|
If you have further questions, please contact your  Account Executive in Marketing and Communications. If you have suggestions for additons to this page, let us know at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
How often should I review my pages on our website?
You should review and update your pages on the web at least quarterly. Pay close attention to the people, contact information, and any deadlines on your pages. Also, remove outdated files using the image and file managers.
Top
How do I login to edit my pages?
Go to the EVMS website. At the bottom right-hand corner of any page, select Login. Enter your Username and Password. If you have forgotten your Username or Password, select the appropriate hyperlink and follow the prompts.
Top
How do I edit my pages?
For detailed instructions on how to edit your pages please open How to Edit a Webpage on evms.edu.
Top
How do I create a link to another page on the website?
- Make a note of the area of the website where the destination page is located, i.e., Education, Current Students or Departments
- Highlight the text you want to use to link to another page. Tip: Link text should match the title of the destination page.
- Select Insert/Edit Link icon
- Select + next to the word Content* or, to link to an item in one of the menus, select Menu.
- Find and select the section name where destination page is located, i.e., Departments
- Find and select the category where the destination page is located, i.e., Eastern Virginia Medical School Administration
- Find and select the article you want to link to, i.e., Board of Visitors
- Select Insert
Note: DO NOT copy and paste links from the browser address bar to the link box in the page editor; this can result in broken links.
Top
How do I upload images to my pages?
- Use photo editing software to re-size your image for the web. Refer to Resize a picture using Paint. If you do not have photo editing software you can download Picasa for free. Tip: In general, images should be 300 pixels wide and 200 pixels high; portraits (head and shoulder photos) should be 120 pixels wide by 160 pixels high. The maximum width of an image should be 585 pixels - this size should be used very sparingly.
- The following is for headshots but explains the process for other images as well:
Optimizing headshots for the web using Photoshop.
Optimizing headshots for the web using Picassa.
- Log in to Joomla.
- Navigate to the article you want to edit.
- Select the edit article icon in the upper right of the page.
- Place your cursor in the position where you want to insert the image.
- Select the
 icon in the toolbar at the top of your article.
- Locate the directory for your department into which you want to upload the file.
- In the Image Manager, select the
 icon to upload your image file.
- Select the
 icon.
- Locate the file you want to upload and select Open.
- Click Cancel to close the window.
- Add alt text to the image - should describe the image using keys would visitors might use to search for the content on the page.
- Select
Top
How do I upload and create a link to a PDF file on my page?
- If you need to preserve the layout, convert Word or Excel files to PDF before uploading to the website. For policies, handbooks, etc., you can set a password to prevent changes being made to the documents. In Adobe Acrobat, click File, Properties, and select the Security tab. Select your desired settings and set a password.
- When you convert your document to a PDF, make sure the file name does not have any spaces - use hyphens instead. For example: upload-image-to-web.pdf
- Log in to Joomla.
- Navigate to the article where you want to add a link to a PDF document.
- Select the edit article icon in the upper right of the page.
- In the article editor, highlight the text you want linked to the PDF.This should match the title of the PDF document.
- Click the Insert/Edit Document icon
 across the top of the tools bar.
- Locate the directory for your department into which you want to upload the file.
- In the File Manager, select the icon to upload your PDF file. NOTE: Do not upload files into the main folder images/stories.
- Select the icon.
- Locate the file you want to upload and select Open.
- Click Cancel to close the window.
- Ensure the filename is located in the URL option under Link in the File Mangager.
- Select the options you desire.
- Select
How do I add an anchor to my page?
Normal links point to the top of a different page. Anchors point to a place within a page.
Create an anchor.
- Place the cursor where you want your anchor to go.
- Select
- Fill the window with a descriptive title.
- Select
Create a link to the anchor
- Highlight the text that you want to link to the anchor.
- From the toolbar, select
- In the attributes box, select the name of the anchor you want to link to.
- Select
Top
Improving Your Pages' Search Engine Results
Following these tips will improve the chances your pages will appear higher in search engine results. This is not an exact science, so results are not guaranteed. There are billions of pages out there, so it's important to use the right words on your pages to improve your results.
Search engines index all the text on a page and prioritize certain parts of the page as more important for ranking a page on certain search words.
- Key Phrases: It is essential to know what key phrases site visitors are using to search for the content that appears on your pages, and then use those words and phrases in the text on your pages. Some tips:
- Avoid jargon - use everyday words in natural language. Example: Instead of "cardiopulmonary disorders," use "heart disease"
- Be specific. Example: Instead of "medical research," use "diabetes research"
- Titles, Headers & Descriptions: The words and phrases in titles, headers and descriptions have more weight than regular page text when search engines rank results.
- Page Titles: It's the top item when you are in edit mode on a page. Should be brief and specific, but extremely descriptive. They should be unique for each page.
- These appear on search engine results as the blue clickable text
- They should always include this information:
- the name or abbreviation of the institution: EVMS
- the name or abbreviation of the department/unit: Marketing & Communications
- if the page is something other than the main page, include a short description of the page content; in this case, it's the staff page
- So the entire page title would be:
EVMS Marketing & Communications - Staff
- Headers: Each primary topic on your pages should be formatted with the "heading 2" style; sub-topics should be formatted with "heading 3." This maintains visual consistency throughout the website, which increases the confidence of site visitors in a site's credibility.
- Descriptions: Descriptions should clearly describe the specific content on each page; they should be a maximum of 150 characters, including spaces and punctuation. To edit a description, in edit mode, scroll down to the bottom of the page and type the description into the Description box, then save your page. Descriptions appear under the page title in search engine results and help your pages to rank more highly.
Top
How do I create bullets or numbered lists?
Studies of how users read on the Web found that they do not actually read; they scan text. Users want to get their information fast. Also, bullets are search engine friendly. Following are the instructions for creating bullet and/or numbered lists in Joomla:
To Create a Bulleted List in Joomla
- Navigate to the page you want to edit
- Ensure you are logged in and are in edit mode
- Place the cursor where you would like to begin your bulleted list
- Select bullet list icon and type your text.
 Press to move to the next line and create another bullet.
- To create a sub-list item, select the indent icon
- To return to the main bullet list, select the outdent icon
To Create an Ordered Numbered List in Joomla
- Navigate to the page you want to edit
- Ensure you are logged in and are in edit mode
- Place the cursor where you would like to begin your numbered list
- Select numbered list icon and type your text.
 Press to move to the next line and create another numbered line.
- To create a multi-level list, select the indent icon
- To return to the main number list, select the outdent icon
- To change from numbers to letters select the appropriate type from the dropdown next to the numbered list icon
What are some recommendations for breaking up large documents into smaller topics?
As we continue with our Website Improvement Project, we encourage each of you to review your web pages with your departments. Most people come to the web for specific information, not for a complete document. They want answers to specific questions. They want useable, manageable pieces. On your web pages, think in terms of topics and subtopics.
While reviewing your pages evaluate each for broken links, outdated content, and needed additional pages.
Here is a list of questions to ask yourself to refresh and review your content:
- Is your copy succinct but informative?
- Does the writing style suit your purpose and 'speak' to the target audience?
- Is text broken into small, readable chunks and highlighted using established heading and sub-heading styles and emphasis features such as bold and other styles preformatted in Joomla where appropriate to assist in skimming?
- Are there links to more detailed explanations of subjects, or definitions of jargon terms?
- Have you recently updated the content?
- Do you use high-quality images where appropriate?
Jakob Nielson writes many articles on writing for the web. Take a moment to review his article Blah-Blah Text: Keep, Cut, or Kill? It offers great insight into introductory paragraphs on the web.
Top
How do PDF files affect online reading?
According to Jakob Nielson, website usability expert, users dislike finding PDF files while browsing, because it breaks their flow. Tasks which are simple in a web browser, such as printing or saving, are more difficult because standard browser commands don't work. PDF file layouts are often optimized for a sheet of paper, rather than a browser window. Scrolling through the document changes - suddenly, the user has to turn pages. The size and type of fonts change. Worst of all, PDF files appear undifferentiated and difficult to navigate.
PDF files work great for printing and distributing manuals and other large documents. Try to save your use of them for this purpose. As you update your web content, convert any information that needs to be browsed or read on the screen into real web pages. Contact your Marketing and Communications Account Executive if you need to have new web pages created to replace PDF files.
For more information, check out Jakob Nielson's Alertbox article PDF: Unfit for Human Consumption.
Top
|
