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Leveraging blocks to building pages that achieve specific goals

You can already build a page. This training teaches you to build pages with a specific goal in mind. That could be helping a user complete a task, inspiring them to explore further or something else entirely.

Watch the videos below in order and complete the practice tasks as you go. When you’re ready, the quiz at the bottom of this page will unlock your Advanced feature pack blocks. This will give you access to a more powerful set of blocks for building high-impact pages.

Estimated time to complete: ~15 minutes of video, plus practice time.

Before you start: This training assumes you’re comfortable with the basics of WordPress and the block editor. If you haven’t completed the Base training, we recommend starting there.

Two Kinds of Pages

Completion Time: 2 minutes

Before we get into specific blocks, we need to establish the single most important distinction in page design: the difference between a utility page and a marketing page. These aren’t visual categories; they’re purpose categories, and understanding which one you’re building shapes every decision that follows.

Not sure which type your page should be? Download the Page Goals Template and fill it out before you start building. If you can’t name your audience, your goal, and the one action you want users to take, the page likely isn’t ready to build yet.

For a deeper dive on each page type, see Writing a Utility Page and Writing a Marketing Page.

Anatomy of a Utility Page

Completion Time:  2.5 minutes

Utility pages succeed by getting out of the user’s way. This video covers how to organize practical information so users can find what they need quickly and leave satisfied.

Try it yourself: Given these three page briefs, decide whether each is a utility or marketing page and identify two or three blocks you’d use for each:

  1. A page explaining how graduate students apply for a tuition waiver
  2. A top-level overview of your college’s research initiatives
  3. A contact page for your department’s advising office

Write your answers before moving on.

Want to go deeper on the blocks mentioned in this video?

Anatomy of a Marketing Page

Completion Time:  2.5 minutes

Marketing pages are designed to hold attention and build interest. This video covers the “coke-bottle” layout, how to use visual rhythm effectively, and how to keep users moving through your site rather than ending their session.

Try it yourself: Sketch a marketing page layout for the following scenario — on paper, in a document, or however works for you. Include at least five blocks from the Advanced feature pack and note where full-width visual breaks would go.

Scenario: Your college wants a new top-level landing page for prospective graduate students. It should communicate research strengths, feature faculty, and direct visitors toward program pages and an inquiry form.

Want to see how other NC State sites have approached marketing pages? Browse the Inspiration Gallery for examples across the university.

For reference on specific blocks covered in this video:

Choosing Your Page Header

Completion Time: 2 minutes

Every page starts with a header. It sets the tone and makes a first impression. There are three options to choose from, each suited to different contexts.

For a full comparison of header types, see Page Header Options.

Note: The Floating Box Header is available on Pro and Premium tier sites. If you don’t see it as an option, your site may be on the Free tier. You can check your site’s version by looking at the NC State widget on your site’s back-end Dashboard.

Showcasing Media

Completion Time:  2 minutes

Images and video are among the most powerful tools on a marketing page. They are also the easiest to overuse. This video covers when to reach for each of the media showcase blocks and how to choose between them.

Check out the links below for more details on each of the blocks covered in this video.

Emphasizing Content

Completion Time:  2.5 minutes

The Advanced feature pack gives you powerful tools for creating emphasis on a page. This video covers how to use them effectively and when to hold back and use simpler blocks.

Try it yourself: Review the page below. It uses five emphasis blocks in a single short section. Identify which ones you’d remove or consolidate, and explain why.

[LINK TO EXAMPLE PAGE]

For reference on the blocks covered in this video:

The Advanced feature block includes additional blocks that aren’t covered in videos. These are:

Governance: Keeping Pages Alive

Completion Time:  1.5 minutes

Building a page is the beginning, not the end. This short video covers how to use the NC State Web Platform’s built-in content audit tools to keep your pages current, and why doing so matters.

The Content Audit tools are built into every page’s editor sidebar. For a walkthrough of how to set audit frequencies and track overdue pages, see Content Auditing.

For a broader look at content strategy and planning, see the Content Strategy overview.

Training Feedback

As we launch our on demand trainings, we are looking for all feedback — positive, negative and everything in between. Please let us know what you like and how we can improve.

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Ready to Unlock Your Feature Pack?

You’ve covered a lot of ground — from understanding the difference between utility and marketing pages, to choosing the right header, to making sure your pages stay current after they’re published.

When you’re confident in the material, take the quiz below. A passing score of 80% or higher will automatically unlock the Advanced feature pack on your site.

Complete this training’s quiz

What’s next? If you’re interested in publishing news content, working with posts, or using forms and feeds on your site, explore our other required trainings: