Web Communications

The Web Communications team helps the Nazareth community with naz.edu, social media, and web projects. Campus departments are partners in ensuring the website is up-to-date and relevant. We provide training and support to a web editor(s) in each department (chosen by the department head).

Request web/digital help

Who does what for Naz websites?

Who does what includes naz.edu webpage editing, the Naz Catalog, the Naz Directory, headshots, public relations, and how to reach students.

Know a great story we should share?

Use our Story Idea form!

Please include enough details to "sell us" on why it's a great story.

For any story idea we're able to pursue, we will then check the facts with the person to tell an authentic story.

Developing Nazareth website content

Each department typically has a trained web editor. Request training ≫

Effective webpage content:

  • Quickly answers the key Qs the audience has
  • Is concise
  • Is formatted so it's easy to skim, following principles taught in the web editor training session (Avoid large sections of unformatted text.)
  • Leads the audience to the next step (what action would they take next?)

Content can include images and multimedia files, data files, documents, and PDFs. Images need to be sized appropriately for web viewing, meaning large enough resolution to look good on a screen (at a screen resolution of 72 ppi) but small enough (under 100KB) to ensure the page will load quickly for the user.

To schedule a consultation with a member of our web team to talk about web content strategy and best practices, please contact Chris Farnum, cfarnum5@naz.edu585-389-5023.

What is SEO? Why is it important?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important because it helps people find your webpage.

Search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo! index webpages in databases and list them in the search results in order of "relevancy." The best way to ensure that naz.edu pages are relevant and optimized for key search engines is to populate them with content that is relevant to the keywords that the target audiences search. To rank more highly, page content and page titles should be written using the language and words that searchers are likely to enter into search engines.

Pay careful attention to the natural language your audiences use to describe programs and mimic that wording in web content.

Some SEO best practices:

  1. Include the main keyword or key phrase of the topic in the title and sub-titles of the web page.
  2. Use keywords as alt-text for images.
  3. Link to anything you reference.
  4. Use the meta description tag. (This is the 160-character message about your web page that people see when they conduct a search online and your page shows up in the results.) 

If you are interested in learning more about SEO, see this great guide from Moz.

Analytics Primer

Web analytics is about monitoring how visitors use different pages and features on a website. Analytics allow webmasters to watch the browsing habits on a site (i.e., popular pages, exit pages, time on site, etc.). Analytics also show where the traffic is coming from, and if the traffic is coming from a search engine, what search term a visitor typed in (keyword analysis). This sort of information is valuable in helping to identify both problem areas and opportunities.

Analytics can help inform decision-making about the content and usability of a website. Where are visitors going? What are they ignoring? Which terms have the highest conversion rates? Google Analytics measures the web efforts and communication strategies at Nazareth University. The web team actively watches site usage and traffic patterns through reporting.

Learn more about web analytics here.

To schedule a consultation with a member of the Nazareth web team to review a report on your site data, please contact Chris Farnum.

Make your photo visible on our website

Each faculty/staff person must give permission individually for your photo to appear in the Nazareth Directory and on naz.edu webpages, including for your department/office.

We encourage you to do so, since photos help us get to know each other and fit our friendly campus culture.

Here's how:

  1. Go to the Nazareth directory's Privacy Settings.
  2. Sign in to the directory (using your regular Naz login and password).
  3. Choose "Display my photo to anonymous users."
  4. Select submit.
How can I submit my events for promotion?

Promoting your event is a vital way to showcase what you are doing. Your event will appear on the Naz website, in the Naz mobile app, and potentially in emails about upcoming events.

Use 25Live

  • Submit your event via 25Live. Follow the steps in the guide, go.naz.edu/25Live, or watch the how-to video: go.naz.edu/25Livevid), including selecting YES for "promote to students."
  • Marketing and Communications formats submitted events before they appear publicly, so allow processing time. (Submitting events at least two weeks in advance is ideal, so there is time for processing, and time for promoting the event.)

Cool features

  • At the bottom of any event webpage, and in the Naz Mobile App, is an easy option for people to add it to their own digital calendar (to plan to attend), which includes getting reminders if they wish.
  • Once your event is published, you can find it and select it from the Events calendar. You can use the URL at the top of your event webpage to link to the details on social media or in an email.

Newsworthy Events

If you're seeking media or wider attention, contact Julie Long, jlong2@naz.edu

Web editor training and support

To request the 75-minute web editor training class (which also can be retaken as a refresher) use the Web Editor Training Request form, which goes to Chris Farnum. 

Questions? Contact:

How to update the Naz Directory

How to fix errors or update the Naz Directory:

  • Missing: If an employee does not exist in the Naz Directory (search for the person's name) and is employed by Naz, send a list of the missing employees to Human Resources. Always be sure HR knows who's an active employee!
  • Still listed, but no longer working at Naz: Tell Human Resources. Once they mark people inactive in Colleague, they will disappear from the Naz Directory and from your department webpage.
  • Wrong details: If an employee is in the Naz Directory but the job title, phone number, or office location is wrong, or if the department is missing or incorrect: Contact Lauren Larkin (Human Resources), llarkin6@naz.edu
  • Faculty bios: If you don't have one, or yours needs updating, send it to the web team (write "for the Directory") using the MarComm web/digital request form. Please follow the "list" format of other bios that you see in the Directory.

To make your photo visible: (Please do! Sharing photos on our website helps us know each other and fits with the culture of our small, supportive campus.)

On a Naz Directory page, click Account Settings and sign in with your usual Naz username and password. Under "Photo Visibility Preference," select "Display my photo to anonymous users." Then select SUBMIT.

To change the photo:

  • If you have a photo you'd like used, send it to the web team "for the Directory/website" using this web/digital request form.
  • To have a new photo taken (for the Directory and Naz website), see naz.edu/photo.

Typically, the details and photos on a department's Contact Us naz.edu webpage are pulled in from the Naz Directory.

Training

Request web training