In today’s higher education landscape, your institution’s website is more important than ever. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for information and decision-making, your website serves as the primary gateway to your college or university. It’s often the first point of contact for prospective students.
The experience they have on your site can significantly influence their perception of your institution. Whether they’re exploring academic programs, understanding campus life, or assessing financial aid options, your website needs to effectively communicate your institution’s value and guide prospective students to their next step.
Series Introduction
This post is the first in a blog series exploring various ways to make impactful and incremental improvements to your website.
For many colleges and universities, the thought of making website changes can feel overwhelming. It’s common for institutions to fall into the cycle of undergoing a massive redesign every few years, only to neglect updates until the next major overhaul. However, in an era where technology evolves rapidly and user expectations are constantly shifting, this approach can leave your website outdated and less effective.
Continuous improvement ensures that your website remains relevant, user-friendly, and aligned with the latest digital trends. It’s about making consistent, incremental changes that keep your site fresh and engaging, ultimately leading to better user experiences and higher engagement rates.
The power of incremental website changes
Imagine your institution has recently set new strategic objectives for engaging with prospective students. These objectives could include increasing enrollment numbers, driving more campus visit requests, or streamlining the online application process. To achieve these goals, your website needs to be optimized to seamlessly guide users through their journey.
Perhaps you’ve noticed a decline in user engagement or an increase in bounce rates when reviewing your Google Analytics data. Or maybe you’ve received feedback indicating that your website isn’t meeting users’ expectations. These are just a few of the scenarios that could point to the need for updates to your website. By focusing on specific objectives, you can make targeted improvements that directly support your institution’s goals.
Instead of waiting for a full-scale redesign, you can make incremental changes that will have a significant impact. By doing so, you can ensure your site remains a powerful tool for attracting and engaging your audience.
Throughout this series, we will share actionable steps you can take to optimize your higher ed website—one update at a time.
Future topics will include:
- Information architecture best practices
- Building new pages that achieve enrollment outcomes
- Rewriting and optimizing content
- Improving website accessibility
- Implementing technical SEO solutions
- Placing new calls-to-action and forms for conversion rate optimization (CRO)
Each post in this series will provide practical tips and examples to help you implement effective changes. Our goal is to ensure your institution’s website remains a beacon of accessibility, engagement, and excellence in the digital landscape. Stay tuned for the next post in our blog series, where we’ll dive into one of the actionable steps you can take today to improve your website incrementally.
Want to learn more about partnering with Carnegie on a website project? Let’s connect.
And don’t miss our upcoming webinar, Smart Updates for Higher Ed Websites: Driving Results Without a Redesign, where we’ll guide you through smart, strategic updates that can significantly boost your website’s performance. This webinar is perfect for higher ed marketers looking to maximize their site’s potential while staying within their current framework.