You remember those “For Dummies” yellow books that decipher complicated instructions like how to get a home mortgage, master Microsoft Excel or file your own taxes?
We think there should be a guide for how universities can design their websites. It would cover how to build a useful website with a focus on successful home pages. The goal would be to present useful information, not just the most impressive.
This funny cartoon appeared on the website XKCD, addressing the challenges University marketers face when trying to create the best home page.
While tongue in cheek, this depicts a common problem education marketers face. They have several distinct groups visiting their websites that range from students to prospective students and alumni to the media. In many cases, the school clutters the homepage with information aimed to reach each group or they choose which to feature.
A better solution is to allow site visitors select the information they are interested in. On the homepage, clearly designate user paths that align with key audience segments. For example, have a button calling out “Member of the media? Click here.” This removes the clutter of a homepage and creates intuitive paths for users to follow that leads them to the information they’re actually interested in.