How to ace your higher ed website
How to ace your higher ed website a guide to web content & usability © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 1 Introduction Chapter 1: Writing effective web copy College web copy should work like a matchmaker, not a salesperson The 6 pillars of web copy for higher education 1. Know thy target audience(s). 2. Establish a clear and distinctive identity . 3. Place your visitors at the center of your copy. 4. Write for skimmers, not readers. 5. Tell people where they are, why they should care, and what to do. 6. Strategic use of keywords. Chapter 2: Spark up your site with video Testimonials to connect with prospective students Events coverage to strut your stuff Instructional videos & FAQs Showcase of student creativity Student-created ads Bring your faculty to life Chapter 3: Discover your most powerful recruitment tool. . . right under your nose The secret sauce - student testimonials 7 ways to use student voices online 1. Embed videos of/by students throughout your site. 2. Provide detailed written testimonials. 3. Student blogs. 4. Let visitors 'ask a student', 5. Make students part of your admissions team, 6. Encourage strong engagement on Facebook 7. Curate other people's content on your channels. Chapter 4: Get smart with your higher ed content Invest in content Efficiencies and high-tech tricks for creating interesting content Social-friendly content for higher education Managing content quality Chapter 5: Focus on usability Don’t be afraid to be conventional Noise control Consistency is a virtue Chapter 6: Why best practice isn’t good enough Top-notch web communications require research and testing Target audience research is the place to start . . . © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 2 But not the place to finish Always be testing Usability testing Web analytics In conclusion ➨ Click to tweet © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 3 Introduction Thanks to the internet, we’ve all got the world at our fingertips. Within seconds, we can uncover anything anyone could ever want to know about ● ● ● ● web writing online video web usability and [fill in the blank] But what initially looks like bounty can quickly become less than useful. Sure, the information is there. But what are we actually supposed to do with, for instance, 74 million Google results for a single search? And as we boldly dive into our research, how do we know which websites to trust? The situation gets even more complicated within the specialized niche of higher education. It’s practically impossible to go online without tripping over advice about internet marketing, blogging, and the joys of autoresponders. And lots of it is great advice - for your average business. But of course education is no ordinary business. While there’s an increasing push towards corporatestyle marketing in universities, education is about much more than making a profit. And its web communications need to reflect that. A few months ago I spent considerable time trying to find a comprehensive online guide to best practice for higher ed content & usability. I came up empty-handed. So I decided to write one myself. It’s designed to be quick, to the point, full of links to the experts, and to give you practical steps you can take to get the most out of your university website. I’ve deliberately left out an in-depth discussion of social media, although it’s mentioned several times in relation to websites. A task for another day perhaps. Enjoy. And please share! © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 4 Chapter 1: Writing effective web copy Let’s start with the basics - how to write web copy for higher education websites. Many university websites takes a 'just the facts' approach to much of their content. The prose is lowkey, and shies away from anything even remotely 'salesy.' There are a few common exceptions - 'about' and 'admissions' pages often take a more promotional stance. And academic departments will sometimes try to entice students with examples of future careers in their field. But overall, the focus is on providing information rather than employing the persuasive techniques of copywriting. University web marketers are right to be cautious. 'Copywriting' denotes sales and marketing, and Matt Klawitter has written eloquently on the perils of using 'corporate-speak' in the higher education environment. Nonetheless, every school needs to communicate its unique value to prospective students, parents, donors and others. Effective copy is key in achieving that, because in the online environment recruiters aren't there in person to listen to their audience and get a feel for ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ who they are what they're looking for what they're worried about what might prevent them from requesting information or applying. Website copy has to anticipate all that, and give people what they need and want. In effect, copy acts as a virtual salesperson. It may seem like we're back in the realm of 'corporate-speak,' but never fear, because College web copy should work like a matchmaker, not a salesperson © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 5 That's how Eric Sickler of Stamats talked about what it means to be a recruiter in higher education in a recent webinar. Recruiters need to find (and recruit) the right students for their school, because mismatches always end badly - for both students and institutions. It's a very apt metaphor, and it applies equally well to your web strategies. University websites also need to attract and engage the students who represent a good fit. And it takes solid research, clear communications, and effective persuasion at the right time and in the right way to make that happen. The moral of the story? You need strong copy, but it must be copy that's suited to the higher education environment. The 6 pillars of web copy for higher education Here are the main things to focus on to write effective copy for university websites. 1. Know thy target audience(s). Think about the strengths of your school, and which groups are best suited to what you've got on offer. Then use web analytics, surveys, feedback from faculty and recruiters, social media updates, student blogs, and any other intelligence-gathering tricks you can think of to draw a clear picture of your site visitors. Consider creating personas to refine your results and make the exercise feel real and easy to use. Segment your audience into your most important groups and write to each individually. Using a generic student won't reach anyone effectively. 2. Establish a clear and distinctive identity. Then communicate it consistently throughout your website (and the rest of your messaging). Bob Sevier has some useful advice on how to avoid branding clichés and come up with ideas that will be genuinely compelling. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 6 3. Place your visitors at the center of your copy. You've got lots of cool stuff happening at your school, and you want people to know. That's great never hide your light under a bushel. But, never forget that your visitors aren't inherently interested in you. They want to know what you can do for them (that is, the benefits to them). So every time you utter, 'We have 2 Nobel laureates in our molecular biology department,' don't forget to answer the 'so what?/why should I care?' questions. As in, 'Now that they're so famous, do they still teach undergraduates?', or, 'Will they work with me on the research I'm interested in?' 4. Write for skimmers, not readers. The biggest challenge in writing for the web is getting and keeping people's attention. To keep people with you and encourage them to read more deeply: a. Utilize benefits-oriented headlines and subheads. Can visitors get the gist of what a page is about just by reading the heads and sub-heads? They'd better, because it might be the only thing they read. And if done well (i.e., the benefit to them is obvious), headlines will entice people to read the small print. b. Short, scannable sections. Let there be light . . . and air, and photos and lots of space on web pages. The kinds of paragraphs academics tend to write (i.e., long - and I was one of them) are dense and hard to read online. 1-4 lines per paragraph is a lot easier to read than 10. c. Short words, short sentences, chop out the fluff. Save the complicated stuff for class. Get to the point, in as few words as possible, in easy, everyday language. 5. Tell people where they are, why they should care, and what to do. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 7 This is all about giving clear instructions and calls to action. Web visitors won't mind - it saves them from having to think too much. So, for instance, if you've got a page that comprises 50 links, avoid just listing the links (as I've seen on many pages). Give visitors a clear benefits-oriented statement of what's on offer, how to use the page, and what to do next. 6. Strategic use of keywords. A detailed discussion of keyword optimization is beyond the scope of this report, but it's a factor copywriters can't afford to ignore if they want to appear in organic search rankings. Here are some basic principles: a. familiarize yourself with basic keyword research b. identify which keyword phrases you want to rank for (are you getting enough applicants for your award-winning MFA program? Are people able to find it online?) c. use keywords in the places where search engines are looking (meta title, meta description and headlines/sub-heads, for starters) d. always prioritize readers over search bots. That means no keyword packing or awkward phrasing in order to 'game' Google. It's getting smarter about sniffing out these strategies and punishing sites for them, so they're more likely to hurt than help. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 8 Chapter 2: Spark up your site with video I've written elsewhere about why online video is now a must-have for colleges and universities. So let's say you're convinced it's a good idea but aren't sure where to start. Here are some ideas that should get you going. Testimonials to connect with prospective students Student video testimonials are simple to produce, and should be used liberally throughout your site. Your visitors want to get a feel for what your school is really like, and videos of current and former students are one of the best ways to accomplish that. Authenticity is the name of the game, so avoid anything formal, stilted or scripted, and don't worry about high production quality. You can interview students with typical FAQs like 'what are the biggest challenges in 1st year,' 'what do students do for fun at xyz college,' etc., and then edit yourself out of the final cut. Or just ask students to shoot a short video of themselves on their own smartphone or webcam talking about what they like best about your school. One caveat - not everybody wants to watch video, so make sure plenty of written testimonials are also highly visible on your site. Events coverage to strut your stuff Got a charismatic commencement speaker? Successful service program in Nicaragua? Olympic pole vaulter? Show them off with video. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 9 This is where you'll usually want high production quality and skilled editors to ensure the end product is engaging. Check out the 'Boston College Minute' series for some examples of how this can work. Too bad they don't have some of these videos prominently displayed on their website! You may also want to experiment with live-streaming popular events, and then placing an edited version on your website. Instructional videos & FAQs College is a daunting prospect for most new students. Why not create a few videos that lead them step-by-step through the most common hurdles? For instance, screen capture videos (interspersed with a few friendly faces of key staff members) can help students ● ● ● ● ● Apply for financial aid Book a campus tour Access help with study skills Perform basic library searches Change a course Showcase of student creativity Flash mobs, lip dubs, and rap videos are always popular on college websites, although perhaps becoming predictable. So why not push the envelope and show other expressions of student creativity? This time-lapse video of a Stetson University chalk art contest is one engaging example of how to break out of the mold with something a bit different. Encouraging students to produce their own videos also opens up infinite possibilities. Adam Brown has compiled a list of what he considers the 9 Best Student-Produced College Videos. Student-created ads In what amounts to testimonials on steroids, Drexel University's Lebow College of Business is turning student words into advertising - literally. Their 'Words I Live By' contest offers students the chance © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 10 to win an iPad, network with the Dean, and appear in a bona fide advertisement in return for their '3 words' on Lebow. Not a bad use of a few minutes for students, and a great source of fresh ideas for Lebow. Bring your faculty to life A college education is a huge investment, and both parents and students need to know that the teaching and mentorship available at your school is really worth it. Rather than bragging about how great your academics are, show them. Embed videos on your site that feature faculty ● ● ● ● speaking passionately about their research interacting with students in the classroom doing good works in the community talking from inside a book. A few academics, for instance Douglas Frenkel, are experimenting with embedding videos in their books. If you've got similar material, you could excerpt clips and put them on your website as a teaser. ➨ Click to tweet © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 11 Chapter 3: Discover your most powerful recruitment tool. . . right under your nose So maybe the fruits of your digital recruitment efforts are a bit disappointing at the moment. You'd probably like to see a larger applicant pool, or perhaps a better fit between applicants and your school's core strengths. To solve this problem you could: ● Spruce up your website. Give it a more contemporary look, including some video material and links to your social media channels. ● Make sure it features your most recent awards, sporting achievements, and scholarships. ● Do your homework on your target audience(s) and ensure that your web copy speaks directly to their most pressing needs, worries and desires. ● Use that same target audience intel to refine your email and mobile communications. And you'd be right to do all those things. You probably already do - when resources and time allow. But you're still not getting enough of the right people to sign on the dotted line and pick you. What's missing? The secret sauce - student testimonials In a word - trust. Applying to college is a huge leap that entails a lot of excitement and even more angst. In order to step off the cliff, applicants need to know what it's like to experience your school. And they need to trust you. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 12 Trust requires proof that you're the real deal. And no one is in a better position to provide proof than the people who know you from the inside out - your current and former students. By definition, they've got authenticity in a way you never can. So put students voices to work for you. On your website, in active social media channels, in email communications, in your print materials. Not only will it increase trust in your institution, it will also give prospective students a clear idea of whether your school is a good fit for them. It's an incredibly powerful strategy, but one that's chronically under-utilized. So here are a few ideas for how you can employ student testimonials in your digital marketing strategies. 7 ways to use student voices online 1. Embed videos of/by students throughout your site. I’ve mentioned this in detail in the previous chapter, but it’s worth reiterating here since it’s such a powerful strategy. Make sure the content is a good match for the page where it's located, and that the format makes it easy to view, expand, or watch on YouTube. Don't be shy about adding lots of videos, but make sure they're not on auto-start so that viewing is optional. 2. Provide detailed written testimonials. This strategy is most appropriate on the pages where prospective students are seeking in-depth information (e.g., admissions or academic program pages). One approach is to have current students reply to a series of interview questions about what they like, what is challenging, why people should consider your school/department, etc. And make sure to add some open-ended questions too (such as 'anything else people should know?') to capture things that might not turn up otherwise. Avoid having an editor summarize what students say - use the students' own words so that readers don't interpret it as high-gloss PR. 3. Student blogs. Giving current students free rein on blogs is a great way for them to document the culture of your school. You'll need to moderate posts, but do that with a light touch to keep it © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 13 real. If you over-control or over-regulate, it will show and you'll lose the authenticity factor. You can expect things to get gnarly from time to time, though. See Patrick Powers' recent post on 'How to Handle Social Media Comments' for how to proceed when they do. 4. Let visitors 'ask a student', like Connecticut College does. They can send emails to any of six current students to ask anything they want. A good range of disciplines is represented, and the ease of email makes this very accessible. 5. Make students part of your admissions team, like the University of Puget Sound has done. These folks not only answer emails, but are involved in tours and interviews as well. 6. Encourage strong engagement on Facebook and other social media channels. They're a handy news feed, but that's only a very small piece of what they can do for you. The more you can get students to comment, like, favorite, tweet, etc., the better. You're creating an (accurate) impression of an active and interested student body, as well as allowing current students to draw a picture of what life is like at your school. 7. Curate other people's content on your channels. You're likely to have lots of students creating and posting YouTube videos, Flickr photos, and tweets about your school on their own channels. 'Favorite' the videos and photos you'd like to feature and they'll show up on your channel. You can also monitor your school's Twitter hashtag(s) so you can retweet the tweets you like. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 14 Chapter 4: Get smart with your higher ed content Your mission: produce multiple streams of quality content that your audiences find valuable and shareable. Make sure it's in keeping with the basic principles of content marketing, and above all else, keep it coming. It's a formidable task. But one that none of us can afford to ignore. There are lots of reasons producing content has become imperative, including ● ● ● ● Giving Google fresh meat Demonstrating thought leadership Generating leads Cultivating a reputation for generosity and value, rather than death by advertising I could go on, but this isn't exactly a news flash. By 2012, content marketing has become essential and ubiquitous, in higher ed just like everywhere else. The real issue, though, isn't the why but the how. That is, how is everyone supposed to become a regular publisher of fresh content? And still hold down a day job? Unfortunately, the constant pressure to produce is never going to be easy for any of us. But here are some ways to minimize pain and maximize gain as you carry out your mission. Invest in content May as well start by dreaming big. In a sobering rant on 'why higher ed sucks at content strategy,' Michael Fienen goes straight to the guts of it. 'Web communications is a system and discipline unto itself now, and it needs to be recognized, authorized, and resourced as such.' Which is quite different than what he views as the more typical scenario at the moment. Namely, web comms shunted between IT, marketing and PR. High staff turnover. Lack of strategy and continuity. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 15 So is there hope we're about to enter a period where web communications will be recognized as an integral part of higher ed marketing? And be resourced accordingly? Fienen isn't optimistic. And given the size and bureaucratic structure of universities, such a seismic shift in budget and staffing priorities is likely to take years rather than months. But the relentless pressure to produce, strategize, and capitalize on content is simply not going to go away. So better to at least begin to steer the ship in this direction rather than pretend there's clear sailing ahead on the present course. In the meantime, here are a few suggestions on how to make the content conundrum less onerous and more effective. Efficiencies and high-tech tricks for creating interesting content Your school does need to produce some original, high-quality content. But thankfully not all of your content stream needs to be conjured up out of thin air. That's because sharing, curation, and repurposing are central to content creation in the world of 'social,' where ● ● promoting other people's content makes you a good citizen people expect to find content on their favorite channel, in their favorite format For a sample of how to put these principles into practice, check out Pawan Deshpande's article “8 Ideas for Feeding Your Content Beast” . There are some great ideas in this post, as well as links to further resources on content creation. But how do these ideas apply in the very specialized ecosystem of higher education? Social-friendly content for higher education There are some advantages to being a large and complex organization. You've got lots of people, roles and activities that can all feed into your publication juggernaut. Here are a few ways to take advantage of all the resources you've got at your fingertips. 1. Recruit people outside of web communications to create content. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 16 I've written previously about why colleges should encourage student and faculty blogging. And faculty bloggers might be motivated by the fact that in 2007, 72% of prospective masters students in the EExpectations Graduate Survey were especially interested in reading faculty posts. Higher ed also benefits from a constant stream of visitors to campus, sports and community events, and appearances in traditional media. All prime fodder for interviews, articles, blog posts, Pinterest folders and videos. And every time one item goes online, make sure to 2. Repurpose content into different formats A blog post can turn into a video can turn into a slideshow can turn into a podcast. And it's not cheating, because people genuinely like to consume content in different formats, depending on ● ● ● personal preference how much time they've got what device they're using 3. Update existing content So how many pages have you got on that website of yours? Probably thousands. Which can make it a nightmare to maintain, but also a goldmine of 'new' content. But first of all you need to separate the wheat from the chaff. As the folks at Percussion Software explain in a recent white paper, 'You should always be striving to keep information fresh and up to date, and when you can’t, remove it from your website as soon as you can.' So as time and resources allow, work away at the big tidy-up as part of website maintenance. Trash the outdated pages, and perform meaningful updates to freshen up the pages you want to keep. Google will be happy, and so will your visitors. Managing content quality It all sounds lovely, doesn't it? Everybody contributing and sharing across multiple platforms to create a rich and fresh stream of content. And in lots of ways it is, BUT . . . © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 17 It's also potentially a recipe for chaos. To keep things from getting out of control, ● Take the time to look at the big picture. What are your main goals? Your central messages? Developing a clear content strategy will ensure that your messaging is consistent and effective. ● For all the reasons I've discussed, you need lots of people creating content for your school. This is where quality control becomes a real challenge. The big debate at the moment seems to be over whether content management should be centralized or de-centralized. The trend seems to be towards more centralized models, but it's worth thinking through what will work best given your own circumstances and resources. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 18 Chapter 5: Focus on usability 'Making pages self-evident is like having good lighting in a store: it just makes everything seem better. Using a site that doesn't make us think about unimportant things feels effortless, whereas puzzling over things that don't matter to us tends to sap our energy and enthusiasm - and time.' Steve Krug, Don't Make Me Think None of us want to discourage or sap the energy of our website visitors. So being user-friendly, even hyper-friendly, needs to be a top priority for site design. Now you may be thinking that as an institution of higher learning, your visitors are more sophisticated and patient than most. That they might be willing to expend more energy in looking for what they want on your site than your average guy or gal. Don't. They might be very interested in what you have to offer, and might dig deep into certain parts of your content. But figuring out how your website works? Nah. Not interesting. Save their energy for the good stuff. So do your best to make their experience of your site feel effortless. It can't help but contribute to a positive engagement with your site, and by association, your institution. Getting to 'effortless' is no small feat for organizations as large and complex as colleges and universities. But following a few simple guidelines can make an enormous difference in how people interact with your site. Don’t be afraid to be conventional Here's an easy way to do your visitors a big favor. Put things where people expect to find them, in a format they're used to. These common conventions are worth repeating unless you've got a good reason not to. ● Site ID (your name and logo) in upper left corner. Preferably on every page. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 19 ● Main navigation either across the top or down the left margin. Having main navigation across the top and sub-categories/local navigation down the left side is also common. ● Use standard names for main pages, e.g., 'about,' 'contact us,' 'admissions,' etc. ● You can go home again. Make sure each page has a recognizable link to your home page in the upper left corner. And for a real treat, give them breadcrumbs so they always know exactly where they are. ● Make clickable links glaringly obvious. In-text links should be a different color than other text, and the same color throughout your site. Some would even go so far as to say they should be blue, since that's the most common color. Use your discretion on that one. And a button should look like a recognizable button. ● Don't make them search for search. Put a search field on every page in the upper-right corner and give it a button called 'search' or the familiar search icon. And as to the people who really shouldn't be conventional? They would include design institutes, arts organizations and others in the creative industries. These folks need to demonstrate their creativity (i.e., show, not tell) on their websites and everywhere else. Their sites still need to be intelligible, but visitors expect to find something genuinely different here in a way they don't on other sites. For the rest of us, people aren't all that interested in how creative we are. They want to know if we have what they're looking for. Which is a different matter entirely. Noise control Thankfully higher education isn't a world populated by advertisements shouting, 'Buy now!' or 'Super special offer expires tomorrow!' But there are still things to watch out for in keeping the noise level down on your site. ● Too many words, too soon. Avoid over-burdening your home page with a link to every single thing your school does for every single stakeholder. It's overwhelming to your visitor and most of it won't be relevant to any given person. Consider constructing some big signposts for © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 20 different segments of your audience so they can travel easily to what's appropriate for them. And as a general rule, as they drill down into your site you can get away with more words. If they've arrived at an academic program page, for instance, you can assume they want some detail about what's on offer. ● Auto-start videos. Videos are a great, but not videos that auto-start. Give your visitors a choice about if and when to watch your video(s), rather than having it blare at them every time they open the page. The same applies to animations. ● Pointless decoration. The design of your site needs to be colorful, appealing and reflect your brand. But avoid getting too creative with colors, e.g., white text on a black background. It's hard to read, and we're going for effortless here. And did you know that according to the 2012 Stamats TeensTalk® Survey, the appearance of your campus only influences 1% of teens in their final college choice? So swap those beautiful, perfectly composed campus photos (or at least most of them) for photos and videos that convey the experience of your school - for prospective students, for alumni, for donors, for faculty. Make sure everything you include serves an obvious and useful purpose that goes beyond making your site look nice. ● Choices, choices, always choices. . . Keep to one key task per page where possible. Like explaining the philosophy behind your philosophy department. And then tell me what to do next. Which might involve a few carefully chosen and clearly explained alternatives. As in, 'Need more information about our faculty? Go to the faculty profiles page (with link),' or, 'Ready to apply now? Go straight to the admissions page (with link).' Don't offer any options that aren't directly related to the task at hand. And if people do want to back out and do something entirely different, if you've got key signposts in order (home page link, breadcrumbs), they'll easily navigate to where they want to go. Consistency is a virtue ● Maintain a consistent visual style. Try to limit yourself to just a handful of fonts and colors, and keep a recognizable frame around your content on each page (i.e., the site ID and at least some navigation). That way your visitors never have to wonder if they're still on your site. You may need to be a bit more relaxed about pages like online magazines and athletics programs, but make sure to keep navigation visible that allows them to return easily to the main sections of your site. ● Keep social media top of mind. Do you really want people to join you on Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Twitter and Pinterest? Then give them highly visible, recognizable icons for these © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 21 platforms above the fold on every page. That way they'll never have to remember to follow you once they get back to the home page, or . . . now what page did they see that on? You get my drift. Somewhere in the top right corner is common, but I love how Goshen College has a bottom bar featuring social media (and other key links) that follows visitors everywhere. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 22 Chapter 6: Why best practice isn’t good enough Ready for a glimpse into a nightmare? Let's see if this scenario gets your palms sweating and your heart beating just that little bit faster. Imagine that you're part of a web communications team that's been asked to overhaul your university's website. You know what to do, because you know web best practice backwards and forwards. So over a period of months you and your team ● ● ● ● Bust your chops getting the copy just perfect Carefully insert high search/low competition keyword phrases in all the right places Develop a state-of-the-art content strategy Painstakingly refine your design, navigation, wireframing, and information architecture Then, finally, you launch. The new site works. Sort of. It's not exactly a failure - the site is performing better. But you're not sure the marginal improvement was worth all the cost and effort. What went wrong? Top-notch web communications require research and testing Best practice is an essential part of success on the web. But without a solid foundation of research and testing, you'll always be on shaky ground. That's because best practice guidelines can only ever tell you what generally works. If you want to ensure success for your site and your specific audiences, you've got more work to do. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 23 Target audience research is the place to start . . . There are web strategies that work for 'students,' and then there are strategies that will work best for your students (or faculty, donors, staff, etc.). Okay - this part is a bit cheeky, since I've already talked about target audience research as central to best practice . But it's so important I'm willing to repeat myself. And give you a couple more ideas about how to get inside your audiences' heads. These examples are specific to students, but the same logic can be applied to any other group you're targeting. ● Read student reviews. Find out what students are saying about your school, and get a feel for how they talk. Here's an exhaustive list of US sites that feature student college reviews for you to mine. For UK schools, check out The Student Room and What Uni?. ● Read what your students read. Start with your school's student publications, then find out what magazines they're reading, where they're getting their news online, etc. Not only will you connect with what they're thinking, you'll get a feel for the types of content and design that they prefer. But not the place to finish As Eric Sickler explains in a recent webinar for new recruiters, you need to gather other kinds of 'intelligence' as well. ● Product intelligence. In addition to understanding the basics of what you do best, a good sense of history, a stash of interesting facts, and some great stories will serve you well. Keeping good connections with people all over campus will help you accomplish that and more. ● Competitive situation. You need to understand your closest competitors well. Very well. Because without that understanding, you can't distinguish what makes you different. Or in marketing-speak, your 'unique value proposition.' It's the key to the castle in getting prospective students to pick you instead of 'them.' © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 24 Okay, so if you accomplish all that, and have applied everything you learned, you get an A+. But no, you're still not done. Always be testing You simply can't know how your carefully nurtured baby will fare once she grows up and goes out into the world. Will people love her? Diss her? Completely ignore her? There's no point in speculating. Your only useful option is to watch what people actually do. And that's where testing comes in. Usability testing This involves literally observing and listening to people as they try to use your site. It could be a recorded screen capture, one-on-one testing, or variations on a theme. Jakob Nielsen's usability report on 'College Students on the Web' gives a great overview of student web preferences, and is highly recommended. But to get specific information about your site, conduct your own usability testing with even a few students and other site users on campus - ideally before you launch. Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think gives a simple version of how to do this. Avinash Kaushik details a more elaborate 'scientific' approach. Web analytics Using analytics involves tracking how visitors interact with your site using tools like Google Analytics. Can be complicated. Can be overwhelming. Can mean people don't quite get there. In fact, a recent survey shows that while higher ed is adopting web analytics, it's . . . happening . . . slowly. © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 25 But if you're not employing analytics tools, you're relying on hunches rather than data to inform the design of your site and its ultimate success. Karine Joly makes a persuasive case about why you should embrace web analytics and provides useful tips on how to get started. Or if you want to take things slowly, you could begin by ● Doing some A/B split testing to test specific elements of key pages on your site. ● Following Alan Etkin's advice on what he would do if he only had five hours a week to work on analytics: 'I’d automate as many reports as possible using the custom dashboard functionality of Google Analytics. . . . For analysis, I’d focus on the key conversion events you’re able to track, whether they’re registrations or requests for information.' © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 26 In conclusion Actually, that’s all she wrote! For now, anyway. Please send me any comments, questions, requests, and I’ll do my best to incorporate your feedback into the next version. I hope you found something useful in these pages - please share with your colleagues and contacts if you did! If you’d like help implementing any of these strategies on your site, you can find me here: I’m happy to provide free, no-obligation quotes on services. Or just have a chat about what’s happening at your place. ➨ Click to tweet Photo credits: p. 7: amtrak_russ via Compfight p. 9: Reinis Traidas via Compfight p. 14: Foxtongue via Compfight © Dr Julie Wuthnow 2012 http://juliewuthnow.com 27
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