October 26, 2023
Fall 2023 Content Manager Update
Hello IT Connect Content Managers,
Welcome to the Fall 2023 edition of the quarterly IT Connect Content Manager Update.
- IT Community guide for technical staff
- Google Analytics 4 project update
- IT Connect service wiki
- Web content best practices
WHAT’S NEW
Guide for UW’s IT community
UW-IT works with partners across the UW to support the technology that drives teaching, learning, research and work. These partners — from distributed IT Support to departmental IT directors and leadership — are a key audience and stakeholders for UW-IT. To help deliver key information to them from UW-IT, we’ve created an IT Community guide on IT Connect. This guide contains information curated for IT partners across the UW. Over time, this IT Community guide will grow to be more comprehensive and include more information.
You can help us ensure the guide contains all the information it needs. If you have information from your division, unit, or service that you think belongs on the guide, let us know by emailing help@uw.edu with Communications & Engagement in the subject line.
Google Analytics 4 update
IT Connect is now running the latest major version of analytics: Google Analytics 4. The legacy Universal Analytics previously used on the site stopped collecting data earlier this year, and around the end of the year Google plans to shut it down completely.
This means that historical data about site usage will be inaccessible, including information about visitors to your content on IT Connect. While the IT Connect service team has saved high-level platform data about how the site has been used from a global perspective, information about specific sections of the site cannot be saved in mass. However, if you want to save information about your content, you are enabled and encouraged to do so.
IT Connect service wiki
The IT Connect service team maintains a wiki with important information about the platform and service. This wiki documents roles & responsibilities, support plans, key performance indicators, a log of changes to the site, and a roadmap for what’s coming.
This wiki is open to all UW-IT to browse and learn about how the platform is managed, and what’s on the horizon for the service. If you are interested in learning more about the IT Connect service, check out the service page.
Web Content Best Practices: Set the navigation sort order
Did you know that the pages that appear in the left-side navigation of an IT Connect section can be sorted into an order that makes the most sense for your readers? While pages are ordered alphabetically by default, you have full control over the order items appear on the section-level menu.
As a best practice, set the page order in a way that makes sense for a user’s journey. For example, if you have a page about how to sign in to a tool/service, have that page ordered higher than a page about how to configure options once signed in, as a user would logically follow that order. The best order for the navigation menus is up to you as a content manager; put yourself in the shoes of your end users.
DOCUMENTATION, TRAINING & CONSULTATIONS
Do you need some help creating IT Connect content, another head to brainstorm content organization and layout, or want to learn how to use the features available in IT Connect? There are several ways to get help:
- Content Manager Documentation: Extensive documentation, ranging from the basics of WordPress to advanced features for pages, is available on the IT Connect Content Manager Documentation.
Guide to writing documentation: Use the Getting started with documentation guide to help you start writing documentation. The guide breaks down the documentation process that will benefit your end users. - Training: One-on-one training for managing content on IT Connect is available from the IT Connect service manager, Nick Rohde, over Zoom or in person. Get tips on correctly formatting content using the tools in IT Connect or learn how to organize your content. To arrange training, fill out this intake form.
- Consultation: Consultation sessions for individuals or teams are available from the IT Connect product manager, Nick Rohde. To schedule a consultation, fill out this intake form.