Building, maintaining, and remodeling the School of Business and Economics website at Michigan Tech.

2008 – 2013Lynn Makela

@lynndro

A is to a

family, what a is to an organization.

• Online MBA being launched in fall 2010

• New undergraduate curriculum

• New Content Management System Percussion Systems, Rhythmyx

@

In 2008 at the School of Business and Economics….

@

Client Questionnaire

Research• Audiences• Interviews• Summary

and analysis

Creative Brief

Planning• Navigation• Wireframing• Card sorts• Assess media

needs• Testing

Development• Approve content• Photography/

Vid• SEO

optimization

Beta Launch• More

testing• Bug fixes• Training

JAN 2009 AUG 2009

2010

2011

2012

What was missing?

• Content owners and

regular reviews

• Mobile site

Web Remodel

Analysis

Research questions

Project Management

Communication

Develop and Test

Complete Updates

• What story are we trying to tell for each of our programs?

• Why is our bounce rate relatively high on program

pages?

• Are visitors finding what they are searching for?

• Is the navigation intuitive?

• How can we measure student conversions across

websites (undergraduate admission > business)?

[analysis]

• Google Analytics

• SEOmoz

• Crazy Egg

• Interviews and focus groups

[analysis]

Undergrad/grad recruitment cycles

SEOmoz: Keyword Optimization

• Lack of user interaction with homepage content

Crazy Egg

• Decrease clicks to program pages

• Increase average time on site (especially

for graduate programs)

• Update visual design, move to an open

design, not restricted by a large header

– Improve homepage element interaction

• Add degree programs to mobile site

Stakeholders• Business School Administration

• Recruiters• Faculty and Advisors

• University Admissions: Graduate and Undergraduate• University Marketing and Communication

Meetings and Reporting• One on one• Data presentations and shared goals• Collaboration across groups

Project Management (Basecamp)Managed to do lists, regular meetings and shared findings.

• Timeline October 2012 – March 2013• Research and planning, 3 months • Development, 3 months

• Team• Marketing Director, School of Business• Creative Director, University Comm• Web Maintenance Developer,

University Comm• Web graphics designer• Content Writer

• Set website reviews every 6 – 8 months– Regular evaluation of admissions and

graduate school analytics for program pages

• Engage all stakeholders often for what is working and what isn’t on current site

• Identify other channels that require consideration following updates– Print, signage, digital displays

• Digital Projects: Lifecycle vs Launch– Build, maintain, remodel, plan

• It’s alive! Websites and all digital content– Product owners, organization, testing

?Lynn MakelaMarketing ManagerProfessional and Continuing Education, OSULynn.makela@oregonstate.edu

Credits

• Image Credits:– Via nerdegut:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nerdegutt/3584415033/– Via kineticfoto:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/siongphotography/4848348465/

• BBC News source, March 3, 2014: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26383058