best website elements for recruiting online students: top tasks & conversion success

BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 1

Best Website Elements for Recruiting Online

Students: Top Tasks & Conversion Success

©Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. 2016

REIMAGINE EDUCATIONCONNECT2016 HIGHER EDUCATION SUMMIT

LOUISVILLE, KY JULY 20-21 2016


Basic Website Guide Points…


Keep. It. Simple.

What do most people want from your website? Fast task completion.

The Golden Rule…

<5 seconds to connect as a page opens.



Top task website design goal…

Quick identification of the path to top tasks.


Attention to Jakob Nielsen…http://www.nngroup.com/articles/university-sites/

TOP 10 DESIGN GUIDELINES… MY FAVORITES… #5

◦ “Make it easy to view a list of majors and programs.”

#8◦ “Follow the user journey: check the

main tasks for each of your audiences.”

#9◦ “Beware the perils of making your

website ‘cool.’“


How well do these pages work?http://www.franklin.edu/online-learning/myths-of-online-education

ON LARGE SCREEN… OK WEAK ON MOBILE…


Check with Google…https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/


Task journey stumbling blocks… Link expectations… repeat link names on destination page. Font size… don’t make them squint. (10 or 12 point) Paragraph size… 5 lines in length. Sentence length… A “.” is usually better than a “;”. Content bloat… “search” often does not work well. Photos… You don’t always need one as the page opens.


Top Tasks Introduction…


Key Question

for Website Design & Content…

“Please choose the TOP FIVE tasks from the list below that best describe what is important to you when choosing to go to university.”

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51 56

Vote

Tasks


Top future student tasks… All students…

◦Academic programs◦Costs & financial aid ◦ Investment return after graduating

“Adult” online students are likely to add…◦Time to complete a program ◦Flexible scheduling


In the bottom 20 “adult” tasks… Social media connections Info about alumni, presidents, and deans School news Profiles and connections to current students


Top task ID process…http://www.digitalgov.gov/2015/02/06/top-task-usability-design-for-your-users/


Guide to the research…http://www.customercarewords.com/top-tasks-identification-overview/


Higher Education Examples…


Finding graduate programs…http://www.graduate.umaryland.edu/Program-Explorer/

Photo co-exists w/ content message.Just 3 key content points.Slow mobile speed: 56


By professional interest or program name…


Or just scan an entry page list…http://www.ucf.edu/online/ of options…

Prominent “search” if you know what you want.

Easy-to-scan options:Undergrad majorsMaster’s degreesCertificates


Sorting study level options…http://www.fullsail.edu/campus-and-online/online-degrees

Easy to see “Degree Types” and “Areas of Study” to start a sort.Full listing includes time to complete.Very slow 49 speed.


12 courses over 12 months…


Interactive transfer credit site…https://www.franklin.edu/transfer-credit-college-course-equivalency-tool

More transfer credit reduces time and money cost.No need to reveal identity.Remarkably fast 93 mobile speed score.


Inquiry forms, brief & available…http://www.champlain.edu/online

The longer the inquiry form, the fewer people will complete it.The phone number challenge.Extra slow 38 speed.


What can I expect next?Immediate “bright future” reinforcement.“Next step” details show benefits of completing the task.Social media connections.Easy-to-scan format.


Same response on mobile…


Repeat the inquiry form…


Promote flexibility…JOHNS HOPKINS MBA… ALVERNO COLLEGE…


Promote “Career Advancement”…PORTLAND STATE ONLINE STORY… VILLANOVA ONLINE CERTIFICATES…


Address “Affordability”…STRAYER UNIVERSITY… UNIVERSITY OF MARY…


Easy to start admissions application…https://www.snhu.edu/admission/apply-now/application

No log-in required.Visual: “easy to complete.”Social security # requested but not required.


Wrapping Up…


7 top task steps to remember…

For any audience, 3 to 5 tasks stand out as most important. People should see a top task immediately (<5 seconds) as a page opens. Priority to task words especially important in a mobile view. Beware of stumbling blocks on the journey to task completion. For recruitment tasks, ask admissions people what questions future students most often ask: recruiting events, email, phone, online.

Beware of “cool” features that do not contribute to task completion. Reduce content bloat as much as possible.

BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC ... @HIGHEDMARKETING 33

Bob Johnson, Ph.D.

Thanks for being here in

Louisville!

[email protected]@highedmarketingwww.linkedin.com/in/bobjohnsonconsulting

best website elements for recruiting online students: top tasks & conversion success

Business