4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International

Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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1. Define your commitment 2. Exclusive international student landing page 3. Connect visitors with other international students4. Mesure and tweak

Overview

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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The first step to effective international recruitment is making a strong institutional commitment and engagement, and setting realistic goals.

The University of Alberta identified internationalization as a key priority in 2006, articulating a goal of increasing enrollment to 15% of their undergraduate student body by 2015, as part of their comprehensive strategy.

They established an International Office, with a director, assistant director and six recruiters.

Creating a focus group of current international students and alumni is an excellent resource to determine what works and what doesn't on your present website.

1. Define your commitment

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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The University of Alberta answers many questions an international student might have regarding life in Canada, with content-rich cultural and university-specific information.

There is an virtual tour in English and Mandarin, and selecting your home country on a world map allows you to access particular translated material.

A downloadable brochure makes it easy to convey information to the all-important decision-making parents.

Also keep in mind video alternatives to YouTube, as the video sharing giant isn't accessible in China.

1. Example – University of Alberta

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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Focus on promoting your most highly rated programs, emphasizing positive world rankings, and adjusting your messages to be easily understandable to students who have grown up with different education systems and are unfamiliar with local geography and culture.

1. Example – University of Alberta

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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Students usually come to a website seeking specific information, establishing a landing page for a targeted audience, limiting content to essentials, ensures that future international students can easily find what they're looking for in a quick five second scan.

Critical elements can include: A search feature for available undergraduate and graduate

programs Admissions criteria Upcoming international recruitment visits Financial and visa requirements Clear calls to action buttons

2. Exclusive international student landing page

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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Fredericton, New Brunswick's St. Thomas University offers an engaging international recruitment microsite with useful information, such as English-language and country-specific admission requirements.

Helpful admissions information may include reporting methods, score requirements, deadlines, mailing addresses, recommendation-letter guidelines and application fee payment methods

2. Example: St-Thomas University

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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Profiles of past and current international students effectively showcases the various countries represented at your university.

Identify international alumni who can act as counselors for prospective students in their home country and current student leaders willing to serve as resources in a "Contact a Current Student" website feature.

3. Connect visitors with other international students

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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Providing connections for an online peer-to-peer mentorship service will be invaluable to new recruits.

Blogs and testimonials, enhanced by pictures and videos, are a great way of making the cultural transition easier.

3. Connect visitors with other international students

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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Durham College features colorful blogs from current international students under topics such as "How to dress for winter" and "What it's like to study in Canada

3. Example – Durham College

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

Slide 14Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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Fanshawe College provides large translate buttons with easy-to-read testimonials from various countries.

3. Example – Fanshawe College

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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4. Measure and tweak

A successful international website is an ongoing process of experimenting, measuring and adjusting.

By beginning with clear, measurable goals and applying Google Analytics to determine how successful your key performance indicators (KPI's) are implemented, you canù;

cost-effectively optimize your website for international student recruitment.

Source: Higher Education Marketing – 4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

4 Steps To Designing Your Website For International Student Recruitment

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Questions?1.514.312.3968 info@higher-education-marketing.com

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