student customer journey
TRANSCRIPT
THE STUDENT CUSTOMER JOURNEY
➡ how and where students look for a university (program) ➡ critical factors influencing their decision ➡ trends in user behavior
The customer journey has grown more complex: the search process and the consulted information channels have multiplied
Crucial to understand in order to know where your efforts will have the biggest impact
Education is a highly-involved decision and one that requires many different touch points on the way.
COMPLEXITY IMPACT TOUCH POINTS
Background of the survey1
Search process2
Customer Journey: Zero Moment of Truth3
User Behavior & Trends4
Student Customer Journey5
Do-it-yourself test. Take action.6
Conclusion7
Background of the survey1WHY we did it? To understand how we can create value.
We want to share our insights on the new education decision journey.
For Universities: During talks with university representatives we noticed their interest in our findings. While many universities ask their own (current) students no comparison with other students is possible.
- the search process itself - channels and their power of
influence - information needs - trends in user behavior
What we researched
How we researched
- Qualitative interviews with 86 students
๏ Master students in the business field ๏ last year of a (business) bachelor program looking for a master ๏ or recently (last 12months) decided for a master
PROFILE: very ambitious, relevant work experience (2 or more internships), international, concerned with master decision
Who is NOT our target group: - bachelor or PhD students (show significantly different criteria in
their study choice) - students from other fields (no tech, natural sciences, etc.)
Who? TARGET GROUP
#1 stage BROWSE
50+ universities
#2 stage NARROW IT DOWN
15-25 programs
#3 stage DETAILED RESEARCH
10 programs
(pre-)decsion Apply to 5
Search process2
HIGHLY IMPORTANT
The search process is divided into 3 stages and the (pre-) decision. Stage #3 is the most important stage with high influence on the decision.
The next 2 slides illustrate the search process in greater detail - how students search and what needs they have in every stage.
Search Engines: „general keywords" (e.g. HR Master Spain) Study Guides & Fairs: get inspiration Rankings: form of credibility (mostly FT) Friends & family: experiences/suggestions Online Portals: browse options
#1 stage BROWSE
NEEDS Research options:what’s available & fits my general criteria?
50+ universities
University website: programs & application requirements
Social media presence (especially videos)
#2 stage NARROW IT DOWN
NEEDS Detailed information: 1. Application
requirements, program start, deadlines
2. Details on programs
Content. Teaching. Reputation. Preparation for Job. Internationality.15-25 programs
Search for social proof: search for university + program name Reviews, recommendations & rankings: - Blogs, Forums - Search Engines (long-tail
keywords) - Alumni - Campus Visits - Rankings/Accreditations
#3 stage DETAILED RESEARCH
NEEDS Compare & Consult:Do they keep what they promise?
10 programs
(pre-) decision Often:
accepted to multiple universities - process not finished!
Apply to 5
Why do students „ask the web“ (#3 stage) AFTER visiting your website?
not because you don’t provide the information they are looking for
but because they don’t entirely trust the information you provide
87% of students said they don’t trust the university’s website completely and seek verification from an external source. (2)
(2) Survey: The Student Customer Journey, Learning Places 2015(1) Nielson Global Trust in Advertising Survey, Q3 2011
96% of Students look for reviews about the university/the
program online (2)
To what extend do people trust the following form of advertising?
0
25
50
75
100
33%36%
58%70%
92%
Recommen-dations from
people I know
Consumer opinions posted online
Branded Websites
Social Media Ads
Online Banner
Ads
(1)
First Moment of Truth: Original Concept by Procter & Gamble, 2005 Zero Moment of Truth: Google, 2011
Illustration: http://www.hadeninteractive.com/the-zero-moment-of-truth/
Customer Journey: Zero Moment of Truth3
Search Watch Videos
Read Reviews Ask your
network
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/interviews/winning-the-zero-moment-of-truth-ratings-and-reviews-word-of-mot.htmlhttps://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/collections/zero-moment-truth.html(1)
(2) 2012 study conducted by Google and market analysts Compete
Survey: The Student Customer Journey, Learning Places 2015(3)
Google, Nielson: 2011(4)
KEY FACTS: Zero Moment of Truth
The Internet has changed how we decide what to buy
A new purchase-habit: Zero-Moment-of Truth = online decision-making moment (1)
9 in 10 enrolled students research universities online (2)
FMOT greatly displaced by ZMOT: students making decisions based on their initial online research
87% of students said they don’t trust the university’s website
completely and seek verification from an external
source. (3)
32% of students apply to six
schools or more. (3)
40% of education search queries:
on a mobile device. (4)
4x increased use of videos by education seekers to gather information about schools
(2011-2012) (2)
User Behavior & Trends4
Student Customer Journey: complexity increases. 93% of customers inform themselves online before purchasing a product/service. (1)
10.4 sources influence the purchase decision. (1)
92% trust recommendations from friends. 70% trust customer opinions posted online. (2)
87% of students said they don’t entirely trust the university’s website. (3)
(1) Ipsos, our mobile planet, May 2013 (2) Nielson Global Trust in Advertising Survey, Q3 2011 (3) Survey: The Student Customer Journey, Learning Places 2015
50% of youtube videos: watched on a mobile. (2)
50% of search queries: on a mobile. (2)
150 times/day: how often a persons look at mobile. (2)
Shift to MOBILE
The search process follows a certain pattern and depending on the stage different channels and different information are relevant to students decision
The right information. At the right time.
The role of Search Engines: at the beginning & the end of the search
FT Ranking(s): Are you ranked? NOT: which rank!
#1 stage general search terms like
„Human Resource Master UK“, „Entrepreneurship MBA part-time“
(field/discipline in combination with a specific set of requirements) or questions as a whole
„reviews + [university name] + [program name]“ „recommendations + [university name] + [program name]“
„how is it like to study at [university name]“ „what jobs can I get after studying [program name]“ „should I choose [university X] or [university Y]
#3 stage specific (so called long-tail keywords)
100% of students knew the ranking(s)
34% said it played a role in their decision —> if university was listed (not rank itself) —> „It shows some sign of credibility“ „Future employers might have a look at it“
Which stage of search? European Business Schools: at beginning to identify popular universities (lack: no information on a specific program) Finance & Management Ranking: in later stage again
82% didn’t know the underlying criteria
Survey: The Student Customer Journey, Learning Places 2015
The right information. At the right time.
Accreditations
However, the majority of students did not remember the individual names, could not differ between them or knew the underlying methodology.
Online Portals: #1 STAGE
Students are hardly aware of the name of these portals - find them while using search engines. The main usage is the „database function“: get an overview and filter.
None of the students used them in further process - no added value in terms of content; mainly „copy & paste“ from the university’s website. Usability weaknesses: user experience, design and navigation rated low.
32% of students know the concept of accreditations (AACSB, EQUIS and/or AMBA)
46% of students come across online portals
Contact with universities: low before application
Search Process: Stage #2 & Stage #3 The majority only contacts a university if questions arise that cannot be answered with help of the university website/the internet. Main reasons for not reaching out to universities: - afraid it sheds a bad light on them in the further application process if they ask something that they could have found out
themselves - feel as if they would bother university - prefer to stay anonymous
17% of students seek contact before applying
Survey: The Student Customer Journey, Learning Places 2015
Information relevant for decisionList of the most important student questions
ContentSyllabus: what will I learn? Can I choose electives?
How does it relate to my future jobs?
TeachingWho is going to teach me? Will it be interactive?
What background do my profs have? What will the interaction in class be like? How many students will be in my class?
How do I get assessed? Are there connections to companies, case studies other
practical projects?
Job ProspectsWhat are my career prospects afterwards?
Which companies are recruiting? Is there a career center - which services are offered?
Can I write my thesis for a company? Which career paths are other alumni pursuing now?
How strong is the alumni network? How is the program perceived by future employers?
InternationalityHow many internationals will be in my class?
How is the mixture of nationalities? (From which countries, how many different ones?) Is there the opportunity to go abroad?
Does the university have partner universities? Are double degrees offered?
Interestingly, student life (associations, extracurricular activities, student city, ..) and university infrastructure (learning areas, library resources, classrooms, ..) were considered but not relevant for choosing one university over the other.
Student Customer Journey5= take a walk in your prospects’ shoes to identify & improve gaps in performance
Touchpoint Web search (search engines)
University/Program Website Rankings Attended Fairs Online Portals
Recommendations from
friends & family
Online Comments
(Reviews, Blogs, Forums)
Interaction with admission
Experience
Found out about program over study guide. Specifically
searched for university.
Difficult to find the price.
Application procedure not clear. Great
pictures.
Looked at FT ranking.
University was listed - can’t
remember rank.
First contact with university at
„Master & More“ exhibition
Used at the beginning
Did not know anyone who studied there
Searching for reviews - would
have been important; no quality ones
found
Called - friendly & informative, E-Mail: took 3 days
to answer
Importance for decision 1 5 3 4 2 4 3 4
1 2 3Understand your personas The audience you are most likely to attract and convert.
Identify university-student touchpoints: Use this report as a starting point. include specific points, e.g. your social media channels. How do students hear about your school, research it, engage online and contact you? (We recommend qualitative interviews.)
Feedback on interaction and information sources: What resources have they accessed? Which points were critical for decision & at which stage of the search process?
Do-it-yourself test. Take action.6Feedback about the customer journey: Ask a few students about their touch-points. (You can include: who was looking for reviews or would have liked them.)
Ask students that you admitted but didn’t enroll. (Be aware who in your team/externally completes the task.)
How many clicks does someone need on your website to find ๏ application requirements & deadlines (best case: on one page/closely linked) ๏ the program descriptions?
Have you covered the essentials about your programs: content, teaching, preparation for job, internationality? (see slide: info relevant to decision)
If you want to connect with your students: How inviting is it? Do you mention the name, picture, office hours of contact person?
Do you know your online reputation if you google your school/ the individual programs and what is said about you on forums, social media?
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
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Conclusion7
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The power of reviews & recommendations. Digital social proof & electronic word-of-mouth. Your online reputation crucially impacts the assumed value. The Zero-Moment of Truth makes it more difficult to reach your audience before they decide. ➡ NEED: Trustworthy information that’s relevant for students’ decision.
Quick, gamified & simple - the most important info: Search for suitable programs needs to be more fun. An increasing shift to mobile. New way of scanning through options quickly. ➡ NEED: Instead of having all information - having the most relevant information. On a
mobile. Tools that are in line with changing customer behavior.
Wish to interact with current or other future students. Especially figuring out who in my network has been at this university or knows someone from there.
"The key is to engage potential students in the right mindsets, on the right channels, and to enable them to experience all the great things your school has to offer.“
Feel free to contact us for further questions!
Verena Maria Mai, MSc [email protected]
+43 650 3663529
Christoph Trost, BA [email protected]
+43 664 9142613
www.learningplaces.net
google: Winning the ZMOT (Zero Moment of Truth):https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/interviews/winning-the-zero-moment-of-truth-ratings-and-reviews-word-of-mot.html
Additional Resources
Gartner (2015): Digital Education Movement: Tap into the extended education ecosystem to improve the student college selection process
Gartner (2014): Digital Education Moment: The Enrollment Opportunity
Gartner (2013): The Coming of Age for CRM in Higher Education
google analytics - but be aware of your metrix (long page visits may also be a sign that your visitors are lost)interesting combination with google Attribution Modeling Tool
google: The customer journey to online purchase in jobs & educationhttps://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/tools/customer-journey-to-online-purchase.html
tracking of mouse-movements of your visitors: http://www.crazyegg.com