Purpose

Landing pages help users navigate and introduce topics related to the website or content featured on the page.

When to Use a Landing Page

Use the Landing Page content type to quickly highlight various topics. It helps visitors connect to detailed info on basic pages, news, events, or lists. The landing page is not used to provide long text or detailed information.

For example, with a Landing Page you can:

Use drag and drop functionality instead of limiting your work to a text editor box.
Use the entire width of a page, instead of just the space set aside for side navigation.
Select from more defined sections (as opposed to a more fluid layout)

Important Note: Don't use a Landing Page for low-level, detail pages or content that should use a specific, pre-structured content type (such as Event, News, How Do I, etc.)

Elements of the Landing Page

The landing page a collage of smaller "microcontent" placed on the landing page. The header of the landing page can have a hero image.

Using the hero image checkbox will hide the summary field. This means you won't see it on the landing page, even if you've entered text in the edit section.

Hero image overrides the summary of a landing page

Landing pages are not intended to house content. Instead, they help users find related information. They serve as a starting point for different sections. Consider Landing Pages a “hub” of related content.

Landing Pages work well as the starting point for sections of information. They are typically high in the site navigation, have only short blurbs of text, and lots of links. Landing Pages give you control over the layout with stackable sections.
When developing a Landing Page, use common language that is clear, concise, and action-oriented.
Allow for whitespace.

Do not include:

Anything that will take much more than a quick glance to comprehend
Anything someone wouldn’t understand if this is the first page they see on your site:
- Insider jargon
- Detailed explanations or information
Tip: To use the Landing Page, start by creating your microcontent, like promo or link collections.
There are 3 different Background Color selections that can be used within a Landing Page. Here’s a list showing examples of different background colors for the landing page and micro-content:
Landing Page Dark Background
Landing Page Light Background
Landing Page White Background

Adding More to Your Homepage

You can add extra microcontent to your landing page using the layout button.

The current list of microcontent that can be added to the Landing Page:

ArcGIS Visualization
Automatic List
Data & Insights
Callout
Google Calendar
Link Collection
Power BI Visualization
Promo
Qualtrics Form
Statistics
Tableau Visualization
Video Promo
Visual Link Collection

Note: Video promos can only be used for landing pages and cannot be embedded into other content types.

Short Landing Page Training Video

Longer Landing Page Video

Log in to Your Site

You can login to your site from login.iowa.gov

Each person on your agency team has a specific user role for the website. These roles set permissions. They control who can edit, review, and publish content. You can ask for a role change or remove a role. Just submit a ServiceNow support ticket if you need help.

Navigate to the Content tab

To add pages to your website, click the content button. Ensure you're logged in for access to that tab.

You can sort your created pages using the filter button. To edit them, just select the edit button on the content list page.

(Example of Content list page)

Create a Section, Inside a Landing Page

You can create each Landing Page as a series of "Sections".

A "Section" may be White, Light, or Dark and will automatically be colored based on your color palette.

First, create a Section and choose which color background you'd like. Put an administrative label on the section for additional help with organizing your landing pages.

Save changes frequently.

How to Add Microcontent to a Landing Page

ou can add every piece of "Microcontent" to an existing Landing Page, with some exceptions. To do this, create a new "Block" in each "Section."

First, create your landing page. Then, the "Layout" tab will appear. Here, you can change the layout and design of your page.

Example of landing page layout button location

After creating your section, click "Add Section." Here, you can choose your section's color. Then, you'll see the "Add Block" field to access your list of available microcontent.