5 Conversion Techniques that Higher Ed Can Learn From eCommerce

5 Conversion Techniques that Higher Ed Can Learn From eCommerce

Piero Tintori – CEO & Founder

Defining Digital Engagement for Higher Education

About me

5 Conversion Techniques that Higher Ed Can Learn From eCommerce - IWMW 2017

• CEO & Founder of TERMINALFOUR

• A WCMS & Digital Marketing Platform for Higher Education

• 17 years experience working with higher Education institutions – first IWMW in 2004

• We count over 200 of the world’s most recognisable universities & colleges as clients including about 60% of UK Universities

Twitter: @pierotintori

[email protected]

• Our Higher Education Digital Marketing Blog:

https://www.terminalfour.com/blog/

Our Blog…


https://www.terminalfour.com/blog/

• Digital Marketing & Management trends survey:

https://tinyurl.com/t4survey2017

Our 4th Annual Survey…



• Looking at how you can apply ecommerce and online retail techniques to drive website improvements

• Some indicative data since last year as to what’s working

• Key prerequisites

• 5 conversion techniques worth focusing on

Overview


• For a non “recruitment” focused web team, why is this important:

• Tracking return on investment = enhances the budget case (attaching a monitory value to each lead)

• If you are benefiting another team’s goals, make the case for some of their budget!

• Link the numbers to goals in your strategic plan (engages senior management more easily)

• What work is worth spending your time on?

“Conversion Rate Optimization”


•Really know your organisational goals

•Really know your team goals (and make sure they link with the org goals)

•Understand your recruitment funnel

Important at a business level…


Fundamental prerequisites:

• Effectively tracking conversion

• Social / Adwords

• Click streams

• Solid attribution tracking

• Understanding your conversion “funnel” and technical sources:

• Undergraduate recruitment

• Postgraduate recruitment

• Alumni engagement

Important at a web tech level…


Conversion Rate Optimization in Higher Education

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Law School


300% increase in lead

conversion

Different techniques:

• Geographic personalisation

• Behavioural personalisation / course search

• Click stream

• Email marketing linked personalisation

• People visiting from other organisations

• Retargetting (they have visited another site / social network)

#1 Content targeting & personalisation




eCommerceAverage:

19-21% Improvement

Using Course Search

personalisation in Higher

Education:

33-42%Improvement

Cutting edge:

61-78%




• Colour

• Placement

• Wording

• Friction

#2 Call to Action Optimisation


The right location(s)


And the right colours…


#2 Call to Action Optimisation


eCommerceAverage:

21-43% Improvement

In Higher Education:

15-32%Improvement

Cutting edge:

40-70%

(typically improving

from a very poor base line)

#3 Form Friction / Optimisation







• Number of fields

• Avoid requesting information not to hand

• Multi device testing

• Simplify validation rules

• Radio button instead for drop downs (small lists)

• Inline validation





eCommerceAverage:

? %

Lots of data, but different

use cases

In Higher Education:

25-50%Improvement

Cutting edge:

50-100%

•Key challenges:

• Complex standard forms in CRMs

• Large scale ERP / SIS based admission processes

• Poor responsive forms in CRMs & SIS solutions



#4 Online Live / AI Chat


•Things to consider:

• 24/7 or “business hours”?

• Only for certain target markets?

• What languages?

• Tracking follow on

• Linking the data base to your CRM

#4 Online Live / AI Chat


In Higher Ed in the US:

• (Increasing conversion X Increaseing leads) + buying in leads= Lots more student enquiry leads

• Model what are “ideal students”

• High retention levels

• Academically successful

• Compare your leads via a predictive analytics engine with potentially successful students

• Some strong success stories in US, but also debate!

#5 Predictive Data Analysis


Conclusion

• For a non “recruitment” focused web team, why is this important:

• Tracking return on investment = enhances the budget case (attaching a monitory value to each lead)

• If you are benefiting another team’s goals, make the case for some of their budget!

• Link the numbers to goals in your strategic plan (engages senior management more easily)

• What work is worth spending your time on?

“Conversion Rate Optimization”


• Follow me on Twitter:@pierotintori

• Follow our Blog:

http://www.terminalfour.com/blog

• Our Higher Education Web Survey:


Thank You


http://www.terminalfour.com/blog
