BEST WEBRELAUNCH EVER
Lessons Learned from Web Site Relaunches
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Heather SullivanNorthfield Mount Hermon
Communications & Marketing Director
Doug GapinskimStoner
Creative Director
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Lessons Learned by Project
Northfield Mount Hermon
Mercersburg Academy
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Lessons Learned by Phase
Timing: the pre-planning phase
Buy-in: the strategy phase
Creative: the media and messages phase
Tech: the implementation phase
Post launch: sustaining and measuring phases
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Good timing will make your relaunch efforts a bigger success.
Timing: the pre-planning phase
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: align relaunch with institutional goals
• institutional goals
• strategic plan
• mission and vision in context of 2010
• enrollment and fundraising goals
• cultural / leadership & key role changes
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: know where you are
Data andresearch
Brand analysis
Marketingplatform
Public-facingwork
In an ideal world...
(including web relaunch)
InstitutionalStrategy
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: leveraging cultural shifts
New missionNorthfield Mount Hermon engages the intellect, compassion, and talents of our students, empowering them to act with humanity and purpose.
Brandinginterviews• academically rigorous• supportive learning• “casual” or informal feel within segment• service-oriented
MarketingplatformIntelligence, Compassion, Purpose.
Timely cultural considerations• new leadership in marketing and admissions• sale of Northfield campus and impact on public and alumni perceptions• vestigal stereotypes: Northfield as “artsy” and Mt. Hermon as “jocks”• still working against “party-school” perception left over from the 70s
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Planning and strategy aren’t just collaboration, they’re insurance.
Buy-in: the strategy phase
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Buy-in: select a vendor, if necessary
White WhalemStoner
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Buy-in: create a steering committee
NMH (an example structure for smaller institutions)
Theoretical (typically for larger institutions)
• Senior Leadership• Marketing / Communications • Admissions • Advancement • Alumni Relations
• Student Affairs • Information Technology • Academic Departments • Students • Faculty members
Thomas K. Sturtevant, Head of SchoolClaude Anderson, Dean of EnrollmentHeather Sullivan, Director of Communications and MarketingAllyson Goodwin, Chief Advancement Officer
& inclusion of other admin where appropriate
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Buy-in: create a strategy document
information architecture wireframes
timelines
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Aurora Campus5 E. Galena Blvd.
Aurora, IL 60506-4178
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Sugar Grove CampusRoute 47 at Waubonsee Drive
Sugar Grove, IL 60554-9454
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key tasks and ownership
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Buy-in: align with research & do your own
The top five characteristics of importance to parents: 1) quality of teaching2) personal attention to students3) academic reputation4) value of education (ROI)5) and personal/ethical development
Association of Independent Schools of New England, 2008
[NMH responds to] students’ desire to set a meaningful life course... the evolution of the school’s academic, extracurricular, and support structures will offer students the tools they require to cultivate and live examined lives.
Northfield Mount Hermon Vision and Values Statement, 2006
Themes from qualitativeinterviews:• quality academics delivered in a holistic way• “more like home” than competitors• a community that welcomes and fosters individualism• value placed on service
Student, faculty, leadershipinterviews, 2008
External researchInternal research or current positioning
Intake / discovery /focus groups
NMH
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Deliver a cohesive,compelling cross-platform message.
Creative: the media and messages phase
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Creative: define what you’ll keep vs. blow up
content outlinewith writing assignments
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Creative: create a marketing platform
Northfield Mount Hermon concept 1
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Creative: create a marketing platform
Northfield Mount Hermon concept 2
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Creative: create a marketing platform
Northfield Mount Hermon concept 3
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Creative: test and refine
Northfield Mount Hermon testing results matrix
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Creative: integration opportunities
Northfield Mount Hermon web site nmhschool.org
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Creative: provide proof points for specificity
Northfield Mount Hermon branding page
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Creative: be authentic & have a conversation
NMH facebook
NMH twitter
NMH flickr
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Creative: use what you’ve already got
Northfield Mount Hermon NMHbook
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: integration opportunities
Northfield Mount Hermonsearch piece
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: integration opportunities
www.youtube.comNorthfield Mount Hermon youtube page
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: integration opportunities
Mercersburg Academy former web site
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: integration opportunities
Mercersburg Academyviewbook
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: integration opportunities
Mercersburg Academyprint enrollment suite
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: integration opportunities
Mercersburg Academyweb features
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: building buzz
Mercersburg Academyflash and static web ads
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Timing: building buzz
Mercersburg Academyspecialty ads
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Migration: assignments and schedule
Migration kickoff / migration assignments
Content migrated into content management system and declared ready for review
Entire site reviewed, feedback and changes due to migration lead by week’s end
Feedback and changes incorporated into site
Second round of review to confirm that all changes have been made
Final testing, approval for go-live
WEEK 1
WEEKS 2, 3, 4
WEEK 5
WEEK 6
WEEK 7
WEEK 8
Heavy lifting
Editing
Review
Touch up, launch
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Build it like you’re going to live in it. (Because you are!)
Tech: the implementation phase
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tech: choosing a content management system
How well does that platform you’re looking at handle key features?
• Editing interface
• Navigation
generation
• Add-on flexibility
• Approval and
authorization
• Versioning
• Testing and error
reporting
• Timed release
and archiving
• RSS and native
content syndication
• Granular control
of pages
• Rich media options
Usability Workflow Content
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tech: choosing a content management system
Package/Approach Pros Cons
Sitecore in Microsoft server environment • Strong vendor support• Exceptional ease of use• Extensibility – supports a wide variety
of languages, and can be customized to meet stringent requirements.
• Inline edit capability• Blackbaud product stack consistency• Large development and enhancement
community
• Licensing costs•Current PHP/MySQL web
applications must be rewritten in .NET and the database ported to SQL Server or a separate event/scheduling application acquired.
•May require webmaster ramp-up
Drupal in LAMP server environment • Licensing costs•Current PHP/MySQL web
applications can be re-used.• Familiar development environment• Large development and enhancement
community
• Lack of vendor support• Inline edit capability not available
unless nicEdit or other add-in WYSIWYG and AJAX are used.
Adding specificity tocost vs. ease of use vs. support
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tech: define scope and functionality
Examples:
• NMH book
• Flickr feed placement
• Curriculum Guide
• Web Calendar system
• Athletics section
• Blogs
A tech specs document explains
how page components will work
with an emphasis on function
rather than on code.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tech: define the mechanics of the launch
Phase 1
• Home page
• Gateways
• Pages accessible
from any top level
navigation
Phase 2
• All secondary pages
• Key tertiary pages
(admissions,
academics)
• Departments /
programs / schools
Phase 3
• The other 10,000+
pages in the site
Phased launch
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Like houses, the best web sites are constantly maintained.
Post launch: sustaining a site
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Post launch: training
Workflow CMStraining
Content entry &web writing
• web / IT team• communications staff • web / IT team
• communications staff
plus appropriate members of
• department staff• college or school level faculty• college relations• advancement / development
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Post launch: work with a team
Heather Sullivan
Communications Director
Jesse Bardo
Admission Counselor
Bruno Drupeyeron
AdvancementServices
Christopher Arnini
Web Manager
Rachel Hanley
Writer
Sharon Labella-Lindale
Assistant Director
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Reflect.
Post launch: the measuring phase
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Post launch: momentum
active blogs by students, faculty members,and for alumni30+
Thursday, January 28, 2010
visits per day1,875
Post launch: momentum
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Post launch: metrics
page views per visit4.68
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Post launch: anecdotes
average stay on site3:31
Thursday, January 28, 2010
PREPLANNING• review strategic plan• discuss cultural shifts• multiple RFPs
STRATEGY• create steering committee• set ROI and other goals• meet with stakeholders• focus groups• create relaunch strategy document
CREATIVE• explore marketing channels• use integration opportunities• define scope incl. writing • creative brief• multiple concepts as budget permits• test, test, test• migration plan
TECH• tech scope document• investigate multiple CMSs• create a functional specs document• phased launch plan
POST-LAUNCH• training sessions• team development / new hires • collect analytics and anecdotes
RELAUNCHCHECKLIST
Thursday, January 28, 2010
This presentation:
clients.mstoner.com/case
Heather Sullivan
Northfield Mount Hermon
Doug Gapinski
mStoner
twitter: @thedougco
Thursday, January 28, 2010