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The Interactive Campus Map: An Essential Online Recruiting Tool
Kyle [email protected]
twitter.com/kylejames
Michael [email protected]
twitter.com/fienen
Who Are We
• Experienced - 15+ years of Higher Education and Web Experience and years of web development on the side
• Thought Leaders - Founder and writing staff members at .eduGuru, an award winning higher education marketing and development blog
Virtual Tour• Creating a virtual experience without
actually being there
• Picture, video, audio
Interactive Map vs Virtual Tour
Interactive Map• Interacting with a user
• Providing a means to give input and
get results
So an interactive map is always a virtual tour, but a virtual tour isn’t always an
interactive map.
Who has a map ?
Map Audiences
It’s All About Recruitment!
• USA Today - instructs prospective students to take virtual tours as the #1 step before actually visiting a college.
• Open up the top of your recruitment funnel with a virtual tour of your campus
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/college/2008-08-13-control-costs-of-college-visits_N.htm
It’s All About Recruitment!
Prospective Student Decision Process
Lots of Choices
How to Narrow the List?
Visit Campuses!
You Can’t Visit Every School
It’s Just Too Expensive and Takes Too Much Time
Most Important Web Features
Data from Noel-Levitz 2010 E-Expectations– www.noellevitz.com
Most Used Social Media Resources
Data from Noel-Levitz 2010 E-Expectations– www.noellevitz.com
Credible Sources in Decision Process
Data from Hobsons, 2010 - www.hobsons.com
• Looking at 48 institutions…• 69% had virtual tours• 41% included a map• Only one was trying out mobile
Other Research
• A tour is “singlehandedly the most important element” of a college website. --Ron Reis, Co-founder YOUniversity
• Students will “get frustrated very quickly if they can’t get the 10,000-foot view.”--Chris Carson, President CampusTours
How Important is a Virtual Tour?
*Quote from - http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1122
• Interactive Tours• Course Catalogs• Common App• Net Price Calculator• Event Calendar• Online Videos• Blogs
An Interactive Tour is Part of a Suite of Killer Web Apps
Building A Business Case
Establishing ROI
If we can work backwards from the value of a student we can establish the value of
an Interactive Campus Map.
*All numbers are created as examples
Let’s Do Some Math
• Average Years = 3• Cost Per Year = $20,000• Average Yearly Discount = $10,000
• Student Value = 3 * ($20,000 - $10,000)• So a Student is worth
$30,000!
Let’s Do Some Math
• Student Value = $30,000• Conversion Rate in Applicant = 20%
• App Value = $30,000 * .2• So an Applicant is worth
$6,000!
Value Of Campus Tour
Let’s Do Some Math
• Application Value = $6,000• Conversion Rate of Visits to Applicant = 20%
• Value of Visit = $6,000 * .2• So Each Student Visit is Worth
$1,200!
Drive More Campus Visitors
Interactive Campus Map
Visit Campus
Application
Let’s Do Some Math
• Visit Value = $1,200• Conversion of Map to Visit = 5%
• Value of a Map View = $1,200 * .05• So Each Map View is Worth
$60!
Do You Think 1,000 People Would View Your
Map In A Month?
Then Having A Map Is Worth $60,000!
Per Month!
ROI Spreadsheet
http://bit.ly/map-roi
Things Not To Do
• Use Flash – it’s inaccessible and creates an maintenance nightmare
• Only images – Include more content than just a map with some photo galleries. Tours need context.
• Ignore updates – Keep building information and imagery fresh. You virtual tour needs the power to entice real visits.
Things Not To Do With A Map
Where Do I Start?
http://www.uky.edu/CampusGuide/
Too Many Options
http://map.emory.edu/
Slow Load Times
http://www.campustours.com/prodfeatures/suffolk/
Confuse UsersTotally Different Direction
http://www.virtualtour.potsdam.edu/index.php
Tips - Creating A Great Virtual Map
1. Make It Interesting
USC Upstate Map
http://uscupstate.edu/map/
2. Make It Real
Belmont University Map
http://belmont.edu/interactivemap/
3. Make It Easy
Anderson University Map
http://www.andersonuniversity.edu/interactivemap.aspx
4. Make It Yours
University of Missouri Map
http://admissions.missouri.edu/visit/virtual-tours.php
Future Of The Web
Rise of the Social Web
Always on the Mobile Web
• The future of a tour is self guided tours that people can take with their phone as they walk around your campus
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