Rating Higher Education Websites: The Student Experience ©Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. 2009 J.Boye Conference Aarhus 2009 November 4, 2009 Aarhus, Denmark

Who is Bob Johnson? Higher education marketer since 1980s Writer of monthly “Your Higher Education Marketing Newsletter” Owner… Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC Partner w/Gerry McGovern at Customer Carewords Chair of Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, 1994 to 2003 Ph.D. in political science (UMass Amherst)

Higher education marketer since 1980s

Writer of monthly “Your Higher Education Marketing Newsletter”

Owner… Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC

Partner w/Gerry McGovern at Customer Carewords

Chair of Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, 1994 to 2003

Ph.D. in political science (UMass Amherst)

In today’s presentation… Identifying website factors that are most important to visitors Comparing responses from “future” or prospective students with those from current students Where to focus website improvement efforts If you could only make one change…

Identifying website factors that are most important to visitors

Comparing responses from “future” or prospective students with those from current students

Where to focus website improvement efforts

If you could only make one change…

Customer Centric Index (CCI) survey… Asks website visitors to select from 13 website attributes to identify top 3 positive or negative experiences CCI = % of positive votes cast 4 audiences to survey: Current students Possible future students Faculty and staff Alumni

Asks website visitors to select from 13 website attributes to identify top 3 positive or negative experiences

CCI = % of positive votes cast

4 audiences to survey:

Current students

Possible future students

Faculty and staff

Alumni

13 survey factors in 3 groups… Information Architecture Content Social

Information Architecture

Content

Social

Copyright © Customer Carewords Ltd. Please choose the THREE factors from the list below that best describe your actual experience with the Enormous State University website. Give a score of 3 to the factor which best describes your experience, 2 to the next best description, and then 1. Please give only one score of 3, 2 and 1. Leave the rest blank.

Please choose the THREE factors from the list below that best describe your actual experience with the Enormous State University website.

Give a score of 3 to the factor which best describes your experience, 2 to the next best description, and then 1.

Please give only one score of 3, 2 and 1.

Leave the rest blank.

Investing improvement resources…

Typical voting spread…

Action priorities…

CCI at 12 schools… 10 in presentation Ball State University Bemidji State University DePaul University East Stroudsburg University Fordham University Lund University Tyler Junior College University of Manitoba University of Missouri University of Waterloo 2 not in presentation University of Hertfordshire University of Oslo On next CCI ratings page only

10 in presentation

Ball State University

Bemidji State University

DePaul University

East Stroudsburg University

Fordham University

Lund University

Tyler Junior College

University of Manitoba

University of Missouri

University of Waterloo

2 not in presentation

University of Hertfordshire

University of Oslo

On next CCI ratings page only

11 CCI Survey Results… % External Voters…………….. % Positive Votes 76% 91.6% 74% 79.6% 70% 86.1% 67% 89.3% 62% 51.0% 61% 27.7% 52% 4.8% 45% 10.2% 11% 57.0% 3% 57.6% 0% 54.0%

76% 91.6%

74% 79.6%

70% 86.1%

67% 89.3%

62% 51.0%

61% 27.7%

52% 4.8%

45% 10.2%

11% 57.0%

3% 57.6%

0% 54.0%

More often than not… External users were happier than internal users Future students were happier than current students Alumni were close to future students High concern overall with deficiencies in: Navigation Search

External users were happier than internal users

Future students were happier than current students

Alumni were close to future students

High concern overall with deficiencies in:

Navigation

Search

Audience specific results… Future Students

Future Students

Areas of interest by votes received… Information Architecture factors 4,490 votes = 49.3% of total Content factors 2,763 votes = 30.3% of total Social factors 1,856 votes = 20.3% of total

Information Architecture factors

4,490 votes = 49.3% of total

Content factors

2,763 votes = 30.3% of total

Social factors

1,856 votes = 20.3% of total

Audience specific results… Current Students

Current Students

Areas of interest by votes received… Information Architecture factors 5,391 votes = 54.4% of total Content factors 2,786 votes = 28.1% of total Social factors 1,739 votes = 17.5% of total

Information Architecture factors

5,391 votes = 54.4% of total

Content factors

2,786 votes = 28.1% of total

Social factors

1,739 votes = 17.5% of total

Key comparison areas… Current students vs. Future students

Top 5 factors by votes cast… Current students Layout (IA) Search (IA) Navigation (IA) Up-to-date (Content) Visual (IA) Future students Navigation (IA) Layout (IA) Visual (IA) Complete (Content) Accurate (Content)

Current students

Layout (IA)

Search (IA)

Navigation (IA)

Up-to-date (Content)

Visual (IA)

Future students

Navigation (IA)

Layout (IA)

Visual (IA)

Complete (Content)

Accurate (Content)

Highest difference between positive and negative votes… Current students Participation 82 to 15 Recommendations 57 to 0 Navigation 62 to 24 Complete 74 to 39 Future Visual 100 to 4 Layout 96 to 26 Contact 100 to 32 Navigation 83 to 24

Current students

Participation

82 to 15

Recommendations

57 to 0

Navigation

62 to 24

Complete

74 to 39

Future

Visual

100 to 4

Layout

96 to 26

Contact

100 to 32

Navigation

83 to 24

Least difference between positive and negative votes… Current students Accurate 100 to 74 ► Search 40 to 20 Language 100 to 75 Future students Language 100 to 79 Accurate 93 to 63 Open 100 to 76

Current students

Accurate

100 to 74

► Search

40 to 20

Language

100 to 75

Future students

Language

100 to 79

Accurate

93 to 63

Open

100 to 76

What do CCI results mean? Difficult for one website to meet internal and external users needs Argues for Internet and Intranet websites Intranet users need “nuts and bolts” website that focuses on frequent task completion Special attention to navigation & search… Help people to quickly find things Less focus on “beauty” & “cool” Increased audience research

Difficult for one website to meet internal and external users needs

Argues for Internet and Intranet websites

Intranet users need “nuts and bolts” website that focuses on frequent task completion

Special attention to navigation & search…

Help people to quickly find things

Less focus on “beauty” & “cool”

Increased audience research

If you can make only one change… Consider this… Search + Site Map

Combine search & site map… http://www.stedwards.edu/siteindex.htm

Key challenges for higher education websites… Acceptance of “intranet” and “internet” approach Easier access to most important content and completion of top tasks Greater use of web analytics Continued growth of “web content editor” positions… the website as on “online publication”

Acceptance of “intranet” and “internet” approach

Easier access to most important content and completion of top tasks

Greater use of web analytics

Continued growth of “web content editor” positions… the website as on “online publication”

Meeting the first challenge… http://www.devry.edu/

Thank You! Bob Johnson, Ph.D. President Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 248.766.6425 [email_address] http://twitter.com/HighEdMarketing Customer Carewords Research for Online Marketing Success: http://www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/customercarewords.html

Addendum Overall CCI data results

Total Results from 4 Audiences Current students Future students Faculty & Staff Alumni

Current students

Future students

Faculty & Staff

Alumni

Voters by audience category… Future students… 3,342 Alumni… 1,416 Current students… 3,594 Faculty & staff… 589 Total voters… 8,941 Total votes… 26,823

Future students… 3,342

Alumni… 1,416

Current students… 3,594

Faculty & staff… 589

Total voters… 8,941

Total votes… 26,823

Areas of interest by total votes… IA… 14,325 votes = 53.4% of total Visual Appeal (2,834) High: 87% Low: 57% Layout (3,354) High: 85% Low: 61% Speed (1,797) High: 84% Low: 49% Navigation (3,940) High: 62% Low: 35% ► Search (2,712) High: 55% Low: 24%

IA… 14,325 votes = 53.4% of total

Visual Appeal (2,834) High: 87% Low: 57%

Layout (3,354) High: 85% Low: 61%

Speed (1,797) High: 84% Low: 49%

Navigation (3,940) High: 62% Low: 35%

► Search (2,712) High: 55% Low: 24%

Areas of interest by votes… Content… 7,396 votes = 27.5% of total Language (1,263) High:100%Low: 79% Accurate (1,861) High: 100%Low: 63% Up-to-date (2,382) High: 86% Low: 41% Complete (1,890) High: 82% Low: 40%

Content… 7,396 votes = 27.5% of total

Language (1,263) High:100%Low: 79%

Accurate (1,861) High: 100%Low: 63%

Up-to-date (2,382) High: 86% Low: 41%

Complete (1,890) High: 82% Low: 40%

Areas of interest by votes… Social…. 4,709 votes = 17.5% of total Open (1,590) High: 90% Low: 60% Contact (1,871) High: 72% Low: 42% Participation (913) High: 73% Low: 33% Recommendations (486) High: 76% Low: 0%

Social…. 4,709 votes = 17.5% of total

Open (1,590) High: 90% Low: 60%

Contact (1,871) High: 72% Low: 42%

Participation (913) High: 73% Low: 33%

Recommendations (486) High: 76% Low: 0%

Audience specific results… Future Students

Future Students

Areas of interest by votes received… IA… 4,490 votes = 49.3% of total Visual Appeal (1,059) High: 93% Low: 4% Layout (1,194) High: 96% Low: 26% Speed (714) High: 87% Low: 41% Navigation (1,332) High: 83% Low: 24% Search (701) High: 92% Low: 50%

IA… 4,490 votes = 49.3% of total

Visual Appeal (1,059) High: 93% Low: 4%

Layout (1,194) High: 96% Low: 26%

Speed (714) High: 87% Low: 41%

Navigation (1,332) High: 83% Low: 24%

Search (701) High: 92% Low: 50%

Areas of interest by votes received… Content… 2,763 votes = 30.3% of total Language (424) High: 100%Low: 79% Accurate (810) High: 93% Low: 63% Up-to-date (677) High: 86% Low: 41% Complete (852) High: 82% Low: 40%

Content… 2,763 votes = 30.3% of total

Language (424) High: 100%Low: 79%

Accurate (810) High: 93% Low: 63%

Up-to-date (677) High: 86% Low: 41%

Complete (852) High: 82% Low: 40%

Areas of interest by votes received… Social…. 1,856 votes = 20.3% of total Open (739) High: 100%Low: 76% Contact (575) High: 100% Low:32% Participation (314) High: 100% Low:59% Recommendations (228)High: 100%Low:61%

Social…. 1,856 votes = 20.3% of total

Open (739) High: 100%Low: 76%

Contact (575) High: 100% Low:32%

Participation (314) High: 100% Low:59%

Recommendations (228)High: 100%Low:61%

Audience specific results… Current Students

Current Students

Areas of interest by votes received… IA… 5,391 votes = 54.4% of total Visual Appeal (866) High: 88% Low: 57% Layout (1,254) High: 88% Low: 58% Speed (812) High: 74% Low: 48% Navigation (1,054) High: 62% Low: 24% Search (1,405) High: 40% Low: 20%

IA… 5,391 votes = 54.4% of total

Visual Appeal (866) High: 88% Low: 57%

Layout (1,254) High: 88% Low: 58%

Speed (812) High: 74% Low: 48%

Navigation (1,054) High: 62% Low: 24%

Search (1,405) High: 40% Low: 20%

Areas of interest by votes received… Content… 2,786 votes = 28.1% of total Language (480) High: 100%Low: 75% Accurate (637) High: 100%Low: 74% Complete (651) High: 74% Low: 39% Up-to-date (1,018) High: 75% Low: 38%

Content… 2,786 votes = 28.1% of total

Language (480) High: 100%Low: 75%

Accurate (637) High: 100%Low: 74%

Complete (651) High: 74% Low: 39%

Up-to-date (1,018) High: 75% Low: 38%

Areas of interest by votes received… Social…. 1,739 votes = 17.5% of total Open (437) High: 90% Low: 50% Contact (824) High: 78% Low: 50% Participation (302) High: 82% Low: 15% Recommendations (176)High: 57% Low: 0%

Social…. 1,739 votes = 17.5% of total

Open (437) High: 90% Low: 50%

Contact (824) High: 78% Low: 50%

Participation (302) High: 82% Low: 15%

Recommendations (176)High: 57% Low: 0%