Free and Premium Tiers
The Free Tier of the NC State Web Platform provides a more basic set of functionality that is geared towards websites with fewer marketing needs. The Premium Tier provides additional tools to better support for marketing efforts.
Overview
The Free Tier of the NC State Web Platform has many of the same blocks and design elements that are available within the Premium Tier of the platform.
Some of the more advanced blocks that automatically populate content, provide more intricate and visually engaging content layouts, support targeted marketing efforts, and enable more detailed analytics reporting are not available within the Free Tier of the theme.
A cost is associated with the Premium Tier of the NC State Web Platform. Contact a marketing coordinator within University Communications and Marketing for more information.
Support and Additional Resources
The Free Tier of the Web Platform is a powerful and easy to use tool. Given its wide user base, personalized hands-on support is not readily available. When necessary, questions can be submitted to the NC State Help Desk, but you are encouraged to find support on this site, attend a training workshop, or stop in to OIT’s biweekly office hours for additional support.
Premium Tier users can continue to contact their designated marketing coordinator or submit a request directly to the UComm web development team.
Tier Examples
To view each tier in action, you can view the free tier demo site. The College of Sciences, College of Design, and College of Humanities and Social Sciences sites are good examples of how to use the premium tier.
Functionality Differences
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Text Blocks including headings, paragraph, lists, buttons, blockquote, link list, table | ✓ | ✓ |
| Images | ✓ | ✓ |
| Accordion | ✓ | ✓ |
| Forms | Gravity Forms | Premium Forms including email sign-up, giving, and Slate Integration (coming soon) |
| Featured Content | ✓ | ✓ |
| RSS Feed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spotlight Box | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video Integration | Standard video embed from streaming platform | Fully integrated video image block with cover image controls |
| TablePress | ✓ | ✓ |
| Events | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini Story | ✓ | |
| Video Image | ✓ | |
| Testimonial | ✓ | |
| Instagram Feed | ✓ | |
| Photo Gallery | ✓ | |
| Media Divider | ✓ | |
| Image Statement | Display and image and text with a parallax effect | |
| Resource Link | ✓ | |
| Facts | Floating, Fact List, Big Fact | |
| Newswire | Feed into News blog | Dedicated Newswire and Automated Posts Blocks |
| Page Headers | Default and Split Block Header | Default, Split Block, Floating Block |
| Split Block (homepage only) | Featured content, events, link list, news | Featured content, events, link list, news, Facts, Audience Engagement, testimonial, statement |
| Homepage and Wrapper | ✓ | Additional homepage block options |
| Social Integration | Embeds and Third-party Social Integration via Juicer | Embeds, Juicer Integration and additional Instagram Feed block that integrates with site |
| Analytics | Self-implemented Standard Google Analytics | Google analytics with event and custom dimensions tracking, monthly automated report |
Need help?
Have questions? Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns at go.ncsu.edu/ucomm-dev-request.