help. Do your best and then let's talk.

Once we feel good about the audience(s), outcome(s) and a content strategy, then we will work together to create the content defined in question #3 and craft it into an excellent user experience.