Explaining navigation on college and university websites

Sometimes, you need a way to explain the importance of navigation on college and university websites. Those who aren't working in website world, as in the leaders who are executive sponsors, may not understand the conventions and the benefits of information architecture done right. I hope you'll use the advice that follows to educate and …

Put fewer words on your web pages.

We're baaack...to school. While everyone on campus "moves in," my annual tradition is to write a post with website advice. For the 2019-2020 academic year, we're going back to basics. Say a lot with fewer words. Why? Because at every student focus group on every campus I've ever visited, the most common answer to, "What …

Thinking about a website redesign?

Really, it's a relaunch. You need new everything: copy, photos, navigation and CMS. At many colleges and universities, a website redesign is a campus-wide initiative that is broadly inclusive and requires getting buy-in from multiple internal players and stakeholders. On other campuses, the marketing and communications team is fully charged with the redesign and can …

Making Your Website Memorable

With marketing goals that likely center around enrollment and elevating the institutional profile, it’s not surprising that every marketing pro in higher ed needs a website that is distinctive.

To Redesign Your Website, Get Out of Your Own Way

Campus communities center around a mission of transforming lives through education. People on your campus are proud of what they do — individually and collectively — and to them, the website is a symbol of that pride. At the start of a website redesign, internal stakeholders simply want to be sure the website will reflect …

Getting the Budget for a Website Redesign and New CMS

You know what you need to do. You know how you need to do it. You just don’t have the money to pay for it. Sound familiar? A website redesign project requires funds. You might need a budget for hiring freelancers or external partners who will collaborate on your digital strategy, design, content, and implementation. …

New Academic Year? Better Website?

There’s just something about the start of the academic year. New students, new campus initiatives, and for some … the planning for a new or improved website. Is this the academic year for greatly improving your website? Or, are you starting the academic year with a website that has aged beyond the point of a …

Web Governance: Use the influence of individuals to turn the plan into action.

Web governance is what allows your team to turn the corner from thinking about the website as a project to instead sustaining and enhancing it every day. After your web governance plan is in place, you need people to implement it. Don’t underestimate the influence of the individuals who take the plan from its consensus-formed …

Web Governance: What’s in it for them?

The goal is sustainability. Too often, we find ourselves approaching a website like a project, never turning the corner after a redesign. Never putting in place a structure that will ensure individual web pages on your site are current and accurate next week, next month, and two years from whenever. If you are still approaching your …

12 Months After Your Website Redesign

I've relaunched a website (a huge amount of work) and I've helped many clients relaunch their websites (a huge amount of accountability). I've been there; I understand the sense of relief and euphoria. But we all know that a website is never done done. Your website is an always on communications platform -- it is …