Lessons Learned from Rollins College
Starting a Mobile Web Presence
Nick Georgoudiou | Director of Web Strategy
Nick Friend | Director of Marketing, Emerging Media
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AGENDABACKGROUND DEVELOPMENT METRICS NEXT STEPS
BACKGROUND
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• Located in Winter Park, FL (Orlando Area)
• 3,000 students (1,700 undergrad)
• #1 Master’s Level University in the South
• Over half of student body is from outside FL
About Rollins College
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Why Mobile?
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Source: Comscore, available at http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0K6G6SGyAmQ/TZF1snnoiDI/AAAAAAAAWFs/XGGHWBmLFu8/s1600/mobile.png
Why Mobile?
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Source: Comscore, available at http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aXNtcWxcotA/Tf9refWg-qI/AAAAAAAAXMQ/Ch4G6f1h9S8/s1600/Smartphone-Demographics_April-2011.jpg
Age 13-34
Age 35-54
Age 55+
The Status Quo: Rollins.edu
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Academic Information
(54%)
Cost-Related Information
(30%)
Admissions Information
(10%)
Student Life(4%)
Prospective Students: What do they want to know?
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Source: Noel-Levitz Survey, “E-Expectations 2010 Focusing Your E-Recruitment Efforts to Meet the Expectations of College-Bound Students”
Prospective Students: What do they want to do?
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Source: Noel-Levitz Survey, “E-Expectations 2010 Focusing Your E-Recruitment Efforts to Meet the Expectations of College-Bound Students”
COST OF ATTENDANCE
COURSE CATALOGUE
•67% want a course catalogue
•68% want a cost calculator
•77% Want a campus visit request form
•91% want an online application
VISIT ROLLINS
APPLY NOW
So what are our options?
Native App Vs.
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Native App Mobile Website
App vs Web SiteDECISION CRITERIA Native App Mobile Website
Development Time - -Development Cost - +Ease of Use for Prospects - +Ease of Use for Current Students
+ +
Level of Vendor Support Needed
- +
Depth of Offering + -Works on all mobile devices?
- +
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Source: April 20, 2011, “The Interactive Brand Ecosystem” Forrester report.
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DEVELOPMENT
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Development
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Step
1Step
2
Ask the Right Questions
Step3
• What will the site feature?
• How will we select content?
• Who are we focusing on?
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Who are we doing this for?
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Prospective Students Current Students
-or-
Separating Sites
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Pro
spect
ive S
tud
en
ts
Cu
rren
t S
tud
en
ts
Development
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Step
2Step
3
Look for Solutions
• What will the site feature?
• How will we select content?
• Who are we focusing on?
Ask the Right Questions
Step
1
• Build through our own CMS?
• Use an agency?
• Use a web-based vendor?
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BACKGROUND | DEVELOPMENT | METRICS | NEXT STEPS
Vendor Solution
Development
BACKGROUND | DEVELOPMENT | METRICS | NEXT STEPS
Step
2Step
3
Look for Solutions
• What will the site feature?
• How will we select content?
• Who are we focusing on?
Ask the Right Questions
Step
1
• Build through our own CMS?
• Use an agency?
• Use a web-based vendor?
Build the site
• Put ourselves in customer’s shoes
• Used research the validate our choices
• Gave prospects what they needed
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Site Implementation
Marketing / Web Strategy
ADMISSIONS UNDERGRAD GRADUATE
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Building the Site
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Best Practices
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Getting Approval
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Potential Barriers•Low understanding of the importance of
mobile technologies
•Not everyone may be receptive
•Fear of loss of control of content/process
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MEASURING SUCCESS
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Measuring SuccessCurrently looking at three performance factors*:
•Time spent per visit
•Number of pages visited
•Bounce rate
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* A significant amount of traffic (>50%) continues to visit the existing site via a mobile device.
Measuring Success
Prospective student site results:
•Time spent per visit down 51%
•Number of pages visited down 8%
•Bounce rate up 1%
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Measuring Success
Current student site results:
•Time spent per visit down 26%
•Number of pages visited up 32%
•Bounce rate down 30%
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WHAT’S NEXT?
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Issues/Opportunities•Straighten out event feeds
•Create additional forms
•Reassess content on prospective student site
•Additional success factors (% new visits, types of devices used, etc)
•Dedicated mobile landing pages with or without QR codes
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Confidential and Proprietary - © Rollins College
BACKGROUND | DEVELOPMENT | METRICS | NEXT STEPS
Confidential and Proprietary - © Rollins College
Academic Information
(54%)
Cost-Related Information
(30%)
Admissions Information
(10%)
Student Life(4%)
Prospective Students: What do they want to know?
Source: Noel-Levitz Survey, “E-Expectations 2010 Focusing Your E-Recruitment Efforts to Meet the Expectations of College-Bound Students”
BACKGROUND | DEVELOPMENT | METRICS | NEXT STEPS
Questions??Nick FriendDirector of Marketing, Emerging [email protected]
Nick GeorgoudiouDirector of Web [email protected]