Service Line: Website Design + Development

It’s a common refrain when higher ed marketers approach content strategy for their institution’s website – “my priority content can’t require more than three clicks or the user will lose interest.” The three clicks mentality in web design goes back decades and the dogma hasn’t become less powerful with age. In the attention economy, where a TikTok video that doesn’t compel fast enough can be swiped away in an infinite scroll, it feels more urgent than ever to capture site visitor’s attention, and fast.

In today’s higher education landscape, your institution’s website is more important than ever. As the primary gateway to your college or university, it often serves as the first point of contact for prospective students. The experience they have on your site can shape their perception of your institution, whether they are exploring academic programs, learning about campus life, or evaluating financial aid options. This post is the first in a series focused on ways to make impactful, incremental improvements to your website to better communicate your institution’s value and guide prospective students to their next step.

One of the keys to understanding and improving website accessibility is knowledge of the most common accessibility errors and how to fix them. Since 2019, WebAIM has completed a yearly accessibility review of the top 1 million websites and produced a report of their findings. The review tests the home pages for each of these sites and scans them for accessibility errors.

The internet should be an inclusive space for all users from any background or physical or mental ability. According to the Pew Research Center, about 1 in 4 internet users in the United States have a disability. This statistic includes those interested in higher education who are searching the internet to learn more about institutions and their programs. When students with disabilities engage with college and university websites, they often rely on assistive technologies.

When developing a new Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy, it can be tempting to immediately dive into the most time-consuming tasks—like writing the content—and assume you’ll figure out your keywords later. While keyword research may seem inconsequential, it ultimately forms the foundation of your on-page SEO strategy.

Faculty profile pages are the often-overlooked superstar of graduate student recruiting. Many prospective graduate students identify potential degree programs based on faculty information. Yet, these valuable, highly trafficked pages are too often neglected and underutilized due to lack of personality and thin or outdated content. Not only can you utilize faculty profile pages to recruit graduate students, but you can also save your faculty members time and effort with an online presence that helps connect them to students.

Everyone who visits your website — from prospective students, to current students, to alumni, to staff, to community members — benefits from a website that’s accessible. Yet, many institutions push accessibility to the wayside until they absolutely must take action. Consider this: approximately 20% of adults have a disability, which means that on average 1 in 5 visitors to your website may be using one or more assistive technologies to help them access your content. 

There was a time when prospective college students perused hefty catalogs or awaited mailed brochures to find their ideal school. These materials would house a list of available programs, which students would pore over to determine which institutions offered the degree they were interested in pursuing. As the reliance on print materials in the college search process has faded, online search engines have taken their place. And those search engines are also ever evolving. 

Excel spreadsheets formatted to turn from green to red as deadlines approached. Online project management tools. One really big whiteboard. There are many kinds of blog editorial calendars. Having one is critical to an effective content strategy plan, but there’s no one-size-fits-all.

You can also recycle your old content and turn it into something fresh and new. Recycling, just like in real life, can help you save time, money, and resources. With a little planning and some creative thinking, you can quickly and strategically breathe new life into existing stories and content, helping you achieve your goals, drive growth, and connect with new audiences.