Top Task Content & Design: Strategy & Tactics for Website Marketing Success
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Marketing success depends in great part on the experience potential students have on their first visit to a college or university website. A poor experience leads to lower brand reputation and respect. A "top tasks" focus for content and design will help ensure a successful experience by making it easier for visitors to find and complete the tasks that are most important to them. For almost all visitors, 3 to 5 tasks will stand out as most important. Smart marketers will make sure that these tasks have content and design priority. Our 2017 workshop includes 22 examples in four areas: home pages, student recruitment, alumni & advancement, and academic services.
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Top Task Content & Design: Strategy & Tactics for Website Marketing Success
- 1. Top Task Content & Design: Strategy & Tactics for Website Marketing SuccessĀ©Robert E.Johnson, Ph.D. 2016 BOB JOHNSON, PH.D. EDUWEB DIGITAL SUMMIT BOSTON, MA: AUGUST 7-9, 2017 BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 1
- 2. Who is Bob Johnson? Higher education marketing since the 1980s. Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC since 2006ā¦ 87 clients. Gerry McGovern partner at Customer Carewords, Ltd. āYour Higher Education Marketing Newsletterā monthly to 3,600 subscribers + āLink of the Weekā websites. Chair of AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, 1994-2003. Twitter: @highedmarketing LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/8478858 BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 2
- 3. Top Task research is growingā¦ 400+ Surveys. 150,000 Voters. 34 Languages. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 3
- 5. What will we do today? 1. Open with a Top Tasks exercise. 2. Why a āTop Tasksā marketing strategy? 3. Explore the āTop Tasksā research path. 4. Review 22 higher education website examples. 5. Start āCCIā web visitor research. 6. Wrap up: 6 key points. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 5
- 6. To open our morningā¦ 1. Letās exercise. Today we areā¦ Possible future students visiting our website for the first time BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 6
- 7. Steps for list building exercise: stakeholders 1. You have a 3 x 5 card. 2. Think of yourself as a student in search of a college. 3. List 3 to 5 top tasks you think future students want to complete on your website. 4. Rank these tasks in order of importance. 5. Each person: Report your top task & then others. 6. Weāll compare top tasks reported. 7. What rank did others give these tasks? BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 7
- 8. Top future student tasks includeā¦ āTraditionalā undergrad studentsā¦ ā¦ Academic programs ā¦ Costs & financial aid āAdultā students add theseā¦ ā¦ Time to complete a program ā¦ Flexible scheduling BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 8
- 9. 20 āadultā tiny tasks includeā¦ Social media connections Info about alumni, presidents, and deans School news Profiles and connections to current students BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 9
- 10. Tiny task peril #1ā¦ From an emerging āTop Tasks Manualā You may make it easier to find in the navigation adding more links about this task. ā¦ That distracts from the links for the top tasks. ā¦ It creates clutter. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 10
- 11. Tiny task peril #2ā¦ You may make it more findable through search. ā¦ Optimizing tiny tasks in search nearly always has a negative impact on top task findability through search. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 11
- 12. Tiny task peril #3ā¦ You may create more content for it. ā¦ Thatās more stuff for your customers to wade through as they try and complete their top tasks. ā¦ A great many web teams spend their time creating new content for tiny tasks, instead of continuously improving top task content. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 12
- 13. 2. Why a ātop tasksā strategy? BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 13
- 14. Letās start hereā¦ āBrand is Experience in the Digital Ageā Nielsen Norman Group, July 2016 https://www.nngroup.com/articles/brand-experience-ux/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 14
- 15. And hereā¦ āThe first requirementā¦ is to meet the exact needs of the customer, without fuss or bother.ā Don Norman & Jakob Nielsen BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 15
- 16. Most important marketing question for your websiteā¦ How easily can people do what they want to do at your website? BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 16
- 17. Most common website problem for every audienceā¦ Menus and linksā¦ people canāt find the path to task completion. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 17
- 18. Content & design marketing goalā¦ Simpler. Clearer. Faster. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 18
- 19. More effective content strategyā¦ Identify top tasks for each audience. Create content for task completion. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 19
- 20. Success! People talk about how simple & clear & fast your website is for task completion. And they return! BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 20
- 21. 2013 Design Museum Award Winnerā¦ http://www.wired.co.uk/article/design-of-the-year BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 21
- 22. Task priority home pageā¦ http://www.bellarmine.edu/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 22
- 23. āTop Taskā benefitsā¦ IMPROVED VISITOR EXPERIENCES. STRONGER BRAND REPUTATION & RESPECT. HIGHER STUDENT RECRUITMENT CONVERSIONS. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 23
- 24. Keep. It. Simple. What do people want from your website? Fast task completion. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 24
- 25. The Golden Ruleā¦ <5 seconds to connect as a page opens. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 25
- 26. Most important design goalā¦ Quick identification of the path to top tasks. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 26
- 27. Attention to Jakob Nielsenā¦ http://www.nngroup.com/articles/university-sites/ TOP 10 DESIGN GUIDELINESā¦ MY FAVORITESā¦ #5 ā¦ āMake it easy to view a list of majors and programs.ā #8 ā¦ āFollow the user journey: check the main tasks for each of your audiences.ā #9 ā¦ āBeware the perils of making your website ācool.āā BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 27
- 28. CCI survey is a first stepā¦ http://www.customercentricindex.com/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 28
- 29. 3. Top Task Research Pathā¦ 3 TO 5 TASKS ALWAYS DOMINATE FROM LISTS OF 60 TO 100 POSSIBILITIES. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 29
- 30. Guide to the researchā¦ http://www.customercarewords.com/top-tasks-identification-and- measurement-overview/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 30
- 31. Top Task ID pathā¦ processā¦ Create a Long List, 300 ā 400. Reduce to 60 to 100 tasks. Share with key stakeholders. Survey. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 31
- 32. 5 key steps at the startā¦ 1. Cast a wide net for input among stake holders so that nobody important to web content decisions is left out. 2. First list can be as many as 300 to 400 possible tasks for the survey. (You will have many duplicates.) 3. Small group of 5 to 10 people to select deletions. (First 50% is usually easy.) 4. Your goal: Agree on 60 to 100 tasks for survey. 5. Share final survey list with key stakeholders. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 32
- 33. First steps to build the long listā¦ 1. Review your website for current tasks. 2. Ask your stakeholders to contribute. 3. Review 3 to 5 competitor websites. 4. Review search terms used on key website pages. 5. Track questions received from an audience for past 3 months. (Email, phone, in-person.) BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 33
- 34. Pick āTop Fiveā tasksā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 34
- 35. Expect results like thisā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 35
- 36. Option: do a āteamā surveyā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 36
- 37. 4. Reviewing 22 higher education examplesā¦ TASK-ORIENTED EXAMPLES FROM THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 37
- 38. Home pagesā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 38
- 39. Top tasks meet ācoolā designā¦ http://www.bellarmine.edu/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 39
- 40. Words first on mobileā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 40
- 41. Carousel co-existenceā¦ https://www.vu.edu.au/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 41
- 42. Words first on mobileā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 42
- 43. Brand message is possibleā¦ https://www.unisa.edu.au/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 43
- 44. Words first on mobileā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 44
- 45. 27 tasks in 6 groupsā¦ https://www.coloradocollege.edu/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 45
- 46. Fumbling about on mobileā¦ āSHOW NAVIGATIONā āHIDE NAVIGATIONā BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 46
- 47. Finding top tasks via āsearchāā¦ http://www.xavier.edu/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC ... @HIGHEDMARKETING 47
- 48. Student recruitmentā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 48
- 49. Tasks change in the admissions cycleā¦ http://www.esu.edu/admissions BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 49
- 50. Rapid 7-step cost estimatorā¦ http://www.wellesley.edu/admission/affordable/myintuition BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC ... @HIGHEDMARKETING 50
- 51. Fast scholarship qualificationā¦ http://scholarships.eku.edu/estimator BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 51
- 52. Online transfer credit informationā¦ https://www.franklin.edu/transfer-credit-college-course-equivalency-tool BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC ... @HIGHEDMARKETING 52
- 53. Alumni careers by academic majorā¦ http://www.colgate.edu/distinctly-colgate/success-after-colgate BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 53
- 54. Professional schools keep it simpleā¦ http://bit.ly/1aDruV9 BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 54
- 55. Advancement & alumniā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 55
- 56. Alumni networking taskā¦ http://apps.carleton.edu/alumni/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 56
- 57. Easy to scan key campaign numbersā¦ http://www.giveto.pitt.edu/campaign/data BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 57
- 58. Annual fund giving optionsā¦ https://www.bu.edu/campaign/ways-of-giving/annual-fund/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 58
- 59. Top tasks for alumni accountsā¦ http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/lefa/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 59
- 60. Academic programs & Servicesā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 60
- 61. Top tasks for study abroadā¦ http://studyabroad.arcadia.edu/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 61
- 62. 6 important library tasksā¦ http://www.stritch.edu/library/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 62
- 63. International student top tasksā¦ http://www.uio.no/english/student-life/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 63
- 64. Quick facts with unusual clarityā¦ https://www.transy.edu/about/facts.htm BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 64
- 65. Important faculty detailsā¦ http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/enam/faculty BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 65
- 66. Faculty and staff everyday workā¦ https://www.cornellcollege.edu/faculty-staff/index.shtml BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 66
- 67. Institutional researchā¦ http://www.ir.colostate.edu/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 67
- 68. 5. CCI: Starting your researchā¦ WWW.CUSTOMERCENTRICINDEX.COM BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 68
- 69. Creating a surveyā¦ https://www.customercentricindex.com/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 69
- 70. Opening viewā¦ Upper right, you will always be able to view past surveys completed. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 70
- 71. Questions you canāt changeā¦ ā¢ Same for each audience. ā¢ āThree factorsā selection is most important. ā¢ Quick, gut reaction. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 71
- 72. 13 Positive, 13 Negativeā¦ ā¢ Appearance order varies with each person. ā¢ Takes just a few seconds to scan & select. ā¢ āDonāt make me thinkā! BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 72
- 73. If you use theseā¦ ā¢ Country ā¢ Age ā¢ Device most often used ā¢ Keep the survey as short as possible. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 73
- 74. Important sectionā¦ ā¢ āIf you could change one thing about our website, what would you change and why?ā BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 74
- 75. Different groups in same surveyā¦ ā¢ Faculty & staff ā¢ Current student ā¢ Future student ā¢ Alumni BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 75
- 76. Survey settings to selectā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 76
- 77. Link you will send to survey takersā¦ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 77
- 78. 6. Wrapping upā¦ 6 KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 78
- 79. 6 Top Task steps to rememberā¦ For any audience, 3 to 5 tasks stand out as most important. People should see top tasks immediately (5 seconds or less) as a web page opens. Priority to task words is especially important in a mobile view. For recruitment, ask admissions people what questions future students most often ask. Beware of ācoolā features that do not contribute to task completion. Reduce content bloat as much as possible. BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 79
- 80. Case studies to reviewā¦ HTTP://BIT.LY/2A2NU7H HTTP://BIT.LY/2AAPSL7 BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 80
- 81. Join the LinkedIn Top Tasks Groupā¦ ā¢ āTop Tasks: Higher Education Website Contentā ā¢ https://www.link edin.com/groups /8478858 BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 81
- 82. Paul Boagā¦ https://boagworld.com/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 82
- 83. Gerry McGovernā¦ http://gerrymcgovern.com/new-thinking/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 83
- 84. Tom Fishburneā¦ https://marketoonist.com/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 84
- 85. Bob Johnsonā¦ http://bobjohnsonconsulting.com/category/link-of-the-week/ BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC 85
- 86. Thanks for being here in Boston! BOB JOHNSON, PH.D. BOB@BOBJOHNSONCONSULTING.COM WWW.BOBJOHNSONCONSULTING.COM @HIGHEDMARKETING BOB JOHNSON CONSULTING, LLC ... @HIGHEDMARKETING 86