Overview of how to get started creating a communication site on Stevens Hub.

Before you start

• Must have permissions to edit a communication site within Stevens Hub
• Have a communication site created for you by the OneIT team, to request a site please submit a Stevens Hub Site Request
• If you are ready to have your communication site published, submit a request to add your Site to the Stevens Hub Navigation

Getting Started

Plan Your Content 

The success of any website is strongly determined by the quality of its content. As Bill Gates once said, “Content is King,” and the phrase still holds true today. 

For this reason, we urge Stevens Hub site-builders to take the time to make sure their content needs are clearly defined and well-organized before proceeding with the site creation process. This will save time and lead to a better organized and more impactful site. 

The below three-step process has been used successfully by IT and University Relations to create a variety of web-based content. 

1. Define Needs and Objectives. 

This important step is not just about defining the goals of a given website’s stakeholders, but also identifying potential users, and their respective needs in turn. The Needs Assessment (attached below) offers a starting point for questions that would be useful to answer at this stage. 

2. Ensure Content Meets Defined Needs. 

Once the user groups and their needs are well-defined, it is necessary to take stock of the content needs of the site. Is it necessary to create new content? Will existing content need to be adapted or rewritten, either for accuracy or quality? Where can this content be found? Who will be available to ensure it is kept up to date? 

The provided Content Inventory template (attached below) can be a valuable tool in keeping track of the answers to these questions, providing an at-a-glance view of the available content. This is especially helpful when reviewing for any potential gaps. 

3. Organize Content in the User’s Terms. 

A cornerstone of any successful website is the concept of findability: even the best content will not be impactful if it never reaches the user. It is often helpful to organize content into a sitemap: a high-level, hierarchical overview of how content is defined, usually presented in a tree-like format. 

A sample sitemap available for adaptation has been provided here (attached below). When using this tool, it can be helpful to review whether the labels being used to organize content are terms that the end user will be familiar with, as they will rely on these navigational landmarks to find their way through the site.  

Next Steps

• Start editing and creating content on your Stevens Hub communication site
• Update the navigation on your communication site
• Review and update the permissions on your communication site
• If you are ready to have your communication site published, submit a request to add your Site to the Stevens Hub Navigation

Experiencing an issue or need additional support, contact our OneIT Team by

• Opening a support ticket or
• Calling us at 201-380-6599