How to Redesign Your Website Without Rebuilding It 

Tag: Articles

  • How to Redesign Your Website Without Rebuilding It 

    How to Redesign Your Website Without Rebuilding It 

    “We need a new website. How quickly can you get one launched?”

    If that question made you flinch or experience an anxiety-laden flashback, you’re not alone. Urgent requests like this often come without planned budget allocation, inducing stress and chaos. It’s something nearly every web team has faced or will tackle in the future.

    As someone with 15 years of experience in higher education and marketing strategy, I can offer you some good news: Refreshing your site design and visitor experience doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. With a data-driven content strategy, you can create a new look and a low-stress, long-term design strategy without spreading your team and budget too thin.

    A Proven Process for a Customized Plan

    The heart of our approach is helping you build a strategic plan to determine whether you need a new website or if a refresh can address your needs and goals. While these key steps can work for every organization, we’ve refined them specifically for higher education and healthcare clients:

    • Website audit: Are your pages answering the questions users ask? How many clicks does it take from the homepage or search to find the answers? What devices are they using? What are they seeing on competitor websites?
    • Technical evaluation: How healthy is your site behind the scenes? Can its infrastructure handle a front-end design refresh? Are your page templates flexible enough to adapt to strategic requirements?
    • Stakeholder input: Beyond the leadership team, who are your key stakeholders? What do your content superusers think of their website tools? Does the IT team have concerns or ideas?
    • Governance: Who really owns your website? Which content has the highest priority? Is there a structure in place for making strategic decisions? How do you communicate site needs and opportunities with stakeholders?
    Info graphic saying: How much does it cost?
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    All this data-gathering and analysis goes into a final report that details your customized path forward to an affordable website refresh. Another valuable outcome is a phased approach for “quick hits” that show immediate results followed by iterative enhancements over the longer term.

    A Closer Look: Before and After Examples

    Let’s look at two of our recent website redesign projects to illustrate the effectiveness of our approach. You’ll see ideas that your organization can implement on your own or with a little help from Stamats.

    University of Southern Maine

    The USM website needed a new look quickly—and it needed to be budget-friendly.

    Phase 1: Homepage

    • Make top navigation and mega-menu more actionable
    • More focus on the needs of prospective students, including program options, campus locations, and fun engagement opportunities
    • Scale back use of secondary brand colors to bring back USM’s primary color palette

    Phase 2: Program Pages

    • Re-energize priority program pages with scannable, relevant, and engaging content
    • Use new templates to boost key program features and outcomes for better search rankings
    • Infuse a new color palette

    The Results: An immediate boost in visitor engagement. Overall, the new homepage and program pages had a 6% increase in average session duration compared to the prior year. Some program pages showed this engagement increased by more than a minute!

    Coming Soon: For phase 3, the USM team will update the next batch of program pages, migrate key content pages like admissions and financial aid to the new templates, and continue to rollout the brand color refresh to the remaining web components.

    Related Reading: De-clutter Your Digital Junk Drawer: How to Prep Your Content for Redesign

    Dominican University

    The web team overseeing the Dominican University website knew they needed a new look, but they weren’t sure if they needed a new website.

    Phase 1: Put the Data to Work

    Use site analytics to guide decisions, especially for streamlining the heavy main navigation and dropdown menus
    Align content strategy and template design to answer questions for prospective students at each point on their user journey
    Provide clear next steps for prospective students

    Phase 2: Flexible Templates

    • Create scannable, immersive, and flexible content templates for programs and key content pages
    • Deconstruct large text blocks into action-centric content blocks
    • Provide clear next steps for prospective students

    The Results: A significant uptick for visitor engagement across numerous key metrics:

    • 20 second increase in average session duration
    • 35% increase in key event rate
    • 9% increase in organic click-through rate
    • 6% jump in average search position

    Coming Soon: Phase 3 for Dominican will include a campus-wide events calendar, a faculty and staff directory, site search enhancements, and content optimizations for SEO.

    Related reading: How to Maximize Website Traffic with a Content Audit—and What to Do Next

    Redesigning a website without rebuilding it is not only possible but can be highly effective with the right strategy. By following a proven process, gathering stakeholder input, and prioritizing improvements in phases, you can have an immediate impact on your website’s user experience and achieve organizational goals without extensive costs or resources.

    Ready to talk about refreshing your website design and user experience?

    Email me today.
  • Using AI & Analytics

    Using AI & Analytics

    All AI platforms have limits on the types of files they will accept and/or the amount of data allowed in those files. However, the biggest issue is determining how to phrase the question. 

    You need to know what you want before you begin. There must be a specific task to perform, and the uploaded data must closely align with the request. 

    Owens Community College Test

    I wanted to learn the average lag time between a user’s first session on the Owens Community College website and the session when they complete the application form. My original upload included the standard columns found in any GA4 page report, but the AI became confused and was ‘broken,’ unable to complete the task. I edited the data down to just the date of first visit, the application date, and the count of users, and Gemini was able to handle it.

    What I Learned

    My experience with ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity: you cannot upload a large spreadsheet containing multiple columns of unrelated data.

    If your question relates to users and conversions, avoid including columns for total pageviews and time on site. The AI processes everything in the spreadsheet simultaneously and then attempts to understand it before parsing the data to answer your question. This behavior may change over time, but this is the current situation.

    The prompt I used was not excessively long, but until I specified what each column reported and the data format in the column, the AI only returned error messages:

    • Neither free ChatGPT nor paid Gemini would accept CSV files, despite my paid Gemini account indicating that it does.
    • Gemini accepts PDF but not the type of PDF that Excel saves, while direct export to PDF from GA4 works in Gemini.
    • Perplexity accepted the CSV file, but its data conclusions were not quite the same as those from Gemini.

    While the results are similar, which conclusion should be trusted? In general, both ChatGPT and Gemini agree that half of application conversions occur in 25 days or less. However, the GPT response further segments the timeframe to “7-21 days,” providing a clearer picture for near-term marketing planning. On the other hand, Gemini seems to look at all the data, attempting to assess the “most average” behavior.

    The prompts used were identical for both Gemini and ChatGPT, and I applied the exact same data upload file; therefore, the differences stem from the AI platforms themselves. I was able to ask follow-up questions on both platforms to achieve much closer agreement on the results.

    My Conclusion

    I’ve determined that a user of an AI platform must understand how to communicate with it. Numerous large language model AI platforms exist, and just as there are differences in speech patterns between Brooklyn and Memphis, each AI speaks its own dialect. It’s not about one being smarter than another; it’s simply different.

    Related reading: Want to Get Found in AI Search?

    Want More Information?

    Stamats is a Google Premier Partner with access to exclusive education, valuable insights, and dedicated support. We’d love to help you with your AI questions.

    EMail US
  • Want to Get Found in AI Search? Start With Really Good SEO.

    Want to Get Found in AI Search? Start With Really Good SEO.

    AI searches your content like a database. The way your site is structured to present content (through SEO, file structure, and tagging) already influences your findability. Building and maintaining a strong foundation will become increasingly important as all search tools become more precise and intuitive.

    AI has been working behind the scenes of search for years, and now users get to guide that technology firsthand using AI search tools. While ChatGPT gets 14 billion prompts daily, just 37.5 million are search-related, according to SparkToro, and 70% of prompts are actions such as generating text drafts or writing code.

    Compare that to Google’s 17 billion searches a day—and its 21% growth in search volume from 2023-24—and it’s safe to say that SEO-rich content strategy is more important now than ever.

    Here are some SEO best practices and action steps to help more people find your content and convert with your brand, no matter where they search.

    1. Answer Specific, Detailed Questions

    Fact: Research shows that more detailed and specific prompts generate better AI results. Large language models such as ChatGPT and Gemini are built to process complex prompts, and the AI Mode built into Google search is starting to deliver on more complicated queries.

    Simple Prompt

    Complex Prompt

    Complex Prompt Results

    What you can do: Optimize your content to thoroughly answer specific questions in your unique brand voice:

    • Use tools like your LookerStudio Organic Search Query dashboard or a similar tool to understand what search phrases and queries people are using.
    • Run a gap analysis on your content to find out what you need to add or update. You can ask AI to compare your content with competitors as a starting point.
    • Develop content to fill the gaps and expand on specific questions associated with the topic: streamlined overview pages that clearly direct users to their next steps, supported by niche content that dives deep on associated questions.

    Get really good at writing your own AI prompts. Run yourself through drills of what a novice user, intermediate user, or advanced user might instruct the AI tool or search platform to do. Then derive questions from each output to answer within your content.

    SEO expert Andy Crestodina recommends including low-volume and niche search phrases in your stories. Answering those questions naturally includes phrasing that fulfills general, higher-volume, and more competitive search queries.

    Blogs, videos, FAQ sections, and podcasts are perfect for answering questions. Distribute these stories on social media, email, and text, and make sure each story includes an appropriate next step that matches the user’s search.

    Listen: Why Do Blogs Outperform Regular Pages?

    2. Build Clear Conversion Pathways

    Fact: Decades of user testing show that when searchers get frustrated or can’t find what they need, they bounce. Similarly, Google and AI tools are designed to deliver on the searcher’s intended purpose. The job of your content is to quickly answer questions and help people convert. If it doesn’t, your content is less likely to show up in search results.

    What you can do: Run a content audit to gauge how easily users can accomplish their goals. Then optimize your pages to reorder content, add practical calls-to-action, and add links to related content in areas where next steps are unclear.

    Example: Stamats audits content for institutions across the U.S., and those that make intentional updates typically see an increase in conversions. Structuring pages that are scannable and that answer users’ questions gave Oakland Community College a content performance boost:   

    3. Implement Solid Schema Markup & Structure

    Fact: Schema markup is a system of HTML tags on your website that helps search engines find, understand, and surface your content. As BlueHost explains, these tags tell search engines and AI tools what type of content you have (blog stories, service pages, etc.) and what your content is about (your services and the knowledge you have to share).

    What you can do: Work with a professional services team to implement schema markup across your site, set benchmarks, and track results. There are different types of markup for different types of content, and classifying the appropriate markup will help streamline the flow of users from search to your site.

    On-page structure also supports the user experience side of SEO. Use scannable, relevant subheadings and ensure the content on your site loads quickly—for example, photo files that are too big can slow down the site and frustrate the user.

    Related reading: ‘Do You Do SEO?’ We Do, and You Should Too

    4.Tell Original Stories, by Humans / for Humans

    Fact: Originality, authenticity, ability to answer questions thoroughly, and trustability factor in to surfacing high on Google as noted in its March 2025 update. And the same is proving true for getting found through AI tools like ChatGPT. 

    What you can do: In other words, create content by humans, for humans. Dive deep into topics of interest, and layer in your subject matter experts’ unique perspective. Stories that tap into human emotion and differentiators are a key element in the decision-making process, so paint a picture in your brand color that only a human can generate.

    In higher ed, that means meeting with students and faculty to get their original take on a new program, facility, or event. In health care, it means interviewing providers and patients to learn the real impacts and implications of new technologies, procedures, and structures of care. AI can’t meet with a family whose lives were disrupted by two spinal cord injuries and tell their story in a personal way (at least not yet).

    That doesn’t mean you can’t use AI in your content creation. In fact, you should use it to reduce the weight of administrative tasks such as collating research, starting outlines, and generating different perspectives. Try these marketing prompts and public custom GPT resources from AI consultant and higher ed content expert Brian Piper. Just remember: The information AI delivers is a collation of content that already exists—it is neither new nor original. It is a starting point, not a completed work.

    Example: UT Southwestern published a blog story about an innovation in personalized ultra-fractionated stereotactic adaptive radiotherapy (PULSAR). Written for patients and featuring quotes from a prominent physician, it was the only article in top Google search results that wasn’t a medical journal article (at the time of publishing). Shortly after publication, it ranked No. 2 in Google search results for a general query on PULSAR and won the AI snippet.

    5. Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow

    Fact: You sang that subheading to yourself. Another fact: SEO is not a one-and-done project. It’s ongoing, especially in times of rapid change like we’re in now.

    What you can do: Audit your content to understand what opportunities exist on your site. Watch trends in search and update existing content before jumping into making something new: How can you make that content better or more timely?

    Update the timestamp of content you optimize, if applicable, to indicate to users and search platforms that the data are fresh. Any time you make a change, follow up to see how it affected your conversions, page user experience, and overall traffic. Use your data insights to prioritize the next round of optimizations.

    Keep This in Mind

    AI tools generally draw from the same pool of information—the web. The difference in search results, just like with traditional search platforms, is the style and precision of the output.

    Whether your users are finding you through AI tools, Google, or another search entry point, your site’s job is to deliver helpful, conversion-centric content that answers their questions. Remember, the goal of SEO is not just to get more organic traffic—it’s to earn meaningful conversions.

    Ready to scale your SEO and storytelling efforts?

    email me today and we’ll set up a time to talk.

  • How to Write a Solid Higher Ed Website RFP: Download a Free Sample

    How to Write a Solid Higher Ed Website RFP: Download a Free Sample

    We have the advantage of reading hundreds and hundreds over the years and then seeing how the execution played out. Here are a few of our big takeaways that can help you create better RFPs, so you can get the work you expect from an expert, dependable agency partner.

    Plus, we’ve created a default RFP you can use to make sure your next project starts on a firm foundation.

    Poor RFPs Generate Extra Work

    A vague RFP sometimes can be resolved in the question documentation. But that can result in hundreds of questions, which can push back your project timeline. Not to mention, answering all those questions is a big lift for your team.

    The number of questions that come in can be a good indicator of the quality of the RFP. Here are a few fun numbers we tracked from October 2024 – March 2025 (six months):

    • Average number of questions on a website RFP: 122
    • Highest number of questions for a website RFP: 382 (!)

    RFPs that draw a lot of questions often get cancelled by the institution. The team decides they do not understand enough of the scope, or they want to rewrite the RFP—resulting in another delay.

    Include Your Budget

    Not sure if you should include a budget or not? Read my blog on RFP budgets for advice and average website costs.

    Content Is the Top Factor

    Content is the number one factor in any budget. And content is the mechanism to tell your story. Structuring pages that are scannable, digestible, and that answer users’ questions gave Oakland Community College a content performance boost. After working with Stamats to optimize their pages, they saw significant improvements:

    Watch Out for Red Flags

    Avoid these missteps when writing your next RFP:

    • Copying content from another project that isn’t relevant to the current initiative.
    • Writing vague bullets that can have significant cost impact, such as “integrations for third-party applications.”
    • Leaving gaps in understanding your content needs. Make sure you have a handle on your content or ask for an audit at the beginning to determine content.
    • Not accounting for subsites.
    • Not giving yourself enough time to respond to questions and review proposals.

    De-clutter Your Digital Junk Drawer

    How to prep your content for a website redesign.

    RFPs Are Hard. These Tips Can Help.

    When writing your RFP, consider these points:

    • Provide as much detail as possible. Know your total number of pages, content editor strategy (centralized or decentralized), and technical requirements.
    • Ask for examples of the milestones, not just the final site a prospective vendor produced.
    • Request to meet the delivery team, not the sales team.
    • Ask how the vendor will help you manage the project.
    • Push hard on how the vendor handles scope changes. Assume you won’t get everything right, so you need a partner that will work with you when the unexpected happens.

    Ready to scale your SEO and storytelling efforts?

    We want you to have a solid RFP because we believe a clear understanding of the work provides the best outcome. We have been collecting some of the best RFPs out there and have taken on the task of merging them into a sample website RFP specifically for higher education. Download our default RFP (PDF).

    Want to chat about your next project?

    We’re always happy to help you come up with new ideas, troubleshoot and articulate the work you need. 

    Email Us
  • 3+1 Strategies for High-Impact Landing Pages: Stop Bouncing & Start Converting

    3+1 Strategies for High-Impact Landing Pages: Stop Bouncing & Start Converting

    So, if they choose to click through to your site to get more information, your landing page had better make that work worth their time!

    A landing page is the first page a visitor sees when they arrive on your site. It has two main jobs:

    • Answer the visitor’s questions
    • Provide action steps to fulfill the next task in their journey

    The kicker? It has to do both within 10 seconds—that’s about how long a person takes to decide whether the page suits their needs.

    When landing page content is poorly prioritized, not scannable, or badly structured, it creates a negative user experience. That means a high bounce rate, less lead generation, and fewer conversions.

    If your landing pages aren’t doing their job, try these three strategies (and a bonus tip!) to create landing pages that convert interest into action.

    1. Prioritize Key Messages

    The average website visitor spends less than 10 seconds on a landing page before deciding whether to stay or leave. This means you need to make a strong first impression and quickly convey the value of your institution or healthcare facility.

    • Validate their click: Affirm that they’ve found the right place to answer their questions (that’s the heart of SEO!) and address their needs.
    • Don’t bury the lead! Clearly state your unique selling proposition upfront. What problem do you solve? What sets you apart? What’s in it for the visitor?
    • Speak “to” the visitor: Not at them. Use “you” language and focus on the benefits of choosing your institution or facility.

    2. Provide Context & Perspective

    Landing pages need to provide relevant information based on the visitor’s stage in their decision-making journey. Think of it as a three-step process:

    • Discovery: Visitors are exploring their options and seeking general information.
    • Research: They are comparing options and looking for specific details.
    • Commitment: Visitors are ready to act (e.g., apply, schedule an appointment).

    Create dedicated landing pages that address the specific questions and concerns of visitors at each stage. Consider developing a content plan that maps your existing pages to these stages and identifies gaps to fill.

    3. Give Them a Next Step

    Don’t assume visitors know what to do next. Every landing page should have at least one clear call-to-action (CTA) that guides them towards the desired action.

    • Use buttons, not just hyperlinks: Buttons are more visually prominent and easier to click on, especially on mobile devices.
    • Be direct: If the CTA is “Apply Now,” take the visitor directly to the application form. Avoid unnecessary intermediate pages.

    Listen: Did I Say That Out Loud? Podcast – Why Are CTAs a Big Deal?

    4. Say Thank You (and Mean It)

    Thank you page content is often overlooked, and it’s a valuable opportunity to reinforce engagement and build trust.

    • Offer helpful resources: Provide links to relevant information, such as FAQs, blog posts, or social media channels.
    • Prepare them for next steps: If you’ll be contacting them, let them know what to expect and what information they might need to have handy.
    • Promote upcoming events or opportunities: Keep them engaged with your institution or facility by highlighting upcoming events, webinars, or newsletters.

    By using these strategies, you can create click-worthy landing pages that provide value and guide visitors towards conversion. Remember, your landing pages are often the first impression a prospective student or patient has of your institution or facility. Make it count!

    Ready to make your landing pages work for you?

    Let’s discuss strategies for your institution.

    email me

  • De-clutter Your Digital Junk Drawer: How to Prep Your Content for Redesign

    De-clutter Your Digital Junk Drawer: How to Prep Your Content for Redesign

    Before diving into the design phase, there’s one crucial step you can’t afford to skip: content preparation. A structured approach to content inventory, review, and rehoming can save you time, money, and headaches down the road.

    In a recent webinar, I shared some of the lessons I’ve learned working on dozens of web projects of all sizes. Analyzing and prepping your content is your chance to wrap your brain around all the content you own — and the data you might not even know is out there. Once you have that knowledge, you’ll be confident, prepared, and motivated to get your redesign off to a great start.

    Start with a Content Inventory

    What kind of clutter is lurking in your CMS? Every established website needs a thorough ROT analysis: Redundant, Obsolete, or Trivial. Running a site crawl with a third-party tool will uncover all the hidden pages, outdated content, and duplicate files that have accumulated over the years. This inventory gives you a clear understanding of what content you have and what needs attention.

    Once you have a complete list, break it down by content owners or subject matter experts. Distribute their reports with three essential questions:

    • Is this content current and accurate?
    • Is it outdated and ready for removal?
    • Should it be moved to an internal platform?

    Firm deadlines for content owners will help keep the process manageable and ensure the redesign stays on track.

    Give your subject matter experts a week to review their content (and maybe another week grace period). Don’t give them time to overthink. That’s when it starts to feel like a burden, and you risk losing their interest. Offer them easy choices so they can work quickly.

    Related reading: How to Maximize Website Traffic with a Content Audit—and What to Do Next

    Redirect, Rehome, or Remove?

    Content management isn’t just about deciding what stays—it’s also about handling what goes. Before deleting pages, put redirects in place to prevent broken links and preserve SEO value.

    If there’s content that shouldn’t be on your public-facing website but still holds value, consider rehoming it. A digital librarian or archivist can be an invaluable ally in this process. Archiving historical or academic content in platforms like the Wayback Machine or Archive-It ensures it remains accessible without bogging down your website.

    Related reading: Blog Governance: When to Archive or Update Old Content

    To estimate the hours needed for a full content review, multiply the total number of pages by 0.33. This calculation often reveals the extent of content sprawl and underscores the need for a streamlined approach.

    I used this simple equation when I was faced with tens of thousands of pages. I was able to make the case that it’s time we stop using our websites as digital junk drawers.

    Get Leadership Buy-In Early

    A successful website redesign is more than just a marketing project—it needs to be a priority across the organization. Securing early buy-in from leadership gives you the stakeholder champions you need for the necessary resources and support. When you present content project plans, focus on how a strategic redesign improves efficiency, enhances the user experience, and aligns with business goals.

    Connect the project to leadership priorities. If the goal is to improve staff morale, discuss what features of your new website will reduce frustration and streamline internal processes. By clearly demonstrating value, you’ll gain stronger support from leadership. That leads to change management success down the line.

    Related reading: Accreditation Content: Requirements, Expectations, Anxiety

    All the work you do up front gives you a better understanding of the scope for your website redesign. When you know how much writing or content migration to account for, you’ll be able to write a more accurate RFP—and that means you’ll get back better proposals that are focused on the work you need done.

     

    Ready to get started?

    Let’s discuss how you can optimize your content preparation for a seamless redesign.

    Email Me Today
  • How to Know When a Program Has Run Its Course: Using Academic Program Assessments

    How to Know When a Program Has Run Its Course: Using Academic Program Assessments

    But there are several less obvious ways you can tell whether a program at your institution has run its course. One way to reveal these details is to perform an academic program assessment using external data analysis.

    Conducting an assessment of your institution’s academic programs can provide administrators and faculty with data and insights to make meaningful changes to the services you are providing.

    The results will help drive cost savings and free up resources that can be used elsewhere.

    4 Signs It’s Time to Reconsider an Academic Program

    1. Product vs. Promotion

    If data show that students are enrolling in the same type of program at other colleges in the country, or your region, but not at your institution, there might be specific issues to address:

    • Your academic program (the “product”) could be outdated or less compelling than competitor offerings in terms of content or delivery.
    • Communication surrounding the program might need support. How is the program named, does it fit SEO terms students use, and how are you attempting to reach prospective students? Are you tracking results by program page to see what’s working?
    • Weak content regarding program career outcomes such as job titles, employer names, work settings, and skills.

    A program might be near and dear to certain stakeholders or your school’s mission, but if it’s not performing well, an academic program assessment using a supplier or vendor dedicated to this type of data analysis can help determine whether promotion is the issue or if the program needs revitalization.

    2. Brand vs. Commodity

    Academic programs—particularly graduate programs (like MBAs)—typically fall into one of two camps: either well-branded or a commodity.

    Branded programs propel graduates into top-tier jobs. Also, branded programs attract:

    • Better students who are willing, and often able, to pay more
    • Highly qualified faculty who often graduate from well-branded programs
    • More affluent donors

    Commodity programs, on the other hand, are known for lower cost and greater convenience. They offer less prestige and attract students and faculty who did not or could not attend (or work) at a branded program.

    Are your academic programs brand or commodity buys? Academic program research assessments can tell you and provide positioning insight to improve your program’s performance.

    3. Delivery

    Since the COVID pandemic, online programs have gained acceptance and growth in student demand. Employers’ acceptance of online learning has also grown considerably.

    That said, how students can access a program might be holding the program back:

    1. Could the program be rejuvenated if it was offered online or in hybrid format? In 2022, the percentage of students enrolled in distance education courses in postsecondary institutions in the fall was 53.3%. The number of students in distance education continues to increase every year. For specific programs, the penetration of online/hybrid delivery is higher than others. Your institution may need to adapt more quickly to the shifting student demand trends to remain competitive.
    2. Is it possible to shorten the time to a degree? Shorter terms, shorter courses, and more start terms can help students obtain the degree more quickly and be more attractive than competitors in your market. This offers student cost savings as well.
    3. What specializations or tracks are offered with your programs? Students often have specific topics of interest in mind. Adjusting your program’s position to meet key tracks that lead to specific career outcomes, jobs, or work settings demonstrates to students that they will find work upon graduation.
    4. What adjacent credentials or degrees are offered with your program? Employers often post specific skills that education providers need to offer within the program’s curriculum. Also, micro-credentials or short-term certificates can stack toward your degree.

    Related reading: What Certificates Should We Offer

    To determine the proper course for your existing program, consider conducting market research to evaluate the student demand, employer demand, and competitive landscape. Supplement the findings with prospective student or alumni interviews and you’ll have the confidence you need to take the next steps.

    4. Faculty Changes

    Sometimes programs fail due to the departure of a faculty champion who was a main draw for students.  Though name recognition is beneficial when starting a new program, it’s dangerous to build a program around a person. Student search for programs is primarily digital and search engine optimization with keywords plays a greater role in being found. Consider a thought leadership blog from multiple faculty members to build more attention around a program or set of programs to increase your ranking in search engine results.

    Starting Your Academic Program Assessment

    When conducting an academic program assessment, it’s critical to consider the data plus the political implications of changing or potentially ending a program. An equally important consideration is choosing a supplier or vendor who can remain objective when working with all your key stakeholders, from students to leadership to faculty to marketing officers. Often third-party analysis provides the necessary speed and distance from internal politics to make program change happen more quickly.

    Our research team brings direction and focus to each program or portfolio analysis we conduct. Using robust and proven databases, we offer suggestions for program viability and improvement.

    Ready to Get Started?

    Reach out to us to talk about your strategy and goals.

    Email Us
  • 5 Tips for Higher Ed Teams to Get Answers Fast

    5 Tips for Higher Ed Teams to Get Answers Fast

    Particularly when it comes to problem-solving at work, if you’re anything like me, you want—no, you need—to find the answer.

    In a sometimes politically charged industry like higher education, there are often many people who have information and opinions that affect the answers to your questions.

    The good news? There’s usually a way to find the answers you need. But there are many ways to arrive at a resolution, and you must ask the right questions to get there.

    Ask the Right Questions

    Here are a few tips to set you on the right path.

    1. What is the main objective?

    There needs to be a purpose driving the conversation. If everyone around the table can’t answer this question or doesn’t agree on the objective, you’ve already set yourself up for trouble.

    It also doesn’t hurt to do a gut check along the way to remind everyone of why you’re all here. For example, an act as simple as gesturing to a campaign goal or business objective you’ve written on a whiteboard can serve as a visual cue if the discussion gets off track.

    2. How will finding the answer impact the way you do business?

    If there is no appetite for change, you may as well stop here and save yourself some time. We’ve all probably been through exercises that ended up being for naught because there was ultimately no desire to change the status quo. Don’t do that to yourself. Your time matters.

    If you and your colleagues (and leadership!) are genuinely open to change, look broadly at how those changes will impact your day-to-day. And keep in mind that the effects may reach further than your department. From tuition pricing strategies to branding campaigns, every decision has its own ripple effects.

    If you’re all truly focused on your institution’s mission, changes to the status quo are ultimately in the best interest of all affected parties, be it students, faculty and staff, or your institutional community.

    3. Who is leading the conversation?

    Ever been to a meeting without an agenda? A ship without a captain is a wayward vessel. While you may have more people profess “not it!” when looking for a leader, it’s important to have someone steering the ship to ensure the objective remains in focus, tasks get completed, and a clear outcome is achieved.

    Keep in mind that leading a conversation doesn’t require a “leadership” title. No matter your role, you can lead and contribute to impactful conversations by being engaged, actively listening, and helping others to be heard.

    4. Are all the right people at the table?

    Every captain needs a crew. I’ve seen many initiatives fail because all key stakeholders didn’t have a seat at the table.

    If the outcome of your research may impact the admissions counselor, fundraiser, or data manager down the hall, include them in the conversation. It will result in fewer dart boards with your photo as the bull’s-eye. Relationships matter!

    For example, if your focus is reversing enrollment declines, determine what areas of campus will be impacted by the insights gleaned through enrollment and academic program research:

    • Admissions officers will have new or revised academic programs to promote to prospective students.
    • Marketing and communications might need to revise or develop new web content strategies or creative materials.
    • You will need buy-in from faculty and staff that changes are in the best interest of students and your institution’s mission.
    • Advancement and alumni engagement may be faced with questions from alumni and donors who may be perplexed by changes happening on campus.

    5. It’s okay to ask for help.

    No one is an expert at everything. There’s a reason why you see many professions branch off into various subspecialties. And sometimes an objective view of the issue is just what you need. The devil is in the details, and sometimes you will benefit from a little help to achieve your goals.

    Marrying data-driven decision making with consensus building is often best achieved with an outside expert’s objective counsel. If you are ready to take a hard look at academic program offerings, infusing market research data into institutional strengths and weaknesses can help achieve your goals.

    What questions are you seeking to answer? Email Sarah Clough today to discuss your market research options and effectively arrive at a resolution.

    Ready to Get Started?

    Reach out to us to talk about your strategy and goals.

    Email Us
  • Strategies to Enhance Your College’s Visit Experience

    Strategies to Enhance Your College’s Visit Experience

    In Act 2, they begin to rank their top choices. Interestingly, this ranking is often based on intangibles such as: 

    • Did the campus feel vibrant?
    • Can I picture myself here?
    • Are the people welcoming and friendly?
    • Does someone on campus look like me?
    • Was I treated like I was special?

    Central to Act 2 is the campus visit. Study after study, including many conducted for our clients, affirm that the campus visit remains one of the pivotal moments in the college choice process. We know that students are unlikely to attend a college they have not visited and that a visit, especially an in-person visit, is a powerful declaration of interest. 

    Historically, students visited campus, stayed overnight in an apartment or residence hall, and spent one or more days shadowing students and talking to faculty. Today, students and parents can explore the campus through virtual experiences. And in-person visits are shorter and seldom involve an overnight stay, so a student and their family can visit multiple colleges in a one- or two-day period. 

    In any form, the visit remains a critical step in the college choice process. With that in mind, we wanted to offer nine ideas for enhancing your campus visit strategy. 

    9 Ways to Make Your Campus Visits Better

    1. Mystery Shop Your Competitors

    Go online and visit them virtually. If possible, give yourself a self-guided tour of their campus. Get the clearest possible understanding of who you are selling against. This information will help you differentiate your visit.

    2. Make Visits Memorable

    One client used the term “edutainment” to describe the visit. “Half education,” she said, “and half entertainment.” As you think about the visit experience, remember that it must not only be memorable, but it must differentiate your campus from other colleges on the student’s short list. In general, students are most interested in talking to other students and meeting with faculty. They really don’t want to hear from the president or learn when you were founded. They want to connect.

    3. Make Visits Audience Centric

    Every aspect of the visit must be designed from her or his perspective. Understand that it is always more about them (students) and less about you (the college).

    4. Customize Every Visit

    Women who want to study engineering will have different visit expectations than men who want to study nursing. Resist the temptation to treat all visiting students the same. Anything you can learn about the student before the visit should be used to customize the visit.

    5. Be Personal and Personable

    Whether in person or online, people connect emotionally, demonstrate empathy, are welcoming and hospitable, and can probe and respond. Prospective students, like all people, want to (even demand) to be understood, valued, and comfortable.

    6. Offer Parents a Separate Visit Experience

    Parents tend to have different yet overlapping information needs than their sons and daughters. They are concerned about cost, academic experience (who is teaching what), and safety.

    7. Feed Them 😊

    Make sure to have a variety of snacks for all types of diets. Snacks are for students AND parents.

    8. Conduct a Post-Visit Survey

    Ask both students and parents “How’d we do?” and “How can we do better?” Any changes to the visit should be based on good data. In addition, asking for the input of prospects and parents communicates that you care about their experiences.

    9. Follow Up on Their Experience

    Remember, by visiting, these students demonstrated a keen interest in your school. Make sure you have a next step in the queue. Keep the momentum. One client described the follow up as part of their “keep sold” strategy.

    Read More: How to Increase Application Yield

    Make It a Campus Wide Event

    Everyone on campus must understand their role in providing a great visit experience. Too often, faculty and staff view the campus visit as a vast inconvenience and their goal is just to get the thing over with. People with this attitude should never have any interaction with visitors.

    Train and Continually Monitor Your Tour Leaders

    Guides should be trained to listen carefully. Further, they must be able to personalize the campus—and their own experiences—in meaningful, relatable ways.  

    Every morning, before the start of the school day, take a stroll on the money walk. The money walk is the path that most tours follow. Make sure that everything your prospective students will encounter on the money walk makes a positive impression. 

    Break your overall visit strategy into three parts: 

    • Before the visit: How are you prepping prospective students for the visit? What can you learn from them before the visit that will allow you to further customize the visit? 
    • During the visit: How have you demonstrated what you have learned about the prospect during the visit? 
    • After the visit: What does your post-visit follow-up look like? Remember to follow up on their experience. 

    Track Outcomes Data

    Track your college visit outcomes data. Organize these data by tour guide and, when possible, by faculty. This will allow you to isolate potential problems and take corrective action.

    Conduct a Mystery Shop

    Do a secret shop on your own visit program. There’s nothing like a boots-on-the-ground perspective to give you a sense of how things work.

    Read More: Enroll More Now: 3 Steps You Can Take Today

    Improving Your Virtual Visit Experience

    The Virtual Campus Experience provides students who can’t easily visit in person with a way to experience your campus through a welcoming, personalized digital experience. Stamats has created Virtual Campus Experiences for community colleges, universities, and academic medical centers to help prospective students picture themselves on campus. A virtual visit strategy can include:

    • Hero video: This is the welcome and shares what to know about the campus. It feels approachable and helps your visitors know you really want them there. 
    • Campus and student highlights: Showcase your various campuses and what each one offers. Share a variety of stories, told from the viewpoints of different student perspectives. Show visitors why your college is a fun and exciting place to learn. 
    • “Day in the life” student stories: Shadow a student throughout their day, juggling activities and studies—and how they thrive with your support services.  
    • “Meet the faculty” videos: Introduce instructors and directors in areas of interest. 
    • “Take a tour” video: Show prospective students your facilities, technology, and fun activities.

    Virtual visits are a complement to, not a replacement for, enrollment marketing materials. The goal is to expand on the selling points of your campus, culture, and student life.

    Whether your prospective students and their parents visit in person or online, you have an opportunity to provide them with an immersive, positive experience that showcases your college and why they could choose you. Doing this gets them one step closer to enrollment.

    Want to talk more about campus visit strategies?

    Let’s discuss your enrollment strategy and goals.

    Email Us Today
  • Career Pathways: How Mid Michigan College Transformed Their Website Experience

    Career Pathways: How Mid Michigan College Transformed Their Website Experience

    The college knew they needed a change, so they partnered with Stamats to build a better online experience, one focused on a guided pathway system they already had in place academically.

    Guided pathways are like career maps centered on areas of interest, which help students who are unsure of their career goals explore different options. At the same time, some students already know exactly what they want to study, and their goal is to quickly identify whether the college has their program.

    The challenge was to create a website that delivers answers and options for both populations, quickly and easily.

    After an extensive audit to identify priorities and build their roadmap, Stamats and Mid teamed up to redesign their user experience in the Cascade CMS by Hannon Hill. Starting with factual content, the new site created a more streamlined user experience and conversion paths to support the needs of site visitors.

    Based on user behavior data, the redesign took a fresh new look. Innovative site features to help prospective students get where they need to go, while making it easier for Mid to make governance updates on the back end.

    User Behaviors Drive the Guided Pathway Strategy

    The first step was to study how students used the old site and what information was most important based on user behavior. This research showed how students typically searched for programs and where they were getting off track in their quests for information.

    That data informed the guided pathway strategy, from design through content creation and development. Mid and Stamats developed several key solutions for sure and searching prospective students.

    Interactive program finder

    Students can explore programs by interest area (the pathways) or search directly for the program they want. The new website strategy puts prospective students at the center of every interaction.

    Pathway overviews

    These content hubs give students a broader view of different career fields, such as related programs a student might not have considered. Across the board, Mid’s content uses simple, straightforward language so students can easily understand how to use the guided pathways and how they can benefit from them.

    Outcome-focused program content

    The program content was redesigned to be easy to read and highlight what students will learn and where their degree can lead them. Related-program crosslinks are included in every program, with links to similar pathways, so students can easily discover more options. To improve governance and ease of maintenance, the team implemented a flexible structure using bricks (one of the first sites to launch this feature).

    Intuitive Design & Navigation


    Mid’s site now visually supports the brand with a clean, modern, and welcoming vibe. Cascade’s user-friendly components allow Mid’s team to tell stories more effectively and gives users clearer knowledge and conversion paths designed to make it easy to find what they’re looking for.

    The new website has been a huge success. Mid has seen increased student interest and improved search rankings. Best of all, the admissions team is thrilled!

    Looking at pathway data, we can clearly see that program pages are a key part of the journey, especially for first-time visitors.

    Mid Michigan College’s website transformation demonstrates the power of user-centered design, clear communication, and strategic planning. By prioritizing the student experience and making guided pathways a core part of the site, Mid has created a valuable resource for prospective students and positioned themselves for continued success.

    Before Redesign

    After Redesign

    Ready to discuss a guided pathways strategy for your website?

    Email Me Today