Permanent link for Navigating the New CMS Analytics System on November 6, 2023

Earlier this year, Google transitioned from using Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This transition not only impacted the way websites measure their data but also changed how data is reported. In response, we've redesigned our analytics system, into a Google Looker Studio dashboard powered by GA4 to ensure our departments receive precise analytics. 

Logging In to the New Dashboard 

Accessing the new analytics dashboard follows the same familiar steps used for finding your analytics data currently in the CMS: 

• Log in to the CMS. 

• In the left menu, click on "+More," and then select "analytics." 

• Here is where you'll notice a change in the process. 

• Enter your Gmail account or your GVSU @mail.gvsu.edu email. 

  • A Google account is required to view the new dashboard. 

• The link will redirect you to your website-specific dashboard. 

Controlling the Dashboard 

On each page of the dashboard, you'll discover two essential controls at the top, along with a variety of metrics beneath the headings. These two controls are: 

• Page Title: This control enables users to select one or multiple pages from their website. All the metrics on the dashboard will automatically adjust to display data only for the selected pages. 

• Date Range: By default, the date range is set to the previous two weeks. In this control, you can select your desired date range for the specific metrics you want to view. Once chosen, these changes will be instantly reflected in the charts and graphs on the dashboard. 

• *One note: these controls only affect the page of the dashboard you’re looking at. Not the entire dashboard. 

Reading the Dashboard 

Within the dashboard, you'll find a range of metrics. All the familiar metrics from our previous analytics system are included, along with some new ones that can be particularly valuable for your analysis. Additionally, on the last page of the dashboard, you'll discover detailed definitions for each metric and contact information should you have any additional questions or require assistance. One of the notable advantages of transitioning our analytics to a Looker Studio dashboard is that it's always live. This means our web team can make real-time adjustments if needed and stay current with industry standards.  

Homepage of the new Looker Studio analytics dashboard. 

Link location to the new analytics dashboard in the CMS.

Page selection and date range controls at the top of the Looker Studio dashboard. 

Posted by Keith Curry on Permanent link for Navigating the New CMS Analytics System on November 6, 2023.

Permanent link for Introducing the CMS 5 on November 2, 2023

The Web Team is currently developing the latest iteration of the Content Management System, the CMS 5. The interface and how you edit sites will be very similar, but with updated visual appeal while maintaining its ease of use.

Why are we updating to the CMS 5? 
The CMS currently hosts over 700 websites and over 23,000 individual pages. One of the biggest reasons is updating the "backend" of the CMS to a more modern solution. Think of the CMS 4 as that 1993 Toyota Camry with 300,000 miles on it - it won't die, but eventually, it will need to be updated.  That's what this process is.
If you are interested in the technical side of things -the current CMS is written in Cold Fusion, a programming language that is as old as that 1993 Toyota Camry. We are developing the CMS 5 in PHP, which lays the foundation for future innovations and flexibility.

Will I have to learn something brand new?
Not at all. If you have used the CMS at all, you will find that the updated version looks, feels, and acts very similar to what you are used to. Check out the screenshots - you'll see that while it is visually different, the functionality of the CMS will remain largely the same.

When will all this happen?
Our goal is to have a test environment ready for use by the middle of 2024. In terms of when your site will be moved over to the CMS 5, we are hoping all conversions will be done in the next 2 years.

Do I need to do anything right now?
No. However, it may be a good idea to begin doing a self-audit of your site to see what pages could potentially be deleted. Eventually, we will begin reaching out to site administrators to see about moving their sites over to CMS 5.

A screenshot of the home screen in the CMS 5.

What the Content page will look like in the CMS 5.

What the CMS 5 looks like when editing content.

The Navigation in the CMS 5.

The Administration screen in the CMS 5.

Posted by Zach McCurdy on Permanent link for Introducing the CMS 5 on November 2, 2023.

Permanent link for Office Hours Module on November 15, 2022

New to the CMS is the Office Hours module.  With this module, you can post the schedules of your faculty/staff easily to your CMS.  The schedules can be automatically imported from Banner, and can also have manual entries for events not in Banner, such as Office Hours, Department Meetings, etc.  Check out the video to learn all about the Office Hours Module. 

To see this module being used, check out the Faculty and Staff page on the GVSU Computing site. Each of the faculty/staff members has their own schedule available, which was made using the Office Hours Module. 

GVSU School of Computing Faculty and Staff Directory     Office Hours Module Tutorial Video

Categories: How To New Feature
Posted by Zach McCurdy on Permanent link for Office Hours Module on November 15, 2022.

Permanent link for Organizational Chart - Now Available on November 19, 2021

The CMS has a new module available to create an organizational chart. The org chart module allows you to create something that looks great but is also accessible. To learn more about the org chart module and how to use it, refer to the video! 

Categories: How To New Feature
Posted by Zach McCurdy on Permanent link for Organizational Chart - Now Available on November 19, 2021.

Permanent link for Tags Now Available in the Form Builder on October 11, 2021

If you have used Tags before within the CMS (pictures, files, content items, etc), we are happy to announce that tags are now available within the Form Builder. When creating a form, you can assign a tag to it.  Then when going to the form builder, you can filter by tag to easily find that particular form. 

Categories: New Feature
Posted by Zach McCurdy on Permanent link for Tags Now Available in the Form Builder on October 11, 2021.

Permanent link for Form Builder Response Statuses on October 11, 2021

One of the many features of the Form Builder is that you can create a "status" (learn more about response statuses) in an effort to help keep responses organized.  In addition to the response statuses, you can now choose a "default" response status. For example, whenever a person fills out a form, it can have a default status such as "Pending".  It can also send an email to anyone who is listed in the Email field. These statuses are only seen by the administrators and can be used to help manage your form responses. 

Categories: New Feature
Posted by Zach McCurdy on Permanent link for Form Builder Response Statuses on October 11, 2021.

Permanent link for Now available - Copy a section in the CMS on October 11, 2021

New to the CMS is the ability to copy a section! Previously if you wanted to copy a paragraph/image/fact icon/etc, you would have to recreate it from scratch every time.  Now all you need to do is click on the Copy button. That's it!  If you have used the Copy feature in the Form Builder, it works the exact same way. 

Categories: New Feature
Posted by Zach McCurdy on Permanent link for Now available - Copy a section in the CMS on October 11, 2021.

Permanent link for Mindfulness of Published Content on October 8, 2021

As an administrator of the CMS, you have the responsibility to adhere to the Basic Quality Standards set forth by the CMS User Agreement. It is of upmost importance that the content on your website is accurate and consistent with other GVSU publications. Please be mindful of your content (including the use of images, hyperlinks, and embedded videos) to avoid mistakenly misrepresenting people and/or images that were agreed upon to be used for a specific purpose. 

Posted by Zach McCurdy on Permanent link for Mindfulness of Published Content on October 8, 2021.

Permanent link for Animated Fact Icons on July 20, 2021

A recent update to the Fact Chunk now allows for a mouse hover animation. When using the Fact Chunk, you will now see an option that allows you to select Hidden until mouse hover. While editing a fact, there is a new section labeled "How should the content be displayed", and you can select Hidden until mouse hover. 

You can see the new feature in action by visiting the Fact Chunk Preview page. 

If you need a reminder on what the Fact chunk is, check out the CMS 101 . 

Categories: New Feature
Posted by Zach McCurdy on Permanent link for Animated Fact Icons on July 20, 2021.

Permanent link for Preview Form Builder on July 12, 2021

The CMS Form Builder now allows you to send a preview of the form you are building to anyone.  In the past, the person had to be an administrator to the site.  Now, you are able to send a preview of the form to anyone. 

Now when you go into the settings of the form you are building, you will see a section that says External Preview URL. You can copy this URL and send it to anyone.  

Note that the link has an expiration date. A person will only be able to preview the form until the date that is indicated. Also once the form has been approved, the ability to preview the form is disabled (since the form is live). 

Categories: New Feature
Posted by Zach McCurdy on Permanent link for Preview Form Builder on July 12, 2021.