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Explore the Rochester Core WordPress theme in action. Access sample executions, demo components, and comprehensive training guides to create stunning, on-brand websites.
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Training, tips, and best practice guides for creating memorable and accessible digital experiences at the University of Rochester
This collection of resources is here to empower you with everything you need to design, manage, and optimize impactful digital projects. Whether you’re building a new website, refining your content strategy, or ensuring accessibility, these tools are tailored to meet the unique needs of the University of Rochester community. From customizable website templates to in-depth training materials, you’ll find practical tips and proven best practices to help you deliver professional, inclusive, and on-brand digital experiences.
Topics on this page:
Website template
Rochester Core is the University’s primary WordPress theme. Built and maintained by University Marketing and Communications, the theme consists of customizable component blocks that can be used to share content with audiences in an accessible, on-brand way.
Rochester Core empowers University departments to create professional websites with minimal effort. The theme delivers modern web components and comprehensive functionality while ensuring compliance with University standards for branding, accessibility, and security. It’s been a game-changer for streamlining our web development process.
University Marketing and Communications has created training courses in the University’s learning management system, MyPath. We highly recommend completing each course before working on a University WordPress website.
WordPress administration and Rochester Core
Learn how to effectively use Rochester Core’s components to build, style, and optimize pages in WordPress.
Search “WordPress Administration” in MyPath to get started. Check out the instruction guides for each component.
Digital accessibility for content creators
Learn the importance of digital accessibility and gain the essential knowledge to make your digital content accessible.
Search “Digital Accessibility” in MyPath to get started.
We’ve compiled five tips for each of the five areas you need to consider when starting a new web project: content strategy, writing for the web, user experience, digital accessibility, search engine optimization, and analytics.
Getting started
Digital accessibility ensures people of all abilities and situations can access our University’s web and digital experiences. This includes those with disabilities (visual, motor-control, auditory, and cognitive), as well as different technical circumstances (limited internet speeds and different browsers, screen sizes, and device types).
The Marcom AI Committee is part of the larger AI Council and is established to guide and support the ethical, safe, and effective adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within the University’s marketing, communications, and digital teams.
Keep these topics in mind when creating content for University websites.
Content Strategy
Tip: Identify your target audience and set clear, measurable goals for your content.
Why it matters: Understanding your audience and what you want to achieve allows you to tailor your content to meet both user needs and business objectives. This focus ensures your strategy is purposeful, engaging, and effective.
Tip: Create a content calendar that outlines topics, formats, and publishing schedules.
Why it matters: A well-structured plan helps keep content consistent and organized. It also allows you to align your content with seasonal events, product launches, and user demand, maximizing relevance and impact.
Tip: Use diverse content types (blogs, videos, etc.) to reach different audience segments and learning preferences.
Why it matters: Different formats can engage a broader audience and cater to various consumption habits. A mix of formats keeps your content fresh and can increase engagement across platforms.
Tip: Prioritize content that addresses user pain points, answers questions, or provides solutions.
Why it matters: Value-driven content positions your brand as helpful and trustworthy, building loyalty. Relevant content is more likely to be shared, which can extend your reach and boost engagement.
Tip: Use data to assess content performance and identify areas for improvement.
Why it matters: Analytics provide insight into what content resonates with your audience. Regularly reviewing metrics allows you to refine your strategy, optimize future content, and achieve your goals more effectively.
Writing for web
Tip: Break up your content into headings, subheadings, and bullet points to make it easy for readers to scan.
Why it matters: Online readers tend to skim rather than read every word. Structuring content for scannability helps users quickly find the information they need, keeping them engaged.
Tip: Trim unnecessary words and edit for clarity, flow, and accuracy.
Why it matters: Tight, polished content is easier to read and more impactful. Editing not only improves readability but also ensures that every sentence adds value, making your content more compelling and professional.
Tip: Avoid jargon and complex terms, and aim for concise, straightforward language.
Why it matters: Clear language makes your message accessible to a broader audience. By avoiding overly complex terms, you create a more inclusive experience and ensure that readers understand your content quickly.
Tip: Place the most crucial points at the beginning of paragraphs and sections.
Why it matters: Online readers lose interest quickly, so getting your main points across early helps capture attention. This technique, known as the “inverted pyramid” style, ensures readers absorb key information even if they don’t finish reading.
Tip: Use relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alt text for images to improve your content’s searchability.
Why it matters: SEO techniques help your content rank higher on search engines, making it easier for people to find. Proper optimization drives more organic traffic to your content and increases your visibility.
Tip: Write in a conversational tone, and use actionable words to guide readers to the next steps.
Why it matters: Engaging language builds a connection with the reader, making the content feel personal and approachable. Actionable language—like “discover,” “try,” and “explore”—encourages readers to take desired actions, like reading further or signing up.
User experience
Tip: Focus on users’ needs, preferences, and pain points at every stage of design and development.
Why it matters: Putting users first ensures that the experience is relevant, engaging, and satisfying. By understanding your audience’s motivations and behaviors, you can tailor the product to meet their needs more effectively.
Tip: Design a straightforward and intuitive navigation structure.
Why it matters: Clear navigation reduces frustration and helps users find what they need quickly, leading to a smoother and more enjoyable experience. Keep menus simple, group related content, and use clear labels to enhance usability.
Tip: Use plain language, break up large blocks of text, and place important information where users can easily find it.
Why it Matters: Users engage with content that is easy to read and quickly understandable. Concise content reduces cognitive load, making it easier for users to process information and take action.
Tip: Optimize images, reduce load times, and ensure smooth transitions.
Why it matters: A fast, responsive experience keeps users engaged and reduces the likelihood of drop-offs. Performance is crucial for mobile users and contributes significantly to user satisfaction and conversion rates.
Tip: Design with accessibility in mind to ensure that your digital experience is usable by people of all abilities.
Why it matters: Accessible design not only broadens your audience but also demonstrates inclusivity and adherence to standards. This includes using proper color contrast, providing alt text for images, and ensuring keyboard navigability.
Accessibility
Tip: Provide clear, concise alt text for every image, describing its content and purpose.
Why it matters: Alt text enables screen readers to convey visual information to users with visual impairments, making content more inclusive. Thoughtful descriptions ensure that all users can engage with the full context of your content.
Tip: Design all interactive elements—like menus, forms, and buttons—to be fully operable using just a keyboard.
Why it matters: Many users rely on keyboards or alternative devices for navigation. Ensuring keyboard accessibility allows these users to interact with your content without needing a mouse, enhancing usability for those with mobility impairments.
Tip: Add closed captions or transcripts for video and audio content.
Why it matters: Captions make multimedia accessible to users with hearing impairments and benefit users in sound-restricted environments. They also improve content comprehension and engagement, broadening your reach.
Tip: Use proper heading levels (H1, H2, H3) and ARIA landmarks to create a logical document structure.
Why it matters: Screen readers rely on structured headings and landmarks to help users navigate and understand content quickly. A well-organized structure saves users time and reduces frustration, enhancing their experience.
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Tip: Identify and target relevant keywords that your audience is searching for, using tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs.
Why it matters: Knowing which keywords are popular with your audience allows you to create content that directly addresses their needs. This increases your chances of ranking higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) and attracting more visitors.
Tip: Write compelling, keyword-rich title tags and meta descriptions for each page.
Why it matters: Title tags and meta descriptions are often the first things users see in search results. Well-crafted tags and descriptions improve click-through rates, driving more traffic to your site and signaling to search engines that your content is relevant.
Tip: Create valuable, informative, and well-researched content that thoroughly addresses user queries.
Why it matters: High-quality content increases user engagement, keeps visitors on your site longer, and encourages sharing—all signals that improve SEO. Quality content also establishes your site as an authority, boosting rankings over time.
Tip: Include internal links to guide users to related content on your site and add external links to reputable sources when relevant.
Why it matters: Internal links help search engines understand the structure of your site, while external links to authoritative sites boost credibility. Both linking strategies support a strong SEO profile and help users discover more valuable content.
Tip: Think about and test how your site looks and functions on all device types, especially mobile.
Why it matters: Mobile-friendliness is a ranking factor, and with a growing number of users browsing on mobile devices, it’s essential for a good user experience. Optimizing for mobile helps improve your rankings and keeps mobile users engaged.
Analytics
Tip: Define specific, measurable goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your business objectives.
Why it matters: Clear goals and KPIs help you focus on the data that truly matters, providing direction and context for your analysis. This ensures your analytics efforts are aligned with business priorities and provide actionable insights.
Tip: Break down your audience data into segments, such as demographics, location, behavior, and device type.
Why it matters: Segmentation allows you to see patterns and preferences among different user groups, offering deeper insights into how to tailor content and marketing efforts. Understanding audience segments can help you make data-driven decisions that improve targeting and engagement.
Tip: Analyze user interactions at different stages, from awareness to conversion, using tools like funnel analysis and heatmaps.
Why it matters: Tracking behavior across the journey reveals where users drop off, where they engage most, and what content resonates. This insight helps identify points of friction and opportunities to optimize the user experience, increasing conversions.
Tip: Use real-time analytics to understand current traffic patterns, popular content, and emerging trends.
Why it matters: Real-time insights are especially useful for monitoring campaigns, launches, or time-sensitive content. By seeing what’s working (or not) in the moment, you can adjust quickly and maximize results.
Tip: Create regular reports that summarize key metrics and insights, and review them with your team.
Why it matters: Reporting keeps everyone informed, aligned, and accountable. Consistent reviews of analytics data help you spot trends, evaluate performance, and adjust strategies to improve outcomes continually.