Presentation
The Website Is Dead. Long Live the Website: New Digital Strategies for the AI Era
Presented by Evie Ebert, Senior Web Strategist; Jon Shearer, VP, Web Strategy and User Experience; Greg Zguta, VP, Web Strategy and Technology
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 | 8:30–9:15 AM EDT
AI-powered answer engines are changing the fundamental job of the higher ed website. When ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI overviews handle discovery, the site visitors who actually click through to your .edu aren’t browsing — they’re deciding. They arrive high-intent, already informed and looking for one thing: a reason to trust you. This session reframes the strategic purpose of the higher ed website. We’ll move through a framework built around four emerging imperatives:
- Radically human content that AI cannot replicate.
- Zero-friction conversion architecture for high-intent visitors.
- Immersive storytelling that builds dwell time and authority signals.
- Sustainable governance structures that prevent content rot.
This isn’t a technical session — it’s a strategic one. We’ll use data, case examples and audience discussion to help you diagnose where your current site strategy still assumes a discovery-first world, and leave with a prioritized action plan for evolving toward a verification-first model. Whether you’re making the case to leadership or rebuilding your team’s roadmap, this session gives you the language and evidence to move forward.
