Improve Your College Website: 7 Steps to a Better Experience

Website evaluations and updates are crucial because your site is often the first point of contact for prospective students. A well-designed website can improve enrollment, build trust, and provide a seamless experience for users. Colleges can attract more students by fixing problems like bad website design, slow loading times, and old content.

Regular evaluations help make sure your website is accessible and works well on search engines. This is important for attracting and keeping visitors.

Common signs of poor website design include:

• High bounce rates (users leaving without interacting).
• Slow page load times (over 3 seconds).
• Complicated navigation menus that confuse users.
• Unclear or missing calls-to-action (CTAs).
• Poor mobile responsiveness or accessibility issues.

Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to identify problem areas. Additionally, conducting user experience testing can reveal pain points for prospective students.

Google Search Console is a powerful tool for evaluating your website’s technical performance and search engine visibility. It helps you:

• Track keyword rankings for terms
• Identify pages with high impressions but low click-through rates (CTR).
• Spot technical issues like broken links, crawl errors, and mobile usability problems.
• Analyze Core Web Vitals, such as page load speeds and layout shifts.

By addressing the insights provided by Google Search Console, you can improve your site’s SEO and user experience.

An intuitive website design ensures users can easily find what they’re looking for without frustration. Here’s how to improve navigation:

• Simplify your navigation menu by using clear labels like “Admissions” or “Programs.”
• Group similar pages under logical categories (e.g., group “Financial Aid” and “Scholarships” together).
• Add a search bar to help users quickly locate specific information.
• Use breadcrumbs to show users their location on the site.
• Test navigation with real students during user research to identify any confusion.

To optimize your site for mobile devices, follow these steps:

• Use a responsively designed layout that adjusts to different screen sizes.
• Simplify forms, making them easy to complete on small screens.
• Use large, tappable buttons for CTAs.
• Test your site on multiple devices to ensure compatibility.
• Optimize images and videos to load quickly on mobile networks.

Tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help identify issues and offer recommendations.

User experience testing involves observing how real users interact with your website to identify areas for improvement. Here’s how to conduct it:

1. Recruit 5-10 prospective students for testing.
2. Give them tasks, like finding tuition information or starting an application.
3. Observe how they navigate the site and note any challenges.
4. Gather feedback on what they found easy or difficult to use.

Testing provides valuable insights into how users experience your website and highlights opportunities for improvement.

To create an effective website design that is visually appealing:

• Use consistent color schemes and fonts across all pages.
• Organize content using a clear visual hierarchy (e.g., headings, subheadings, and bullet points).
• Incorporate authentic photos of students, faculty, and campus life instead of stock images.
• Add white space to make content easier to read.
• Ensure your design reflects your institution’s brand identity.

AI search optimization focuses on making your content easy for AI to understand and display in search results. Here’s how:

• Use natural language in content to match conversational queries.
• Create detailed FAQ sections that answer common questions.
• Add structured data (schema markup) to key pages so AI can better interpret your site.
• Optimize for voice search by targeting phrases like “best colleges near me.”

These steps can help your site stand out in AI-generated summaries and improve traffic.

Accessibility ensures your website is usable by everyone, including those with disabilities. It’s also a legal requirement for higher education institutions. Key accessibility features include:

• Alt text for images and captions for videos.
• High contrast between text and background colors.
• Keyboard navigation for all menus and forms.
• Screen reader compatibility for text and multimedia.

Failing to meet accessibility standards can result in lawsuits and alienate potential students. Use tools like WAVE or axe DevTools to check compliance with WCAG 2.1 standards.

Track these metrics to measure the impact of your website design evaluation:

• Bounce Rate: Has it decreased on key pages?
• Conversions: Are more users completing applications, contact forms, or virtual tour sign-ups?
• SEO Performance: Are your pages ranking higher for target keywords like college website design?
• Page Speed: Has load time improved across desktop and mobile?
• User Feedback: Are students reporting a better overall experience?

Review metrics monthly and adjust strategies as needed.

Social media can drive traffic to your website by promoting key pages and events. Here’s how to integrate social media with your website:

• Add social sharing buttons to blog posts and program pages.
• Use social media to promote virtual tours, application deadlines, and success stories.
• Link to your website in all social media bios and posts.
• Share visually engaging content, like infographics and student testimonials, that links back to your site.

By combining social media and an effective website design, you can increase engagement and reach more prospective students.

Focus on areas that have the most significant impact on user experience and enrollment:

1. Mobile Optimization: Ensure your site works seamlessly on mobile devices.
2. SEO: Optimize pages for search terms like education website design and college website design.
3. Navigation: Simplify your navigation menu to make information easy to find.
4. CTAs: Use clear, actionable CTAs to guide users.
5. Performance: Improve load times and fix broken links.

To make your program pages more visible:

• Use long-tail keywords like “best nursing programs in Chicago.”
• Add structured data for programs, faculty, and events.
• Include testimonials, career outcomes, and job placement rates.
• Link program pages to related resources, like application forms or financial aid tools.

To make your program pages more visible:

• Use long-tail keywords like “best nursing programs in Chicago.”
• Add structured data for programs, faculty, and events.
• Include testimonials, career outcomes, and job placement rates.
• Link program pages to related resources, like application forms or financial aid tools.

If you’re short on time or resources, here are some quick wins:

• Add alt text to all images for better accessibility.
• Update outdated program information.
• Fix broken links and redirect old URLs.
• Improve page titles and meta descriptions for SEO.
• Test your site’s mobile usability and make necessary fixes.