A Landscape Analysis for:
John Coyle
Emily Dixon
Nicole Dujardin
REICenter.org analysis
Table of Contents
Executive Summary..............................................................................................3
Competitor 1: Iowa State
University........................................................................................4
Content/Functionality.........................................................................................4
Strengths...........................................................................................................6
Areas for Improvement......................................................................................6
Competitor 2: Penn State .................................................................................7
Content/Functionality.......................................................................................7
Strengths.........................................................................................................9
Areas for Improvement....................................................................................9
Competitor 3: University of
Michigan............................................................................10
Content/Functionality.......................................................................................10
Strengths.........................................................................................................12
Areas for Improvement....................................................................................12
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Executive Summary
This landscape analysis was conducted as research for the MSU EDA University Center for
Regional Economic Innovation. The goals of this analysis are to demonstrate the competitors
that produce similar content, in order to more effectively exhibit their organization’s content
strategy.
The three competitors that were observed are:
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Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Penn State Community and Economic Graduate Program
University of Michigan Economic Development
Each of these competitors provides commonalities in the core theme of their content, which is
economic development. They all use diverse grouping, formats, and systems in the context of
how their content is viewed and used. Further assessment of these formats and systems will
most likely prove helpful in determining the analysis of content for the REI Center.
There are certain functions that are used amongst the three organizations that are successful in
executing the content, which would most likely benefit REI if they included these in their
website.
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News feed and news page
About page
Contact page
Events
Faculty
Social media links–Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
Slogan for the organization
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1. Iowa State University: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/community/
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach helps carry Iowa State’s land–grant
mission beyond campus, in order to be the university that best serves its state. With
Iowa State University, they embrace the land-grant philosophy of: access to highquality education, research applied to the needs of Iowa, the nation, and world, and
finally, extended knowledge to strengthen Iowa’s economy and citizens’ quality of
life.
Content/Functionality
Content Pieces
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Events
o Conference planning
o Upcoming conferences
Community Economic Development highlights
News articles/ news feed
Publications
o Popular products
o Booklets
Disaster recovery articles
Topics
o Business and industry
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o Environment
o Crops
o Home and family
o Food nutrition and health
o Farm management
o Finances
o Livestock
o Yard and garden
o Kids and teens
Community Economic Development Topics
o Business and industry
o Community design
o Leadership
o Local government
o Families and communities
o Economic development
Annual reports
Social media updates
o Twitter
o Facebook
o YouTube
o Pinterest
o Blog
o Hotline
Technology Used
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Microsoft Content Management System
Frames
o Community based
Database–driven
Google analytics
Local storage
Session storage
Use of cookies to follow traffic
Search extension
Message boards
Mail
RSS feed
Tags
Social media
o Facebook
o Twitter
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Store
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YouTube
Pinterest
Blog
Hotline
Sign-in account
Engine to sort products that are for sale
Receive emails for sale
Secure shopping cart
Strengths
The main strength of their website is the accessibility of their content. They provide a search
extension that makes it very easy to look up any specific information, since the site is really
content-heavy. There are grouped sections that tell you exactly what you will be clicking on, in
having this; it does a nice job of identifying the information that is stored through that link.
Areas for Improvement
The areas for improvement pertain mostly to the navigation of the site. If you click on any of the
navigation tabs at the top of the page, they will direct you to a new page and location. That new
location does not provide the navigation tabs that are available on the main page of the site.
With this result, it makes it fairly easy to get lost on a different location of the website without
much identification of where you have landed or that you have left the “main” page. This forces
you to click back a page or two, which does not always land you back to where you started, for
that matter, the home page. This is a major inconsistency, and makes it less effective and
usable to the users of the website. Since the site is so content heavy, the website was created
in order to store that amount of content in the most effective and organized manner, which was
to branch off other sites from their main site, which in the end, creates issues for the navigation.
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2. Penn State: http://aese.psu.edu/graduateprograms/cedev
The Community and Economic Development Graduate Program provides individuals with the
knowledge and skills to work with citizens and leaders to establish and maintain viable
communities and community organizations. These offerings are designed to meet the needs of
community and economic development practitioners and those aspiring to work in this area.
Content/Functionality
Content Pieces
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Research
o Publications
o Projects
o Research centers
o Research areas
About
Upcoming events
Extension
o Problem-solving assistance
Alumni
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o Giving to the college
o Events
o News
o Scholarships/endowments
Faculty
o Contact information
o Image
Graduate programs
o Graduate program news
o Community and economic development
o Family and health education
o Student resources
Student resources
o Student news
 Articles
 Published pieces
Majors and Minors
Social Media posts
o Facebook
o Twitter
o Gmail +
Style sheets and scripts
Technology Used
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Google content management system
Data-base driven
Graph-protocol for Facebook
Cookies to track pages and traffic
Local storage
Session storage
Search bar extension
o Search options for:
 Search this section
 Search this site
 Search college
 Search Penn State
Social Media
o Facebook
 Recommendations link to Facebook
o Twitter
o Gmail +
Mail
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RSS feed
Print option
News archive
Strengths
The Community and Economic Development Graduate Program provides very effective access
to their content for the users. The content is distributed into specific sections and locations for
students, faculty, alumni, and prospective students. Each of those sections then contains their
own news feed, articles, and information that is either for or about that specific group. The other
main strength of their website is the navigation through pages. Unlike, Iowa’s where if you
clicked on a link you would be transferred to a new page, the links keep you within the same
location of the site.
Areas for Improvement
An area on the site that they could improve upon would be the news on their landing page. They
do a great job in presenting the news on a news feed, by providing it on the main page, (making
it the first thing you see) including subsections of the news feed for each the alumni and
students, however, the upcoming and current events get lost on the page, behind the news. The
reason this should be improved is because, the upcoming and current events is almost hidden
on the page, and the content that is provided in the upcoming/current events is pertinent to their
organization and their users. The news however, is an important component for the organization
to provide but it does not always pertain directly to their organization, like the events do. It would
be more effective to have the upcoming events and current events in place of the news feed, as
they are more of a direct link to the organizations needs.
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3. University of Michigan: http://innovate.umich.edu/economicdevelopment/
U-M Economic Development provides an environment that nurtures innovation and
entrepreneurship. At U-M, researchers have many opportunities to work with colleagues in other
fields to advance knowledge, solve challenging problems, and create marketable products.
They are committed to a vision of university innovation and entrepreneurship that connects with
the community, advances the economy, and creates prosperity.
Content/Functionality
Content Pieces
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Economic development
o University Research Corridor (URC)
o Michigan Corporate Relations Network
o Institute for Labor, Employment, and the Economy
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Business Engagement
o The Business Engagement Center
 Facebook posts
 Twitter posts
o Office of Research and Sponsored Projects
 Proposals
 Polices
 Scholarships
 Annual reports
 About information
 Procedures
Entrepreneurial programs
o Degrees
o Entrepalooza (annual conference)
 Biographies
 Registrations
Patents and licensing
o Research and sponsored projects
About
Hall of fame
o Image
o Blurb
Fast facts
Students
o Programs
News and Events
o What’s new?
o New proposals
o Current events
o Media coverage
o Features
Social media posts
o Facebook
o Twitter
o YouTube
Technology Used
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Word press content management system
o SEO plug-in
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Data-base driven
Local storage
Session storage
Slide-shares
o Profiles
o Fast facts
o Hall of fame
o Images for design
RSS feed
Social media
o Facebook
o Twitter
o YouTube
Links
o “More information”
o “Read here”
Search bar
Strengths
Their website provides many positive attributes.
1. Design/layout
The design of their website is inviting. It has a simple and clean layout that
offers a lot of content in a well-stored way. They provide extension links such
as “read me” or “click here” in order to keep the site looking clean with
minimal content.
2. Navigation
The navigation system has many depths to it. It is able to navigate through
different pages and sections with no more than two clicks, with one click to go
back. There were no dead links found, including all of the extensions and
projects that directed you away from their site.
Areas for Improvement
The main function that could improve their site would be to add some form of contact
page or email link. They lack any form of contact information other than their social
media links. This can cause potential problems if a user cannot use one of those
platforms. They could improve the effectiveness of their site by simply adding a contact
tab or email icon next to the social media. Not one area of the site contains names,
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emails, phone numbers, or a location to their organization, not even under the faculty
and staff section. The lack of contact information makes it extremely difficult to get a
hold of the department, or someone who may have questions.