Digital@BentleyWeb, Mobile & Social Overview

Val FoxDigital Engagement Office

@valeriefoxwww.slideshare.net/foxatbentley

Digital Engagement Team

• Who’s on the team? – Now: 3 developers , 1 designer, 1 project manager– 1 PT Drupal support manager/trainer

• Who’s on the extended team?– 200+ Drupal users and 40+ social media contributors

• What do we manage & support?– www.bentley.edu (strategy & execution)– Mobile experience (strategy & execution)– Social (strategy; execution TBD)

Digital Strategy

• Leverage user insights to inform the web experience

• Adopt tiered prioritization• Enable distributed content

creation on Drupal • Establish social media strategy &

best practices• Support mobile visitors• Engage audiences with relevant

content

Digital strategy

Institutional priorities

User experience

Brand

Content strategy

Mobile

Social media

USER EXPERIENCE

Higher Ed Website Woes: No one thinks about the USER!

Source: xkcd.com

Leverage User Insights

Inform site experience and priorities based on:• Analytics• Research (surveys, focus groups)• Personas• Usability testing

Objectives include:• Audit & improve Google Analytics tracking & reporting (KPI

dashboards, etc.)• Create and adopt personas for key target audiences• Conduct ongoing usability testing & on-site surveys• Establish User Advisory Boards

INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITIES

Tiered Prioritization

DRUPAL DISTRIBUTED CONTENT CREATION

Drupal: Distributed Content Creation

• Migrate to enterprise managed cloud hosting environment at Acquia– Support entire stack– Simplified site architecture (2 >1 docroots)

• Complete move to Drupal 7 for remaining sites:– Undergraduate Admissions– Graduate Admissions– Campus Life– Centers

• Support 200+ Drupal users across campus– Launched user groups (6x/year) & labs

(monthly)– Launched on-demand video training

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media: Expand engagementbeyond www.bentley.edu

Objectives:– Create brand awareness & engagement – Drive “free” traffic to the site

Approach:– Create digital content to fuel cross-platform

engagement– Leverage audience insights to inform platform

and content decisions– Create a consistent voice– Adopt test & learn cycles

SUPPORTING MOBILE USERS

Platform Decision

Native App

or

Mobile Web(m.bentley.edu)

70% of college-bound high school students would browse a school’s mobile site on their device browser rather than download a mobile app for that school.

Noel Levitz 2012 report

Platform Decision

Native App

or

Mobile Web(m.bentley.edu)

or

Responsive Design

What are mobile visitors doing?

Mobile Roadmap: Phased Approach

• V1: Core mobile site– Shuttle schedule, map, directory, etc.

• V2: Resources for prospective students

• V3: Resources for current students– Registration/MyBentley

June 2012: Launch m.bentley.edu for smartphones

Fall 2012: Launch responsive Undergrad and Grad Admissions sites

TBD: Based on web services timeline

Mobile Experience V1: June 2012

• Shuttle: Schedule & real-time tracker• Campus map: Google Maps

w/direction capabilities• Directory: Search faculty/staff & call

from mobile device• Athletics: bentleyfalcons.com mobile

site• Calendars: Academic calendar/EMS

(for now)• Library: Library’s mobile site• Social media: Links to FB, Twitter,

and YouTube• Full site: Access to standard site

Mobile Experience: V2 – V3

V2 Fall 2012

V3 TBD

CONTENT STRATEGY

Engage audiences with relevant content

Platform Objectives Audience ContentBentley Ideas Promote faculty research

(replace Selected Research)

Influencers & peers in academic & business communities

Research-focused

Nimble Create a platform for thought leadership

Business leaders & partners, alumni, donors, grad students, parents, peers

Informed opinion pieces from faculty, staff, 3rd parties, etc.

Bentley Now Create a platform for student-driven stories

Current & prospective students, young alumni, faculty & staff

Fun, fast, informal coverage of “things that students care about”

We are in the process of developing a series of new content networks:

Questions?

Contact Bentley’s Digital Engagement Office:Val Fox, DirectorEmail: vfox@bentley.eduTwitter: @valeriefox