Conversion Optimization Tips

Where most other industries have moved forward with making their Web sites a relationship-building tool, so many higher education sites are still treated as an “information resource” or a glorified brochure. The nature of interactive media is to do just that—interact. Visitors come to your site with something specific in mind—sure they might stick around for a bit if something catches their eye, but ultimately they have a need. Your site needs to fulfill that need and encourage them to take action—an action that will get them in touch with you. These actions are what we refer to as conversions. When looking at Web statistics we immediately look at visits, time spent, etc. when the most valuable number is conversions. Conversions tell you how often your site visitors actually felt compelled to give you some sort of information about themselves in return for something of value that you offer.

You commonly find “apply” as one of the biggest calls-to-action but 75 percent of the individuals who choose to apply have already connected with you in some way. So, what can we do cut down on that 25 percent of stealth applicants and ensure we get them into the recruitment funnel sooner? And what about the other individuals who visited your site and never ultimately applied? We need to focus on other types of conversions and actions to facilitate building that relationship before they reach the application process (or in many cases, don’t).

Institutions that recognize the need to make their Web site a lead generator gain a huge competitive advantage over those who don’t. With limited budgets and resources we have to focus on what’s useful and relevant.

We’re going to dive into this topic more at Stamats’ SIM Tech Conference in a few weeks but until then - what are some things your institution has done to increase the leads your site generates? What examples have you seen outside of higher education?

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