Default & Enhanced Homepage

Default Homepage: Specs and Elements

Recorded Workshop

Learn more about the unique functionalities of the Default Homepage (index file) in the “Props vs. Index” workshop.

Your site will likely have a homepage that welcomes your site visitors with relevant, accurate, up-to-date content, followed by a series of website section pages that help your site visitors quickly access important information and complete necessary tasks.

Specs

Image pointing to the feature, spotlight and widget areas on a homepage.

Elements

Feature Area

The feature section is a required element for all USF homepages. It will display immediately below the header. The section is highly customizable.

 Variations include: 

  • Image
    • small image with one widget area to the right/left of image
    • large image
    • full-width image
  • Video
    • small video with one widget area to the right/left of the video
    • full-width video
  • Rotator with 2-5 images or graphics
    • small images 
    • large images

Horizontal Call to Action*

The purpose of the call to action boxes is to drive traffic to specific functionality on your website. For example, at different points of the year, you may want to drive prospective students to apply, or donors to give, or community members to attend a campus event.

In order to implement this option successfully, you need to identify your key audience(s), analyze their needs and meet those needs by producing a call to action that allows them to complete a specific task that you know is important to them. The call to action boxes must meet certain specifications: 

  • each headline has a character limit of 20
  • each summary has a character limit of 50
  • each CTA must have an icon, created by UCM
  • each CTA must link to a web page
  • there must be three or four calls to action

*You can choose to "Show" or "Hide" this section.

Highlighted Content Section*

The Highlighted Content Section is designed to draw attention to special or timely content. This could be used to highlight a news story, event, or other piece of content such as an annual report. The section includes an image, linked title, text, and hyperlink. 

Note: The linked title and hyperlink both link to the same URL/source. 

*You can choose to "Show" or "Hide" this section.

Widgets

The row of widgets appears above the footer and is a required element for all USF homepages. The section is highly customizable.

Options include:

  • three one-column widgets
  • one two-column widget plus one one-column widget
  • one three-column widget

Learn more about widgets.