The UC Delivers page has some of the highest traffic in the Division's Web presence and most ANR Web sites have at least one navigation link to UC Delivers.

These stories are powerful demonstrations of the value of ANR to Californians. But how can you make your UC Delivers stories stand out on your county or program Web site?

Here's a step-by-step way to easily focus on local impact through UC Delivers. I'm going to create a new link in the left navigation bar that connects to a new page listing the UC Delivers stories that I want to highlight.

This method is for Site Builder sites that are not using the Expanded Programs List option. I think most sites look neater and are easier to navigate by not activating the Expanded Programs List option.  And you have more control over the left navigation bar.

1.  First, create a new Program page. In this example, I'm using a test site for Tuolumne County.

My navigation link is going to be called UC Delivers in Tuolumne County, so I'm going to give my Program page that name too.

2.  While you're in this window, you're going to write some snappy copy for this new page. I recommend using a variation of the copy used on the UC Delivers site as your introduction.

Now create direct links to the UC Delivers stories that you want to highlight. You can either use the existing story headline, or write a new one.  Then make the headline a direct link to the story - not to the main UC Delivers page. 

I recommend making the link open in a new window, since visitors will be leaving your site and going to UC Delivers.

 

Here's how the page on the Tuolumne test site looks:

 

And the link opens to this page:

 

3.  I don't want this new Program page to appear in the main body of the home page, so I'm going to deactivate it.

Now this progam appears at the bottom of the Programs menu.

4.  One last step in this window of Site Builder, is to copy the URL of you link and paste it onto your clipboard.

5.  Now, go back to the Edit Home Page link and select "Edit Navigation Links."

 

Now you're going to name your navigation link and paste in the URL of the inactive program page you just created.  Click on "Add a New Main Menu Link"

Type in the name you want for your link (it's called a category on this page), and paste in the URL of your new Program page.

 6. Save the category.

You now have a new navigation link that appears at the end of your list of active links.  Use the up and down arrows to move the new navigation link into the order you'd like.

7. As a final step, go to your Dashboard and re-publish your site.

If you'd like to see this example in action, you can view it on the Tuolumne test site.  Keep in mind this site is a shell where I try things out - it's not a complete site.

In my marketing workshops I spend a good bit of time talking about the importance of color in reinforcing brand awareness.

There are some good corporate examples. Most people associate Coca-Cola with the color red; and UPS has built an entire marketing campaign around their corporate color - brown.

One of the things we know about the ANR brand is that to many, Cooperative Extension is the face of the University of California in their community. Another brand attribute is the role of ANR as the bridge between local issues and research on the UC campuses.

From the Carewords survey, we also know that our clients place a high level of confidence in the reliability of our information because it is based in scientific research. To our clients, the connection to the parent brand - the University of California - is quite strong.

I recommend as a best practice the use one of the blue andgold color schemes available in Site Builder to visually reinforce the connection to the parent brand.

I have heard that some are reluctant to use the blue and gold color scheme because of fears of color fatigue. They think that choosing an alternate color scheme makes their Web site stand out in a sea of blue and gold.

I would assert that the benefit to using blue and gold outweighs any perceived downside. Visitors to your Web site rely on visual landmarks like color as navigational tools, so color plays an important role on many levels on your site.

But in answer to the visual fatigue issue - once again, design comes to the rescue.

We now have 3 blue and gold color schemes available in Site Builder!

The original UC Blue n' Gold

 

Goldfingers Cerulean-nose

and Hula Ba Blue which features a saucy touch of burgundy

You can change your color scheme with the click of a mouse from your Site Builder dashboard

 

 

Hats off to Alex Zangeneh-Azam for the new color schemes!

 

 

 

 

Once you've attracted a visitor to your Web site - you don't want to lose them to another site. If you have a link on your site that links to an external site, make that link open in a new window. The window that contains your site remains open in the viewer's browser so it makes it easier for people to get back to your site. Sure the "back" button works - but why risk losing those eyeballs!

So how do you do that?

First, put your link into the body of the text:

 

Then, go to the "Target" tab. From the drop down menu, choose "New Window"

Ta-da!

To see the "New Window" function in action. Check out any of the Pest Notes in the ANRCatalog.

Hey! Two hidden tips in that last line about how to liven up static copy. Watch for that - next week!