A website is an institution’s greatest marketing asset. Yet most colleges and universities admittedly have websites that lack in areas essential to converting graduate student prospects at various stages in the funnel. From a lack of visibility in organic searches to content and layouts that hinder user experience, some websites can be more of a barrier than an asset for information and conversion. In this webinar, we’ll identify five potential issues causing your site to function more as a dam than a resource and review solutions to help you transform it into a free flow of accessible information optimized for conversions. Presenter: Mark Cunningham

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Mark Cunningham
EVP, Business Development
Your Dam Website:
5 Reasons Grad Students Aren’t Converting
on Your Site
@cunningham527
@CarnegieDartlet
@TXGAP
#nagaplearns
#txgap2018

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So much time, money, and effort spent just getting them
to your website

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98%
Leave a website
without completing a
conversion
80%
Abandon a conversion
without completion
49%
Typically visit a site
2-4 times before
converting

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100%of the students that apply to your school have
visited your website

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Is
Your Website
A Barrier?

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• Can they find your website?
• Can they find what they’re looking for on your site?
• Does your content answer their questions?
• Is it easy to request more information?
• Is it easy to apply?
• Is it easy to deposit and enroll?

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• Find the information they are looking for.
• Fill out a request for information form.
• Sign up for an open house.
• Apply to our school.
• Enroll for classes.

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1. SEO
2. User Experience
3. Forms
4. Personalization
5. Not Ready

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1. SEO

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GMB lets you control
a prime piece of real
estate in the search
engine for branded
searches—be sure to
maximize on that!
Google My Business—Great for Branding!

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In just two months…
• 73 users that interacted with
La Verne’s properties filled
out an RFI!
• 13 users that interacted with
La Verne’s properties
submitted an application!
Google My Business

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You may have many for different locations, schools, or
even departments.
Claim All of Your GMB Properties

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• 2,000% increase in
interactions in just 5
days!
• 8,361 users interacted
with the property from a
non-branded search
After Claiming and Optimizing Marquette’s Graduate
School Property…

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This is a post
Google Posts are great for
advertising upcoming
events or application
deadlines at no cost!
Google Posts

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SEO and User Experience Go Hand-in-Hand
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

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Making users want to click on your result
when you do show up.
Providing useful information that matches
what users are looking for.
Having a good user experience to navigate,
learn more, and request information.
SEO is Also About...

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2. User Experience

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awareness
consideration
RFI
application
consideration
deposit
enroll
Is it Easy for Prospects to Move Through the Funnel on
Your Website?

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123 Highly engaged users viewed 123 pages on
average before applying
Tracked activity on the MBA pages of a university’s site over 3 months:
11.4 Applicants visited the site an average of 11.4
times before applying
(with the help of a ‘application fee waiver’ personalized interaction)

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In a recent study from the Nielsen
Norman Group on university websites,
48% of users didn’t realize the
university offered the program they
were looking for even when it did.

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Don’t make users navigate through school or college
pages to find their major. They likely don’t know what
school or college their major falls under!
Where’s the program
I want?

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Do Internal Links and Side Menu Bars Point in the Right
Direction?

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It doesn’t say this program is
offered online or on nights or
weekends, so I guess I’ll
check out other schools…
Is All Pertinent Information Communicated on Your Website?

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The top content prospective students look for on a college
website…

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• Do you offer the program I’m looking for?
• How long does it take to complete?
• What are the career outcomes?
• Are there online, weekend, or night classes?
• Is the program accredited?
Academics

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• What is the cost of tuition?
• Are there scholarships available?
• How do I apply for financial aid?
Costs

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• How can I visit campus?
• How can I request more info?
• Can I talk to someone at the school?
• How do I apply?
• What documents do I need to apply?
Enrollment

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• What resources are nearby?
• Are there satellite campuses?
• How do I get to campus?
• Is there public transit to get around?
Location

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• Are you communicating all that you can?
• Are you answering current and prospective student questions?
• Are you looking in your Google Analytics and Search Console
accounts to see your current users’ behaviors?
Do a Content Audit

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• What are the required courses for the Biology program?
• Are assistantships available for the master’s in English
program?
• What jobs can I get with a Chemistry degree?
• Can I complete the MBA degree online?
Perform keyword research and look in your Google
Analytics and Google Search Console to understand what
prospective students are looking for.

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Prospective students are searching for:
“Masters in Green Energy”
But your program name is:
“Masters in Renewable Engineering.”
• Your program doesn’t show up with a search for “Green Energy,”
• They assume you don’t offer the program they’re looking for
• Bye-bye, they move on to looking at other schools!
Consider this scenario:

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“Masters in Green Energy”
10–100 monthly searches
“Masters in Renewable Engineering”
< 10 monthly searches

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3. Forms

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OR

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Are Your Mobile Forms Responsive?

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Mobile searches now surpass desktop.

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Test your site at:
https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly

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Clear call to action,
above the fold on
desktop and mobile
Limit required form
fields to 5 or fewer
Clear program highlights and differentiators
Landing Page Best Practices

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4. Personalization

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90%of visitors who access a website are
not identified

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Generic homepage
Homepage customized to
a user that has visited the
MBA page 5+ times

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Personalized Content for Users That Are Highly
Engaged with the MFT Pages

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Over 1/3 of users that clicked on event
based “Custom Interactions” had never been
to the organic events page.
37%

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Custom Form Specifically for MBA

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Custom Messaging for Highly Engaged Users That
Haven’t Visited Campus Yet

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5. They’re Not Ready Yet

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Retargeting

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Bucket and Segment Your Website Traffic
• General admission pages
• Specific program pages
• Open house event registration
• Student search landing pages
• Apply page
• Financial aid page
• Accepted students

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Pro Tip
Have different
Retargeting ads based
on pages visited to be
relevant and drive
conversion.

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1. SEO
2. User Experience
3. Forms
4. Personalization
5. Not Ready

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will you be sharing the slides?

59. FACEBOOK
AUDIENCE OPTIONS
• Behavioral
• Retargeting
• Look-Alike
• Engagement
• List
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Undergraduate
• Parents
• Graduate
• Transfer
• Continuing Education
GOOD FOR
• Branding & Awareness
• Inquiries
• Event Registration
• Applications
ADVERTISING OPTIONS
Engagement Audiences
Extend your reach with campaigns
that automatically engage new
leads or those who have previously
interacted with your content using
Facebook’s engagement audiences.
Generate Leads
Lead generation ads provide an
optimized, pre-populated inquiry
or registration form, making lead
generation seamless across devices.
Canvas Ads
Bring your content to life with
an in-feed, full-screen mobile
experience. Combine videos,
photos, carousels, and engaging
content to capture the complete
attention of your audience.
INSTAGRAM
AUDIENCE OPTIONS
• Behavioral
• Retargeting
• Look-Alike
• Engagement
• List
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Undergraduate
• Graduate
• Transfer
GOOD FOR
• Branding & Awareness
• Inquiries
ADVERTISING OPTIONS
Audience Development
Instagram uses the same powerful
targeting options as Facebook,
ensuring you’re reaching your
precise target audience.
Instagram Stories Ads
Complement your in-feed ads and
bring your school’s brand to life
with Instagram Stories.
Placements
Native placements on Instagram
are naturally a part of a user’s
in-app experience.
LINKEDIN
AUDIENCE OPTIONS
• Behavioral
• Retargeting
• List
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Graduate
• Professional/Executive
GOOD FOR
• Branding & Awareness
• Content Promotion
• Inquiries
• Event Registration
ADVERTISING OPTIONS
InMail
Develop highly targeted audiences
and deliver personalized content
through LinkedIn’s messenger. With
strict delivery caps, your message is
delivered directly in an uncluttered,
professional context.
Drive Leads
Lead generation ads provide an
optimized, pre-populated inquiry
or registration form, making lead
generation seamless on mobile.
Text Ads
Enhance your Sponsored Content
and InMail efforts. Drive new
customers to your website or
landing page with these Pay-Per-
Click ads.
Social Media Networks TM

60. TWITTER
AUDIENCE OPTIONS
• Behavioral
• Retargeting
• Followers/Look-Alike
• List
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Undergraduate
• Graduate
• Transfer
• Continuing Education
GOOD FOR
• Branding & Awareness
• Content Promotion
• Event Registration
ADVERTISING OPTIONS
Keyword Targeting
Deliver timely messages to users
based on what they’re talking
about at that very moment.
Tailored Audiences
Create highly relevant Retargeting
campaigns by uploading your list
of emails or targeting your current
website visitors.
SNAPCHAT
AUDIENCE OPTIONS
• Behavioral
• Look-Alike
• Engagement
• List
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Undergraduate
• Transfer
GOOD FOR
• Branding & Awareness
• Inquiries
ADVERTISING OPTIONS
Predefined Audiences
Choose from over 300 pre-set
audiences, which are based on what
Snapchatters care about, what they
buy, what they watch, and where
they go.
Placements
Ad placements on Snapchat are
naturally a part of a user’s in-app
experience.
Social Media Networks TM
978-692-5092 Carnegie Dartlet 2 LAN Drive, Suite 100 Westford, MA 01886 info@CarnegieDartlet.com CarnegieDartlet.com

61. PANDORA
AUDIENCE OPTIONS
• Behavioral
• List
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Undergraduate
• Graduate
• Transfer
• Parents
GOOD FOR
Branding & Awareness
ADVERTISING OPTIONS
Visual Support to Audio Ads
Audio ads are accompanied by a
Display unit. The Display ad only
shows when a user is taking action,
ensuring the highest level of
engagement.
Tailored Audiences
Choose from 1,300+ audience
segments, including expanded
demographics such as life stage
and household income.
No Audio File? That’s Okay!
You can provide a previously
recorded audio file to Pandora, or
you can write a script and they’ll
record the audio free of charge.
SPOTIFY
AUDIENCE OPTIONS
• Behavioral
• Retargeting
• List
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Undergraduate
• Graduate
• Transfer
• Parents
GOOD FOR
Branding & Awareness
ADVERTISING OPTIONS
No Audio File? That’s Okay!
Like Pandora, Spotify will provide
an audio file free of charge if you
don’t have one readily available.
Target With Confidence
Every action on Spotify is associated
with a logged-in user, allowing
advertisers to know exactly who
is listening across mobile, table,
desktop, and connected devices.
HULU
AUDIENCE OPTIONS
• Behavioral
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Undergraduate
• Graduate
• Transfer
• Parents
GOOD FOR
Branding & Awareness
ADVERTISING OPTIONS
100% Ad Completion
Since ads on Hulu aren’t skippable,
you’re only charged for 100% ad
completion.
Clutter-Free Ad Environment
There is lower ad inventory available
on Hulu, as the platform limits how
many ads are shown to their viewers.
This helps increase the ad recall
and engagement.
Easily Target Parents
Hulu allows you to target parents
by identifying user accounts that
have streamed kid-friendly content
and targets these viewers while
they’re watching non-kid content.
Streaming Media TM
978-692-5092 Carnegie Dartlet 2 LAN Drive, Suite 100 Westford, MA 01886 info@CarnegieDartlet.com CarnegieDartlet.com

62. TM
Landing Page Best Practices
What is a Landing Page?
Technically, a landing page is any webpage that someone can “land” on. But for marketing and advertising purposes, a “campaign landing page” refers to a specific standalone page with a
single laser-focused objective, such as generating leads with a short form. These landing pages should only receive traffic from specific campaigns and should be designed with
conversion optimization in mind.
1. Match Page Headlines and Ad Copy
The landing page headline and advertisement
wording should complement each other and be
consistent. Strong consistency increases conversion
rates and can reduce CPCs (Cost Per Click) by
increasing ad quality scores and relevancy.
2. Write Clear and Concise Headlines
As one of the first things a visitor will read, the landing
page headlines should not confuse or bore but compel
a visitor to take a closer look. Addressing a specific
point that is related to the content of the website will
catch a reader’s attention more than having a vague
and uninteresting headline.
3. Include a Form
If lead generation is the goal of a campaign, the
landing page should include a prominently placed
embedded form that is user friendly on all devices.
Only capture the minimum amount of information
needed to contact a lead. First name, last name, and
email address are the suggested fields. Studies have
shown conversion rates can be up to 40% lower when
a fourth field is included. Avoid form fields like birth
date and graduation year.
4. Keep It Above the Fold
The space a visitor sees without having to scroll is
where the most important parts of the webpage
should be. Place the call-to-action button above the
fold and in a location where the viewer’s eye will scan.
Never have the button or form in a place where it has
to be searched for.
5. Make Buttons and CTAs Stand Out
Identify the keywords people interested in your
institution might be searching for and use words such
as “learn more,” “apply now,” or “visit today.” A
conversion button should stand out and be placed
right below a call-to-action, or have the call-to-action
as the button. Nonetheless, the button should be big,
bright, and above the fold.
6. Think Mobile First
More and more users are relying on their mobile
devices versus traditional computers, so it’s more
important than ever to think mobile first. This means
ensuring your webpage is responsive and mobile
friendly, your content is clear and concise, and your
forms are as short as possible.
7. Taking Advantage of Trust Indicators
For an effective way of building trust, incorporate
testimonials, reviews, press mentions, guarantee
seals, and third-party trust and security certification
(Better Business Bureau, VeriSign, etc.).
8. Use Media That Relates to Copy
Implementing motivational speeches and campus
images into a home page can have a positive impact on
viewers, as well as give prospects an extra push to look
further. Including a relevant video has shown to
increase conversion rates by up to 80%!
9. Go Easy on the Links
Links connecting the user to a bunch of other sites or
pages will distract them and have a negative impact on
conversions. Lots of links may make sense on a
regular home page, but on a landing page, simplicity is
key. We recommend including just a link to your
privacy policy.
10. Always Be Testing
Optimize a landing page for conversions over time.
Run A/B tests and change copy, images, and
calls-to-action to see what resonates most with users.
In addition to A/B testing—where a baseline control
sample is compared to a variety of single-variable test
samples in order to improve response rates—testing
two completely different site designs against each
other will also be beneficial in the long run.
1 2
3
4
5
8
Technical Specifications
1. Save images optimized for web. Use compression
tools to keep file size down and page speed up.
2. Avoid bloated code. Fewer lines of code for faster
load times help significantly when the user is on
mobile.