Websites - VPFO Communications & Engagement

UBC has thousands of websites for millions of readers

Different kinds of websites have different purposes depending on their intended audience. Some websites are geared towards selling products, some are geared towards providing information, and some are merely for entertainment. For example, in the VPFO we have a variety of websites that we use primarily to share operational information with the UBC community and to tell the story of our portfolio to our peers and partners.

Considerations
This channel is best when… you have information that is semi-permanent and needs to live publicly. your message is relevant to and affects an entire organization or it’s clients. your information can be structured and organized to align to the website that is hosting it. you need the ability to easily update information as it changes. you need access to highly accurate measurement and analytics.	Choose a different channel? Websites are part of a “pull strategy” — people need to be pulled to the site to see the content. Websites are often intimately tied to newsletters or other digital advertising which “push” information to attract readers. Content on a website is always in the public eye. You need to commit to reviewing and updating it. If your content contains proprietary or confidential information… once it’s available in a digital format on a website it will eventually become public.

Considerations

This channel is best when…

you have information that is semi-permanent and needs to live publicly.
your message is relevant to and affects an entire organization or it’s clients.
your information can be structured and organized to align to the website that is hosting it.
you need the ability to easily update information as it changes.
you need access to highly accurate measurement and analytics.

Choose a different channel?

Websites are part of a “pull strategy” — people need to be pulled to the site to see the content. Websites are often intimately tied to newsletters or other digital advertising which “push” information to attract readers.
Content on a website is always in the public eye. You need to commit to reviewing and updating it.
If your content contains proprietary or confidential information… once it’s available in a digital format on a website it will eventually become public.

Details

UBC has thousands of websites, ranging from those that represent the whole university to those that provide information on a single research project within a faculty. The university also has a host of service-centered websites that provide employees with necessary information and tools to do their jobs. In the VPFO alone we have 18 websites, with more in development.

Resources

The usability.gov website has a host of resources to help content creators understand user experience, visual design, and content strategy.
VISIT THE USABILITY.GOV WEBSITE

UBC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology regularly holds workshops and drop-in sessions for website users of the WordPress platform.
VISIT THE CTLT WEBSITE

Learn more about UBC’s online environment and how to take advantage of it in our Communication Workshop “Using our websites: from the VPFO and beyond!”
VISIT THE COVID SESSIONS PAGE