Tips For Better Web Pages

Make use of training resources, including open labs
  • Don’t worry if you don’t get it all the first time, it takes a little practice.
  • Visit https://wichita.edu/webtraining to sign up for Basic Training 1 and Basic Training 2, to learn how to use the CMS.
  • You can also sign up for Open Labs, which are great for answering questions you run into while working on your website.
  • Website reference guides are available at:

1. Snippets, image guidelines digital messaging, etc
2. Video Training Library
3. OmniCMS Terms Glossary
4. OmniCMS FAQs

Use the support form (above) when you need help
  • Please don’t go it alone. If you’re struggling and spinning your wheels, let us know and we can help.
  • We’re super friendly, and we love to help, so find the “Web Support” link in the footer of every page on wichita.edu.
  • Sometimes you may run into something that you’re not able to fix on your own. It might be that it requires technical know-how beyond the typical CMS user.
Use images
  • Did you know that Wichita State has an license to Adobe Creative Cloud? If you don’t have a photo editing tool on your computer, you can request Adobe CC (including Photoshop) from Information Technology Services (ITS). 
  • If you’re unsure how to crop your image sizes, the Standard Page Snippets Guide and Landing Page Snippets Guide have examples of snippets and the image sizes that work best in them.
  • Be sure to use good alt text. It’s as simple as describing the image to someone who can’t see it. If it has text information that isn’t repeated in the text of the article it’s with, tell them what the text says.
  • If you’re unsure where to find some images for your website, utilize the WSU Photo Bank.
WSU Profiles tips
  • View the full guide on WSU Profiles.
  • Contact us via the Web Support form (above) to change the “In This Section” menu to automatically be just like your department’s main “In This Section” menu — that way you only have to manage one, and users have a more seamless experience. 
  • Don’t create duplicate profiles for one person. People may be in multiple groups for many reasons, but Profiles is designed so that we only have one profile per person. Simply use the “Add extra profiles” to a Profile Listing Page template to add people from other areas of campus to your group’s listing.
  • Utilize the automatic profiles group snippet. This snippet (available on landing or standard pages) is handy if you a) want very specific control over the order in which people are listed, b) already have an existing contact page where you want to add profiles or c) want to add a sidebar to your listing page (use standard page template with an automatic profile groups snippet to achieve this).
  • The Bookmarks Gadget in OmniCMS can help you bookmark your profile or your department’s profiles folder. You can also use bookmarks all over the site, so you don’t have to navigate through the same folders every time you have to update a commonly visited page or site folder.
Use Shortcuts
  • To request a shorter URL for an existing webpage, select “Short URL” from the Request Type dropdown on the Web Support form below.
  • Did you move, rename or delete a page or directory? Submit a Short URL form with the “Shortcut URL” as the old name (the full url) and the “Actual URL” for the new name (the full url).