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For most prospective students, your website will be their first impression.

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Website Best Practices

v Marketing-oriented external focus

v Visual impact

v Responsive design

v Value proposition

v Selling points

v Audience segmentation and relevance

v Audience engagement

v Calls to action

A MarketingOrientation

Selling points

Intelligent Response System

Everything a prospective needsis here.

Social media icons above the scroll

Emphasis on the virtual tour.

Great career-oriented videos.

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Prominent calls to action. The Open House links to detail.

Selling points

Leads to the online viewbook.

Leads to multiplesocial media channels.

For applicants

Visual Impact

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Visual Impact

Value Proposition

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Value Proposition

Value Proposition

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Value Proposition

Selling Points

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Selling Points

Selling Points

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Audience Segmentation

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Audience SegmentationAudience channels

Audience Channels

vProcess-oriented information

v Infuse a marketing orientation into all channels

ü Audience-relevant selling points

ü Success stories and “exceptional outcomes”

ü Testimonials

ü Factoidsü Relevant opportunities

ü Visual images (photography and video)

v Drive audience traffic to relevant pages

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Audience Engagement

Audience Engagement

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Audience Engagement

Student Referral Form

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Steps to Applying

Steps to Enrolling

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Scholarship Awards

Transfer Guide

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Student Stories

Alumni Success Stories

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Chat with aRecruiter

Online Viewbook

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Personalized Viewbook

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Introducing the New Class

Viral Media

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Social Media Strategy

Parents’ Page

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Guidance Counsellors’ Page

Campus Visits

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Campus Visits

Campus Visits

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Virtual Tour

Calls to Action

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Calls to Action

Calls to Action

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Academic Program Page Essentialsv Program selling points

v Program description

v What you will learn

v Who you will study with

v Unique opportunities

ü Hands-on learningü Service learning, internships, co-opsü Organizations and activities

v Success beyond the classroom

Academic Program Comparisons

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Academic Program Selling Points

Academic Program Video

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Faculty Profiles

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Website Analytics

Website Competitor Analysis

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Common Findings

vNo value proposition

vLimited selling points, particularly on academic program pages

vAudience segmentation but only process-oriented; no audience targeted marketing

vSocial media icons below the scroll

vLimited audience engagement

vPoor photography

vLimited use of video

Common Findings

vCalls to action: Request Info, Visit, Apply

vCalls to action not prominently displayed or pervasive throughout the site

vToo much text

vCluttered pages

vInconsistent design elements on some pages

vNo site-wide branding

vIncreasing use of infographics

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Website Usability Survey

Website Usability Survey

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Information-Seeking Tasks

v You have visited the University’s website and are interested in receiving additional information. How would you request information?

v Let’s say you want to visit campus in person. How would you arrange a visit using the website? What visit options do you have to choose from?

v Cost is a concern for you. How would you find out about the costs at the University? What about financial assistance through financial aid and scholarships?

v How would you apply for scholarships? Is it an intuitive and easy process?

v You are undecided about a program of study. How would you explore options? How useful are the program listings and descriptions? What would have made your exploration of program options more effective (e.g., organization of the listing, information provided, labeling)?

Information-Seeking Tasksv OK, you are ready to apply for admission. How do you do this? What are

the options you have for applying? How could the University make this process more intuitive and simpler?

v You want to find out what types of activities exist for students on campus. How would you find this information? How would you contact someone or an organization to get involved?

v What key messages does the website convey that would compel a prospective student to select the University?

v What information would a prospective student and their family need to make an informed decision about the University? Related to this information, what did you find on the website and what appears to be missing?

v If you wanted to share information about the University with friends or family members, where would you send them on the website?

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Common Findings

vUse the search tool as a last resort

vBread crumbs go unnoticed and unused

vWant more visuals

vIn terms of text, less is more

vLike bulleted text

vLike infographs

vLike and use virtual tours

Common Findings

vWant more about student life, including visuals

vFinancial aid, scholarship, and cost information is very important and is often buried on the site

vProgram information is important; want faculty bios, course descriptions, and career information

vRead student stories; want to see and hear from students like them

vThe website should allow site visitors to experience the institution

vMost would use a web chat feature

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Monitoring Social Media

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Centralized vs. Decentralized

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Recommended InfrastructurevWeb designer

vWeb coder/data manager

vContent developer(s)

vSocial and multimedia specialist

Email any questions you may have to Dr. Black at jimblack@semworks.net