Web Strategy
Advertising and the use of external links on Wheaton web pages
3 June 2009, 4:17 pm
Increasingly we are asked about the appropriateness of links to commercial enterprises from Wheaton College web pages. Today we’re announcing a policy guide to help web page editors understand both the desirability of useful external links and the unacceptability of advertising on our site.
From the policy guide:
Overview
An external link is a link from a Wheaton web page to information on the Internet provided by a person, entity or organization outside of the college. Web page authors and editors are encouraged to include external links that provide web site visitors with access to information that is useful, relevant and appropriate. This document provides guidance on the use of external links for those responsible for Wheaton College web pages.
Advertising
It is unacceptable for Wheaton web sites to deliver content whose primary purpose is to solicit or encourage a web site visitor to purchase goods, services or information from external persons or organizations. Wheaton web pages will not include banner ads, popup ads, search ads, display ads or any other type of advertisement. In general, college web pages should avoid layouts that might be misconstrued as advertisements for external organizations.
Given our status as a not-for-profit, educational institution these two principles are clear. But applying them to real web sites is often not so simple. The policy guide is part policy statement, part usage guide, with examples, to aid web page editors.
Download the complete policy guide: The use of external links on Wheaton web pages
What’s a renovation? And why?
31 March 2009, 1:58 pm
We received many questions after our recent announcement. Here are a few:
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t you just redesign the website?
Yes and no. We redesigned the Wheaton home page last summer, and we’ve heard compliments from many people. But, while the home page is important, it’s just one of the 15,000 pages on the Wheaton web site. In this comprehensive renovation of the whole Wheaton web site we want to extend the good thinking that went into the home page to all the pages, making the whole site easier to use, more engaging and more useful.
I think the new home page looks great, but why so little blue?
When we talk about a “redesign” we don’t just mean selecting the colors, photos and fonts–this is much more than a graphic redesign. We want to reconsider the navigation, the overall site organization, and the information and services that are available. Throw out any junk that has accumulated over the past fifteen years. Add new features when we think they would add value for students, prospective students and potential donors. Help college departments communicate with their constituents and deliver services efficiently. Let the world know about the great things that are going on at Wheaton.
Why would you put more resources into the web site? Why is the college doing this instead of making Wheaton more affordable?
We don’t think we can do one without the other. The trustees recently committed to adding another $2 million to financial aid for next year, while holding the comprehensive fee increase to the lowest level in many, many years. At the same time that the college is making these major efforts to be more affordable, we also need to make sure that we continue to attract a new classes of excellent students and an ongoing stream of gifts to support the work. The Wheaton web site, as the primary place prospective students and donors look for information about the college, is an essential part of that effort. And besides, most of the cost of the redesign is the energy and effort of the staff, faculty and students who will take the time to participate in the process, and the considerable effort of the web and communications staffs. Those funds we are using come from reallocation of existing budgets which have already been reduced as part of the college’s cost reduction initiative.
Web renovation
26 March 2009, 9:24 am
The Web Strategy Team, in collaboration with our colleagues in Communications and the entire campus community, will soon begin a renovation of Wheaton College’s website that we expect to complete by next fall.
In a time of greatly constrained resources, we all must make thoughtful decisions about how to prioritize our time and energy in the best service of the college. We believe that the most important work we can do right now is to tell Wheaton’s story to the entire world as effectively as possible–to prospective students, parents, alumnae/i, donors, and even to one another as students, faculty and staff.
In the very near future, we will form a working group to help guide the process, and then we will invite all of you to participate in conversations about the current site, your related needs and web aspirations.
If you have questions about the process, please contact the Web Strategy Team at web@wheatoncollege.edu.
New Resource for the Senior Class
16 January 2009, 3:11 pm
insideWheaton’s “Seniors” tab, a valuable new resource for Wheaton’s Senior class, was introduced on November 12, 2008. Ana O’Brien, of the Office of the Registrar, was the mover-and-shaker behind this idea. Ana shared some practical advice for anyone who would like to do something similar in a recent conversation with Colleen Wheeler, of the Web Strategy team.
Where did the idea for the “Seniors” tab come from?
I first thought about using insideWheaton after my department was introduced to the “New Students” tab. I was impressed by how useful it could be to have this single source information for new students. Later that day, I was back in my office discussing deadlines for seniors when something clicked…
So, what happened next?
I called David Caldwell to ask what was possible. That got the ball rolling.
How long did it take to get from that first meeting to the “live” tab?
I think I met with David in late August and the tab was live on November 12. I had access to a test tab soon after meeting with David, and then it was a matter of gathering colleagues from various campus departments. When that group met, we agreed on the information to post, and assigned an owner and deadline to each piece.
So, who is on this “Seniors tab” team?
Andrea Holden from Student Life, Chris Gilbody from Student Financial Services, Jessica Weaver from Alumnae/i Relations & Annual Giving, Lisa Gavigan from The Filene Center, Alex Trayford from Academic Advising, and me.
Were there some rough spots?
The toughest part was just sitting down and writing something by a deadline–and nudging others to do the same. The technology was so straightforward that it was pretty much a “non-issue” for me.
Would you do it again?
Absolutely. It was well-worth the effort.
It sounds as though it’s made a positive difference even though it’s still pretty new to you.
Yes, it certainly has! Having a resource focused on the needs of Seniors is huge for us. I’d say that, before the tab, our response rate was about 20%, and now it’s closer to about 40% AND we don’t spend as much time chasing students. We used less time, energy and paper and got a better result. We were creating most of the content already, and the new tab collected it into one convenient location. Yes, I would definitely do it all over again.
What advice do you have for others who might be wondering if this approach could work for them?
insideWheaton is a great resource and I encourage everyone to use it. It did require us to rethink the work we were already doing but, for the most part, it’s meant no additional work.
Did you know?
11 December 2008, 12:09 pm
You can hide the big photo slideshow on Wheaton’s homepage. This can be useful if you are viewing our homepage on a mobile device and wishing for a lighter-weight page. It’s easy. Just click the “Hide slideshow” link in the page footer; you can always turn it back on by clicking the “Display slideshow” link.
Preview the next home page
4 August 2008, 9:00 am
The front door of Wheaton’s online presence, the college’s home page, will be getting a new and more exciting look for the new academic year.
The new home page is designed to better represent the vitality of the college community by sharing stories about students’ experiences and by placing more emphasis on images that convey the active nature of our learning community as well as the beauty of the campus.
In addition, the new design offers an integrated “quick links” and site map feature that make it easier for users to find the college’s online resources.
You can check out the new home page today, although it won’t be officially launched until Monday, Aug. 25. The preview version, which includes one sample student profile, will be available through Thursday, Aug. 14. You will find it at http://www.wheatoncollege.edu/preview.
If you have trouble viewing the page, please let us know by addressing email to web@wheatoncollege.edu. The new design has been optimized to work with most Web browsers, but there are more than 50 different versions. Also, feel free to send us suggestions on people to feature in the “My Story” space, as we do intend to develop more stories over the course of the year.
The redesigned home page is intended to complement insideWheaton, the personalized Wheaton start page that is now available to all faculty, staff and students. If you haven’t yet tried insideWheaton, check it out. This could be your new, personal home page! Use your wID and email password to sign in whether you’re on- or off-campus. While there, check your email, read campus news, access self-service options through WINDOW and Banner, update your emergency contact information–all with a single sign-on.
Sincerely,
Michael Graca
Assistant Vice President, Communications
Announcing insideWheaton
1 July 2008, 4:11 pm
Visit insideWheaton for convenient, one-stop access to the college’s news, events and web-based services. This could be your new home page! Use your wID and email password to sign in whether you’re on- or off-campus. While there, check your email, read campus news and group announcements, access self-service options through WINDOW and Banner, update your emergency contact information–and even customize insideWheaton so it works best for you.
Web Strategy Team announces new blog
27 March 2008, 9:45 am
The Web Strategy Team’s web site is sporting a new blog. Why? We expect to introduce several new services over the few months, and we wanted a good way to keep you in the loop. As new services become available, we will post information on our site using the blog. We hope you’ll visit us at http://wheatoncollege.edu/web and subscribe to our feed while you’re there. Please let us know (web AT wheatoncollege DOT edu) if you have questions or suggestions.
Once you see our new blog in action you may want to have one, too. Blogs are easy to edit and update so it’s easier to share your department’s news and information. A blog is an especially useful tool for a site that has frequent news and announcements.
It’s easy for your readers, too. Besides reading your news on the web, a reader can subscribe to your content and have it delivered automatically to their favorite news reader or their email inbox.
Besides that, all the cool people are doing it.
Find Kim in the new Webbingo game
27 March 2008, 8:46 am
Now and then we could all use a little help figuring out how to get things done at Wheaton. To make this more fun, your friendly Web Strategy Team has created a Wheaton Web Bingo (Webbingo) Card.
Visit http://wheatoncollege.edu/web/bingo/bingoForm.html to find the webbingo card, rules and prize information. All entries must be received electronically by high noon (Eastern time) on Thursday, April 3, 2008.
January 2008 update
1 January 2008, 8:18 am
The fall just past was a busy time, with lots of web work going on behind the scenes. Many new and revised department sites made their appearances, including new sites for SSSR and Recreation, and greatly-improved navigation for the Human Resources site. Implementation of new content management tools now makes it possible to create an archive for college news and to offer Wheaton press releases as an RSS (news) feed.
Out of public view a team from LIS and the Web group has been building the infrastructure for insideWheaton, the college’s new web community, now in final testing. The finance staff has built extensive private sites for Board of Trustees committees; the sites promise improved services and better communication for these important groups while saving staff time. And, our staging server has been replaced, adding speed and reliability.
Major improvements to the web editing environment are about to be released for use by departments. And, most visibly, we have many new banners on the home page and other major pages. You can view images from the banners in the banner gallery.
What we do
The Web Strategy Team supplies the tools, the standards and the glue for web content created by departments and individuals across campus. The team provides services, information and facilities to support college departments; imagination and new technologies to help them meet their program goals; standards and designs to bring quality and coherence to the overall college web presence; a prod to keep it all moving forward; and the coordination and leadership to keep it all moving forward together.
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