BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
Brookdale
Community College
Website Strategic Assessment
2011
HIGHER EDUCATION
SunGard, the SunGard logo and SunGard Higher Education are trademarks
or registered trademarks of SunGard Data Systems Inc. or its subsidiaries
in the U.S. and other countries. All other trade names are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective holders.
1
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
Contents
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
DISCOVERY .............................................................................................................................................................................. 3
BRAND ATTRIBUTES AND BENEFITS .................................................................................................................................... 4
BRAND AND MARKET STRATEGY ...................................................................................................................................... 4
AUDIENCE DISCOVERY ...................................................................................................................................................... 6
WEB GOVERNANCE AND WEB CONTENT OWNERSHIP ................................................................................................ 7
WEBSITE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT ORGANIZATION ............................................................................................... 7
CONTENT PRESENTATION ................................................................................................................................................. 8
CONTENT SUBSTANCE – RELEVANCY, APPLICABILITY, AND TIMELINESS .............................................................. 8
CONTENT STANDARDS ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................................ 9
WEB REDESIGN PROJECT REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................................................ 11
MARKETING, BRAND, AND WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT................................................................................................. 11
STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 11
TECHNOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11
RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................................................................................... 12
MARKETING, BRAND, AND WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT................................................................................................. 12
PRIMARY STRATEGIC MARKETING GOALS .................................................................................................................... 12
PRIMARY STRATEGIC MARKETING OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................... 12
KEY MESSAGES AND MARKETING FEATURES – WHAT ARE THEY? ............................................................................. 12
KEY PRIMARY AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES – WHO ARE THE MESSAGES TO BE USED FOR? .......... 15
KEY MESSAGE DELIVERY CONCEPTS AND METHODOLOGIES – HOW WILL MESSAGES BE DELIVERED AND GOALS
ACHIEVED? ....................................................................................................................................................................... 17
STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 22
STEERING COMMITTEE ................................................................................................................................................... 22
CONSOLIDATE WEB MANAGEMENT CONTROL ........................................................................................................... 23
TECHNOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24
CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM................................................................................................................................ 24
CALENDAR AND EVENTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ....................................................................................................... 24
WEBSITE ANALYTICS ....................................................................................................................................................... 25
PROJECT ROAD MAP ............................................................................................................................................................ 25
2
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
INTRODUCTION
Discovery interview sessions were conducted at Brookdale Community College (“Brookdale”) by the SunGard
Higher Education Web Services Team from Tuesday, November 1, 2011 through Thursday, November 3,
2011. The goal of the interviews were to obtain a thorough understanding of Brookdale’s vision, direction,
goals, objectives, needs, and requirements related to their web presence in order to make recommendations
in the following areas:
•
•
•
•
•
Brand and Marketing Development
Strategic Alignment of the website to the Business Goals
Web/Portal Presence
Technological Infrastructure
Governance/Operations
The accuracy of this document is dependent on multiple variables including:
•
•
•
The accuracy of information provided.
The availability of and participation of the requested staff for the interview.
The willingness of the institution’s staff to provide complete and accurate information during the
interview.
•
•
The ability of the institution’s staff to provide complete and accurate information during the interview.
The SunGard Higher Education team’s ability to accurately capture the content of the interview.
Because of the high number of variables, SunGard Higher Education considers this document to be a DRAFT
until reviewed and accepted by the institution. SunGard Higher Education will gladly correct any inaccuracies
and provide a revised document if the institution informs us of errors or omissions.
SunGard Higher Education presents its findings by:
•
•
•
Identifying key themes found during the discovery sessions
Summarizing needs and requirements identified by the participants, including critical success factors
Proposing recommendations aimed at addressing the key issues identified during the discovery
DISCOVERY
The sessions enabled the Web Services team to gain a strong understanding of Brookdale’s identity, strength
and weaknesses of the current branding and marketing strategy, marketing messages, as well as the site
content and functionality needs for different target audiences.
With this information in hand, SunGard Higher Education was able to draw key insights and issues that were
identified within the existing web presence and place them in the context of industry best practices, and
further define the strategic goals and opportunities for the project.
The issues were broken out into the following overarching themes:
•
•
•
•
Audience Discovery
Web Governance and Web Content Ownership
Site Structure and Content Organization
Content Presentation
3
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
•
•
•
Content Substance
Content Standards
Infrastructure and Technology
BRAND ATTRIBUTES AND BENEFITS1
This section ensures that all aspects of Brookdale Community College are considered in creating a brand
message or promise. It assists in identifying areas of differentiation and considers how the college will be
thought of in the mind of their targeted audience(s).
Physical Attributes – Physical or tangible features/attributes of Brookdale Community College
•
•
•
•
•
•
Number 1 county college in New Jersey
One of top 50 community colleges in United States
15,000 students
Over 50 associate degree and credit certificate programs
7 Campuses/Education Centers
$100 million dollar new state-of-art facilities (ex. library, science and health-care training laboratories
and classrooms)
•
•
New conference and events facility
National recognized leader in technology (invested over $30 million in technology infrastructure)
Rational Benefits – Fact-based benefits of Brookdale Community College
•
•
•
•
•
•
Affordable
Study Abroad Program
Unique academic programs (ex. automotive technology program)
Diverse, talented faculty
Career placement services and opportunities
Active student life (ex. intramurals, laugh at lunch, etc.)
Emotional Benefits – Intangible benefits of Brookdale Community College
•
•
•
Community oriented (local and global)
Close to home, provides a safe feeling for those unsure about their future direction
Affordable, provides opportunities without the added stress of excessive financial burden.
Brand Differentiators – How Brookdale Community College stands out from the rest
•
•
•
Offers over 25 bachelors and masters degrees through Communiversity
Multi-Campus community college.
Brookdale has a dedicated First Year Experience program for new students
BRAND AND MARKET STRATEGY
Branding establishes the persona of the web presence – the institutional view of itself and the message that
the institution wants to communicate to its constituents.
Strategic marketing direction encompasses the
processes for ensuring the institution is marketed clearly to the audiences targeted for its services. The web
1
Information contained in this section was extracted from various pages throughout the Brookdale Community
College website (www.brookdalecc.edu).
4
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
presence is a major component of the marketing of an institution - in many cases, it is the most visible.
What does Brookdale want their web presence to express?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Embody the concept of the “Brookdale Experience” throughout the website.
Think of Brookdale Community College as a First Choice school.
Think of Brookdale Community College as a place to complete their entire academic career.
Express the academic opportunities available.
Convey the message that Brookdale is a “Destination Venue”.
Convey the message that Brookdale has an active campus community.
Brand and Market Strengths
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
There is strong internal awareness of who the college is.
There is strong internal awareness and consensus of what the “Brookdale Experience” should be.
The community is well aware of the college.
The community is well aware of key aspects of the college, such as affordability and flexibility.
Known for Medical Program and Automotive Programs.
Has strong marketing messages about “Brookdale First Choice”
Has strong marketing messages regarding the “First Year Experience” marketing and student services
campaign.
•
Currently website does a good job conveying the technical aspects of the college’s brand, the colors,
the fonts, and overall aesthetics are consistent throughout the branding.
•
It is well known in the community that Brookdale offers an affordable way to enter into Higher
Education. .
Brand and Market Weaknesses
•
•
A general perception in the community of Brookdale being “Grade 13”.
Perception that Brookdale is not “prestigious” enough, or that the academic quality is not “good
enough”
•
Perceptions exist that Brookdale is a “second choice” or “fall back school” for students who didn’t get
into their first choice schools
•
Weak market penetration of knowledge about specific things which are important to Brookdale:
o
o
o
o
•
Multi-campus College
Certification Programs
Communiversity / Transfer Programs
Campus Life and Activities
Key technical deficiencies in the brand and current web marketing execution
o
Inconsistent audience prioritization in the overall navigation structure and content
presentation.
o
o
o
Inconsistent writing style.
Inconsistent navigation style and techniques.
Inconsistent internal content layout and visual design.
Internally there is strong awareness of the brand, what the “Brookdale Experience” should be, and what the
key areas of focus for students are. With the current website, students have to work hard to feel part of that
experience. A lack of user-based task oriented information on the website makes it difficult for students to
be guided through the overall student life cycle process.
5
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
Academically, programs and courses are under-marketed on the website.
Areas that are also lacking a
strong presence throughout the website are the certification programs and continuing education
opportunities.
In addressing the brand weaknesses heard during the Discovery Sessions, it’s important to point out that
these are perceptions, not necessarily grounded in fact. However, these issues are incredibly valuable in
identifying opportunity. It is the job of a unified brand message and effective tools, such as a website, to
bridge the gap between perception and reality.
Notable Quotes
•
“Success Starts Here should be displayed through success stories of faculty and students but that
message is not pushed.”
•
“We want Brookdale to be a destination venue. Brookdale has to be for the public, student, vendor,
etc. The message is that Brookdale is your Destination. The website has to convey that message.”
AUDIENCE DISCOVERY
During the discovery sessions the following primary and secondary audiences were discovered.
PRIMARY AUDIENCES
Prospective Students - Traditional
•
Looking to get an associate’s degree or transfer on to a university to complete an advanced degree
program.
•
•
Looking for an affordable way to attend college.
Looking for an engaging experience and an active student life center.
Prospective Students - Non Traditional
•
•
•
Looking to obtain a certification or take a course to improve existing job skills.
Looking to take a course for personal learning and growth.
More interested in cost and flexibility than in the campus life.
Influencers (Parents/Guardians/Guidance Counselors)
•
•
•
•
Looking for an affordable way for their children to obtain a degree in high quality academic programs.
Very interested in academic quality.
Looking for ways to help their children through the process.
Interested in the living and working arrangements for their children while attending school.
Current Students
•
•
•
•
Quick access to other online resources.
Quick access to forms and procedural materials.
Looking for more detailed information than prospective students.
Are more engaged with and are actively seeking information about particular topics. This segment
typically requires less marketing focused materials and is after factual, procedural information from
the site.
Faculty and Staff
6
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
•
•
•
•
•
Quick access to other online resources.
Quick access to contact information.
Quick access to news, events and what is happening on campus.
Quick access to forms and procedural materials.
Often use the website to seek factual, procedural or policy related information.
Alumni and Community
•
•
•
Looking for events held at Brookdale.
Interested in non-academic activities taking place at Brookdale.
Looking for specific things, such as how to purchase tickets to events.
SECONDARY AUDIENCES
Vendors and others seeking to do business with the school
•
•
Seeking contact information
Seeking information on policies and procedures
WEB GOVERNANCE AND WEB CONTENT OWNERSHIP
Content ownership identifies the entities that are responsible for the web presence. These entities establish
the vision of the web presence and adapt it as technology and the market changes as well as define, monitor,
and enforce the processes that create and maintain the web presence.
Findings
•
There appears to be no governance process is in place. There were no meetings established with a
governance committee or mention of a committee during any of the discovery interviews.
•
Responsibility for managing the sites is not clearly defined – some owners do it all, some do little
more than what is “necessary.” No clear guidelines exist for the global website presence.
•
Different departments maintain their own presence – in some cases look and feel and organization is
very different.
•
No official web standards guide content providers. While there are common templates, they are not
enforced, and in many cases not used.
•
No accountability for content – no audit function to review for such things as freshness, applicability,
readability, or ADA compliance.
•
Most departments have an inconsistent method of posting and updating content on their portion of
the website.
Notable Quotes
•
•
“No standardization, we don't know who owns what page even if the page has content.”
“College Relations should ultimately be responsible for the content.”
WEBSITE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT ORGANIZATION
Content organization encompasses the architecture of the website – ensuring the content is organized in a
fashion that’s easy to use and navigate.
Findings
The information architecture of the website is an issue. Lack of well-planned, audience focused information
7
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
architecture results in users getting lost, not being able to locate content they require, and does not guide
users to a specific destination on the website.
•
Guided audience paths are not clear, or are not deep enough throughout the site. Users must
understand and actively seek information they need, rather than being guided through the process.
•
The website structure is built along departmental lines and content lives in these departmental silos
with no clear inter-relationships defined.
•
The introduction of the portal has caused confusion around where particular pieces of content should
live. No clear defined process was found to help content authors understand where content should
reside.
•
Throughout the discovery sessions, many participants expressed the search tool of the Brookdale
website often returns poor results, inaccurate, or outdated results.
are polluted with old and outdated content.
In web terms, the search results
The overall organization and structure of the site plays a
crucial role in helping search engines determine what content is important and how it relates to each
other.
Notable Quotes
•
•
“Can't find anything; search never works. There is no logic for how things are organized.”
“It’s embarrassing when someone calls your office for help and you’re not able to help them navigate
through the site...”
CONTENT PRESENTATION
Content presentation encompasses the look and feel of the content – is it consistent throughout the
site? Does it enhance the presentation of the information, or detract from it? Does the presentation of the
content contribute to the Experience Brookdale wants its users to have?
Findings
•
Overall the website contains a vast amount of information on many pages in the site. The content
within those pages is very text heavy and is focused on delivering factual and procedural based
information. Content does not present the friendly and welcoming tone that is vital to the Brookdale
Experience.
•
•
•
•
More use of high quality, high resolution media elements is required throughout the website.
Style of writing is inconsistent across pages of the website.
Tone and message is inconsistent throughout pages of the website.
Content is generally written in generic terms to address the needs of multiple audience segments at
once. Specific, tailored content written for a particular audience segment is under represented.
•
During the discovery sessions, many participants who were content contributors to the website
expressed frustration with the limited styling options available to them.
•
There are no “writing for the web” guidelines for content contributors and there are no standardized
content templates and recommended layouts available to them.
Notable Quotes
•
“I think it's clunky and busy. We are dealing with a lot of people that are into the simple minimalist
technology.”
CONTENT SUBSTANCE – RELEVANCY, APPLICABILITY, AND TIMELINESS
8
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
Content relevance, applicability and timeliness encompasses the substance of the content – does it provide
the right information to the right audiences, is it fresh, is it accurate, and is it providing value to visitors of
the website.
Findings
•
•
Various portions of the website contain outdated and duplicate content.
Content on the site is often not trusted due to duplication or because of the presence of other,
outdated information on the same page.
•
Content is not written for one particular audience segment, reducing its applicability to all audience
segments at once.
Notable Quotes
•
“When things were centralized they worked out great. Now that they are decentralized no one knows
if someone else has put the information somewhere leading to the duplication of content.”
•
“Would love to have a place that things are centrally managed so they are not duplicated on the
site...”
CONTENT STANDARDS
Content standards ensure content is designed to meet specific marketing goals and objectives – is it
consistent, is it audience focused, does it promote the Brookdale Experience.
Findings
•
Clearly defined content standards, methods of writing, tone and style guides are not available to
those contributing content to the web.
•
•
Content templates are not available to contributors to the site.
Training exists for use of technological aspects of the website, namely the content management
system; however there is a lack of training and resources for writing effective content that meets the
institution’s standards for web content.
•
•
Print, media, and video guidelines are not available for users.
A clear owner for the final presentation of content on the website as a whole is not
defined. Marketing Office does not have the final say on key areas of the website.
Notable Quotes
•
“Bulk of users are very basic in web skills. Would like to have different templates for layouts but it
would valuable to have a faculty member template to easily change”
•
“The language used on the pages is not intuitive for people to find what they want. For instance,
instead of using Police the institution uses Security...”
INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
Infrastructure encompasses the technology used to host the web environment. Is it adequate to support the
web presence as defined by all the processes above? Are there points of failure? Will it support the up-time
requirements required for the web presence – which is virtually 100%?
Findings
• Multiple servers providing content for the website, ux.brookdalecc.edu and www.brookdalecc.edu.
• Some departments are using cloud services, such as Google Calendar.
9
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
•
Users were confused about where content should reside, is it a Portal Page or should it reside on the
www site.
Notable Quotes
• “With SBT, everyone is afraid to delete and do not know a better way of managing the content. We
would like to have an easier to use tool.”
10
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
WEB REDESIGN PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
In this section we will explore what will be required during the web redesign project to address the concerns
of the participants we met with during the discovery sessions.
It was clear from the discovery sessions that a key theme in the new website will be to project and enhance
the Brookdale Experience online. It was clear that members of the Brookdale community are aware of this
need, and were very willing to participate and work towards achieving this overriding goal. During this web
redesign project, a very strong focus will be placed on the actual content that makes up the site and how that
content is organized and navigated by specific audiences as they seek to find information or complete actions
online.
MARKETING, BRAND, AND WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Communicate the Brookdale Experience.
Increase awareness of opportunities, academic and out of the class room, available through
Brookdale.
Attract and support the retention of traditional students (high school, transfers, international).
Attract and support the retention of continuing education students from the community it serves.
Guide target audience members to the information they seek, and to the actions they need to
perform.
Present clear, consistent, well defined calls to actions throughout the site, and target those actions to
the correct audience.
Engage - not just inform - target audiences with key messages, address perception issues and
roadblocks, deliver relevant information and initiate meaningful dialogue. Create a personal feeling, a
personal connection with each target audience.
Enhance the timeliness, consistency, accuracy, and value of communications on the website.
STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Clearly define the project, the ownership, and the decision tree and publicize to the Brookdale
community.
Involve and get support of key stakeholders and content owners.
Institute performance measures and benchmarks to track and demonstrate success
Generate and prioritize key marketing messages and well defined calls to action.
Generate and prioritize a clear, well defined, audience segmentation map.
Develop an “Information and Action” center specifically tailored to its respective audience segment.
Develop content standards guides, and implement a content review and / or approval process in the
correct places on the site.
Implement on-going training programs for both the technology and the content created with the
technology.
Clearly define the purpose of the Portal and when it should be used.
Eliminate duplicate and out dated content.
Improve search by following effective practices in search engine optimization.
TECHNOLOGY
•
•
•
Implement a content management system designed to assist with achieving the strategic and
operational goals of the web presence.
Implement a content management system that allows for federated content generation, giving
marketing office final ownership of the website, but allowing users flexibility and power to generate
the information their audiences require.
Implement an analytics solution that is easy to use and powerful.
11
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
•
•
•
•
Create a unified Calendar.
Create an enhanced Contact Center.
Improve Search with the correct tools.
Consolidate and eliminate old web content existing on various dispersed URL’s, such as
ux.brookdalecc.edu
RECOMMENDATIONS
This section outlines our recommendations and the effective practices we will implement to achieve the
project requirements. Our recommendations are grouped into the top level categories defined in the project
requirements section, Marketing, Brand and Website Development, Strategy and Operations, and Technology.
MARKETING, BRAND, AND WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
The key components of achieving the marketing and branding requirements are to develop a set of clear
marketing goals and objectives, associate those goals and objectives to key messages and features which will
be used on the site, and then plan how the messages and features will be delivered and how audiences will
engage with them.
PRIMARY STRATEGIC MARKETING GOALS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Communicate the Brookdale “Success Starts at Brookdale” message.
Communicate the concept of Brookdale as a “Destination Venue”.
Communicate the Brookdale “First Choice” message
Communicate the Brookdale “First Year Experience” message.
Improve and strengthen the online “Brookdale Experience”. Provide a tailored, friendly and helpful
experience for students of all audience segments. This experience must be trusted by visitors and
provide reliable information. .
Increase awareness of the academic opportunities.
o Program and course highlights and success stories.
o Certification and non-traditional programs and success stories.
o Transfer and full 4 year degree opportunities.
Engage students and the community in the “Brookdale Experience”.
PRIMARY STRATEGIC MARKETING OBJECTIVES
•
•
•
•
Increase traditional prospective student conversions.
Increase conversions in continuing education programs, certifications and programs.
Improve and demonstrate the Brookdale experience online.
Increase engagement in the Brookdale experience, improving retention, performance and
engagement in other revenue generating opportunities.
While a website alone cannot achieve each of these goals and objectives, the site can and should play a
major role in both communicating the brand and serving as the primary communications hub for Brookdale.
KEY MESSAGES AND MARKETING FEATURES – WHAT ARE THEY?
The following key marketing messages and marketing features will be used throughout the site to achieve the
goals and objectives defined above. These key messages and features will be emphasized throughout the
Brookdale online presence, helping to increase prospective student engagement, improve community
12
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
awareness and participation and strength the “Brookdale Experience”. The key messages and features also
address the key brand weakness identified during the discovery sessions.
Brookdale Community College is an excellent first choice (student focus)
Key Points
• Multiple Academic Opportunities: Associates Degree Programs, Bachelor Degree Programs, Transfer
Programs
• First Year Experience Campaign
• Opportunities and engagements outside the class room
Key Features
• Focus on academic opportunities
• Video and textual spotlights, focus on programs and academic excellence
• Video and textual spotlights focused on the traditional student experience, campus life, student
activities
Brookdale Community College is an affordable way to achieve academic excellence
Key Points
• Academic quality
• Availability of transfer programs
• Diverse range of programs and courses
Key Features
• Cost Calculators
• Cost comparison charts
• Transfer Guides
• Financial Aid Availability & Planning Guide
Brookdale Community College is a welcoming, fun, and enjoyable experience
Key Points
• Brookdale has an active thriving campus with many activities outside the classroom.
• Brookdale has an active athletics program.
• Clubs, Organizations and other engagement opportunities.
Key Features
• Focus on student life activities.
• Video and textual spotlights focus on student life activities.
• Video and textual spotlights focused on the traditional student experience, campus life, and student
activities.
• Professional photography that highlights positive aspects of the campus and activities.
Brookdale Community College is an excellent first choice (parent focus)
Key Points
• Multiple Academic Opportunities: Associates Degree Programs, Bachelor Degree Programs, Transfer
Programs
• Academic Quality, Academic Standards
• Success of Brookdale students
• Affordability
Key Features
• Focus on academic opportunities
13
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
•
•
Video and textual spotlights, focus on programs and academic excellence
Video and textual spotlights focused on the traditional student experience, campus life, student
activities
Brookdale Community College is a excellent choice for advanced academic achievements
This point is meant to highlight the academic quality of Brookdale, helping students understand all they can
accomplish at Brookdale.
Key Points
• Highlighting the academic quality of Brookdale.
• Highlight the successes of students’ academic careers which started at Brookdale.
• Success of students who:
o Received recognition from Brookdale, a four year transfer university, or in the workplace.
o Associates Degree - went on to work
o Associates Degree - went on to transfer
• Affordability / Cost Comparisons.
Brookdale Community College provides learning opportunities beyond traditional degree programs
Key Points
• Certification Programs
o Types and Availability
o Affordability
o Quality
o Results
• Online Programs and Courses
o Availability
o “Where you are, when you are”
o Great opportunity for working students.
Brookdale Community College is available where you are, when you are
Key Points
• Multi-campus center
• Flexible scheduled through online courses and programs
Brookdale Community College will guide you through your academic career
Key Points
• Brookdale is a welcoming environment, where you can find the help you need quickly and easily.
• Brookdale wants you to succeed in your academic career
o Counselors to help guide you.
o Tutoring resources to help teach you.
o Extensive library and research opportunities to help you learn.
14
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
KEY PRIMARY AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES – WHO ARE THE MESSAGES TO BE USED
FOR?
The section that follows correlates the key marketing messages and features to the primary audience
segments and aligns those with the above listed goals and objectives. This section will identify how the web
presence will be used and tailored to each audience segment and will provide the basis for the overall web
framework presented later in this document.
The primary audience segment of the web presence is traditional, degree seeking students. This segment
consists of college bound high school students exploring academic offerings as they prepare for graduation
from high school. The web presence branding, features and structure will be primarily focused on this
audience segment. During the discovery sessions several other key audience segments were identified, and
consideration will be given throughout the design and architecture for these additional groups.
Prospective Students – Traditional
This audience segment consists of prospective students who fall into the traditional student model. The
traditional prospective student model consists of recent or soon to be high school graduates who plan to
attend a college or university soon after high school. These students are primarily interested in obtaining an
Associate Degree or are looking to earn credits to be applied towards a bachelor’s degree at a university they
plan to transfer to.
Traditional students are interested in gaining a deep understanding of the academic quality of the courses
and programs, very interested in campus life and life outside the class room, and are typically seeking to get
a good overview of “who is Brookdale, and “what are the benefits of attending Brookdale”.
Traditional students are typically the most undecided audience segment and are looking at many colleges and
universities during the first few months of exploring options in Higher Education. They are seeking
information quickly, and are often looking for guided paths through the site to information they seek. Often
information targeted towards this audience segment is being compared directly with other colleges and
universities, and should present itself in a clean, easy to understand fashion. This audience segment is
building first impressions of the college as they consume information and content on the site, and it is very
important to give the user the experience that Brookdale wants them to have.
Each of the key marketing messages will be displayed to this audience segment as they navigate from the
homepage to the service oriented interior pages. Multiple presentation techniques will be used to convey the
messages, notable increased use of video and photos and well defined calls to actions displayed as buttons
and banners.
Prospective Students - Non Traditional
This diverse audience segment consists of prospective students who fall into the “non-traditional” student
model. These prospects are seeking to complete a certification program or enroll in a lifelong learning
course. During the discovery sessions it was noted Brookdale seeks to increase enrollment in and build
better community awareness with this audience segment. In the current economic climate many are looking
for ways to increase their skills sets making them more employable. Key factors for this audience segment
are cost, flexibility of schedule and timeline to complete courses and programs. Typically, members of this
segment have full time jobs, are pressured for time, and are much more willing to make decisions quickly.
The online presence will incorporate detailed information for those that seek it, and will offer fast, guided
paths through the site for these time pressured, often stressed audience members.
This audience segment is interested in and engaged with Brookdale through the various conferences, events
and non-academic programs conducted through at the college.
Influencers (Parents/Guardians/Guidance Counselors)
This is an advisory group for prospective students. They are primarily interested in the detail; things their
kids may have missed or may not want to consider when choosing a university. Parents and guardians have
15
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
more detailed questions about campus safety and student employment placement statistics. They primarily
see higher education as preparation for life. They want to think of the “big picture,” as opposed to their kids
thinking about the “cool” factor.
Common list of tools/resources that prospective students, parents, guardians, or guidance counselors often
need quick access to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cost Calculator
Tuition and Expense Information
Financial Aide Information
Online Application
Academic Catalog
Maps and Directions
Admission Requirements
Current Students
Current students have signed up for classes at Brookdale and are now using their institution’s Website as a
resource to retrieve important information that will ‘steer’ them toward their academic success. Current
students will use the Website as a tool to help them get their questions answered, help them gain an
understanding of what Brookdale can offer them on their present course, and to keep informed about
different topics that the college is currently promoting. The information presented on the Brookdale Website
should allow current students to achieve success by equipping them with information and resources in a
format that is easy to understand and use – providing current students with common tools they will need
access to in a quick amount of time, presenting informative information resources, and displaying other
dynamic content that Brookdale’s current students want access to on a regular basis.
Common list of tools/resources that current students often need quick access to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Portal
Library
Online Bookstore
Course Schedule
Faculty and Staff Directory
Technology Help Desk Support
Calendar of Events
News
Student Email
Faculty and Staff
Faculty and staff are in charge of providing a quality experience for all audience groups mentioned
throughout this assessment. Faculty and staff are a primary resource that current students, prospective
students, and other audience groups will utilize when they have questions. Therefore, the Brookdale Website
needs to provide resources that faculty and staff can readily utilize in order to drive success throughout their
own career and bring success to all of their students and customers.
Common list of tools/resources that faculty and staff often need quick access to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Technology Resources
Teaching Resources
Faculty and Staff Policies
Faculty and Staff Development Resources
Conference and Workshop Information
Library
News
16
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
•
•
•
Events
Technology Help Desk Support
Portal
Alumni and Community
The community and alumni audience segments will not be on campus in person as much as other audience
segments will be, therefore these groups will rely heavily upon the Website as an information resource.
Brookdale should be able to offer the community and alumni various resources of information throughout the
Website that targets these specific groups.
Alumni are often a primary resource for donations, alumni often stay very active in organizations that the
college offers, and they can play a key role in the demonstrating an image of success to other audience
segments (i.e. prospective students).
Common tools and resources for this audience segment include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gifts/donations
News
Upcoming events
Purchasing/vendor information
Career services
Continuing education opportunities
Research and innovation opportunities
Directory
KEY MESSAGE DELIVERY CONCEPTS AND METHODOLOGIES – HOW WILL MESSAGES BE
DELIVERED AND GOALS ACHIEVED?
This section will focus on the delivery of the key marketing messages, and achievement of the marketing
goals and objectives from a conceptual delivery point of view. This section provides recommendations on the
actual elements which we recommend as part of the new web presence, and provides a high level summary
of key action items that will be detailed in the project’s tactical and operations plan.
Embody the Brookdale Experience and Convey the Key Marketing Messages
Brookdale understands the importance of its online presence, and how that presence can contribute to
communicating and enhancing the overall Brookdale Experience. It is imperative that the website be
focused on Brookdale’s primary audience segments and be presented in a clean, intuitive user centric
way. Content for the primary site areas will include videos, photos, design elements, and of course content
that is designed to support the key marketing messages identified above.
A key factor for the success of the website is to present and convey the Brookdale Experience in a way that is
consistent and memorable. The homepage of the site will focus on the experience for prospective students,
both traditional and those seeking continuing education opportunities. The primary focus will be to present
the Brookdale experience to traditional prospective students, and also embody the key messages and
takeaways important to the continuing education group. Other audience segments will have clean navigation
elements to guide them from the homepage to their targeted area within the website.
•
•
Rotating Gallery
o Photos of the campus very important
o Photos of the other campuses very important
Audience Spotlights (Faculty/Staff, Alumni, Student)
o Important to highlight academic success stories.
o Important to highlight career and job success stories.
17
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
•
•
•
•
•
•
MISC Spotlight
News Feed
o Very important to convey clear, concise, accurate communications to current students, faculty
and staff.
o Important to the community as a whole.
Integrated Calendar / Events Feed
o Very important to some of the secondary goals of the site, namely providing information and
actions for those seeking conferences and events.
Campus Location Map
o Map with indicators for the Brookdale campus important to convey the multi-campus concept.
o Map with potential apartments or other housing near Brookdale main campus very important
for the Destination Venue marketing messages.
Marketing/Advert Spotlights
o Very important section allowing for the display of clear calls to action.
o Important that Marketing is allowed to dynamically swap the calls to action based on the
current marketing campaigns, events and academic calendar.
Social Media Feeds
The main audience centric top tier pages of the site, the “Service Layer”, will focus on the key marketing
messages, calls to action, and will strive to provide a guided “painless” path for their respective audience
segment. Messages will be presented in a consistent style for each audience segment; however the
presentation and importance may differ from one audience segment to the next.
Enhance the visual design to better illustrate the Brookdale Experience
•
•
•
•
•
Precedence (Guiding the Eye)
o Template designs throughout the Brookdale website presence should contain key design
elements that are placed and ordered in a manner that will allow website visitors to quickly
see and identify key content elements. For example, global navigation elements are often
placed in the header of the website in horizontal menu structure, search boxes are most often
placed in the top right area of the header, and a Brookdale logo will most likely be placed in
the top left header area. Affective placement of various design elements throughout the
website presence can “guide” the visitor’s eye from one design element to the other, allowing
them to quickly identify key points of access and features that they will want to use.
Contrast
o Design elements throughout the website presence should be styled to provide contrast
between one element and another. For example, design elements such as home page
rotators, news feeds, and events feeds should all contrast against the background colors and
base theme of the page to allow end users to clearly see primary page elements in an
affective and quick way as they are viewing the website.
Branding Colors
o Branding colors should be identified and effectively integrated within the various template
design themes. Colors should be consistently used and web styling guides should provide
standard hexadecimal codes that can be used for theme layouts and various website features.
Spacing, Padding and White Space
o Proper spacing and padding is an important factor to remember while designing various
elements throughout the website presence. This includes paragraph spacing, line spacing,
padding and spacing between features, text, and other website elements. Used affectively,
padding and white space will allow website visitors to understand content flow and identify
specific content areas and features in a quicker amount of time.
Navigation
o Global Navigation
Global navigation elements should be consistently placed throughout the home and
interior templates of the website, providing end users with access to top level pages,
header elements (i.e. quick links, search, etc.), and footer elements (i.e. marketing
adverts, social media icons, etc.) in a quick amount of time from any page of the
website.
o Local Navigation
18
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
•
•
•
Local navigation elements should be placed in a consistent location throughout
interior pages of the website and should be styled with proper spacing, typography,
colors that promote the theme and branding identity, and include multiple tier styles.
Typography
o Typography throughout the website presence should be easy to read (contrast, line spacing,
letter spacing, and font choices), contain Brookdale branding colors where appropriate, and
remain consistently styled throughout the entire website presence. Brookdale should provide
content managers with a web styling guide that contains standard practices when using
website font types, colors, and other typography design elements.
Alignment
Consistency
o Various template design elements throughout the web presence should remain consistent
(i.e. global navigation, header elements, footer, etc.). Consistent design elements and
controls ensures that an end user never has to relearn their navigation process and allows
visitors to access key features and navigation elements from any page of the website.
Create a Site Structure and User-centric Navigation that Guides Users to Content
Information Architecture is the process of planning from the top down, the big picture of the website, the
high level audience segments and topic funnels and then organizing from the bottom up, the resources,
content and associated key messages that fulfill a visitor’s goal(s). Effective information architecture for
Brookdale will enable each audience segment to step logically through the website, confident they are getting
closer to the information they require. The Brookdale architecture will strive to create guided, topical
funnels, eliminate duplicated content, make it easy for visitors and content authors to consume and
contribute website content, and will provide a personalized experience for each of the target audience groups.
To achieve a successful website scheme for Brookdale, the architecture will be structured in two ways. The
main top tier of the website will be a topic focused “Service Layer” that will be composed of main landing
pages grouping like services and associating those groups with its respective audience segment(s). The
main top tier service pages for each audience segment will be organized in a logical fashion following the
chronological order of each respective audience segments engagement life cycle process. Detailed audience
engagement life cycle procedures will be created during the actual project initiation phase. Below is a high
level overview of the top tier of the service layer and how pages might be categorized in the final
architecture. During the actual project implementation phase this architecture will be refined and the tree
expanded to include many more pages and areas following the outlines of the audience engagement life cycle
documents.
•
•
•
•
Home Page
About Brookdale
o Overview
o ( Admissions Guide ) - Photo Gallery and Video Gallery of Campus
o ( Admissions Guide ) - Graduation Rates, Career Placement, Success Stories
o ( Contact Center ) - Maps
o ( Contact Center ) - Contact Us
Academics
o Catalog - Programs, Degrees and Courses
o Academic Hall of Fame
Future Students
o ( Academics - Marketing Focus ) - Programs, Degrees and Courses
o ( Academics - Marketing Focus ) - Academic Calendar of Important Deadlines
o ( Admissions Guide) - Seeking a Degree?
o ( Admissions Guide) - Planning to Transfer?
o ( Admissions Guide) - Need a Certification?
o ( Admissions Guide) - Just want to take a class or learn something new?
o ( Admissions Guide ) - How will I pay for this?
o ( Campus Life ) - What is it like to be a Brookdale student?
o ( Campus Life ) - Interested in seeing what our campus looks like?
o ( Campus Life ) - What clubs and organizations are active on campus?
o ( Athletics ) - What kinds of sports and athletic activities are available?
19
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
•
•
•
Current Students
o ( Academics - Catalog Focus ) - Programs, Degrees and Courses
o ( Academics - Catalog Focus ) - Academic Calendar
o ( Campus Life ) - Looking for something to do on campus in between classes?
o ( Campus Life ) - Need help contacting someone on campus?
o ( Athletics ) - Looking for recent game scores?
o ( Student Services ) - Financial Aid
o ( Student Services ) - Counseling
o ( Student Services ) - Tutoring and Library Services
o ( Student Services ) - Other Student Services Departments
o ( Services ) - Other Departments and Services
Faculty and Staff
o Various Calendars
o ( Services ) - Online Resources
o ( Services ) - Department Links and Services
Alumni and Community
o ( Services ) - Online Resources
o ( Services ) - Departments and Services
Create content that is written specifically for the Web and Marketing Goals / Objectives
During the website content generation period, care should be taken to present content on the website in a
format following effective web content guidelines. Web content should be written clearly and succinctly,
should avoid internal language not well known to the audience consuming the information, and should be
crafted for a particular audience segment. Each visitor should be guided through content, find clearly defined
calls to action, and should feel the content was written specifically to meet their needs.
Content, specifically content written for prospective students and their parents / influencers, should avoid
long procedural and policy type content. While it is important to allow users who require specific, detailed
procedural information to find it quickly and easily, care must be taken to understand that policy and
procedural materials do not directly support the primary marketing goals and objectives by
themselves. Procedural materials, when required, should follow the same principals of effective web content
used elsewhere on the site.
Content that is created for the website should seek to support one of the primary goals and objectives of the
site, should be written in a consistent style, and should always work to embody the essence of the Brookdale
Experience. Content will be evaluated against this set of criteria when determining placement, organization
and if the content should actually exist on the website in the first place.
Empower and train content contributors to write effective content for the web
A series of detailed content templates will be developed during the project implementation phase. These
templates will account for various types of information and actions a typical Brookdale web page could
require, and will provide guidance on content structure, media placement, length, and writing style. These
content templates will be available as part of the content management system, and will have detailed
instructions and guidelines for use available for the content contributors.
After the website project has been completed, it will be vital to the continued success of the site that all
content contributors have access to resources and training on effective web writing practices. Video, printed
and in person training courses and materials will be developed during the project, all designed to support the
long term health of the Brookdale website architecture and content. These materials should be published on
the web and will be available to the content contributors when they require them.
Add a new website feature: Integrated Video and Media Center
During the discovery process it was noted that the college does a very good job at producing high quality
promotional videos on key topics. We recommend these videos be used throughout the site to enhance the
20
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
user experience and help achieve the primary marketing goals of the website. To help facilitate “findability”, reuse, and higher consumption rates of the videos, a new Media Center will be created. The Media
Center will allow videos to be categorized, searched and viewed from a “YouTube” like interface. The Media
Center will also make it easy for content contributors on the website to link to or embed videos on various
pages throughout the site when appropriate. The Media Center will also allow the marketing department to
promote or highlight videos on the media center page, allow videos to be promoted and highlighted to the
homepage, and will allow for generating of tagged and categorized streams suitable for consumption across
the website. Marketing department will have the ability to push highlighted videos to the various audience
streams.
Create a mobile ready version of the website
To help convey the message of Brookdale being available “where you are, when you are”, a version of the
site that has been specifically designed to format well on mobile devices should be created. This version of
the site will inherit all of the key messages, goals, and objectives of the main website; however, the
presentation and prioritization will be adjusted to fit the medium and audience segments browsing the site on
mobile.
Add a new website feature: Integrated Calendar of Events
During the course of the discovery process, it was recommended by the vast majority of groups that a new
integrated College Calendar of Events be developed for the school. This new events calendar will be
integrated across all the departments and functional bodies in the college will allow events to be submitted,
and categorized and approved (when required). The output of the calendaring solution will be flexible,
allowing display in multiple formats and with configurable category inclusion lists. This will allow the college
to use a unified calendar, easing administration and coordination between departments, will allow the website
visitors to quickly find the types of events they are interested in, and will help to strengthen the unified brand
and experience the website will strive to present.
This feature will also include a method to allow campus members to submit events for approval to
departments and to the marketing department for inclusion on the homepage. Approves for the various
categories will be identified and will have the opportunity to edit / approve user submitted entries to
categories they have permissions to.
Add a new website feature: Updated Faculty Staff Directory / Contacts
It was noted by several groups during the discovery process that it is often hard to locate contact information
for Faculty, Staff and Departments. As part of the redesign process, a new “Contacts” feature will be created
for Brookdale. The new feature should allow individuals and departments to manage their contact
information. A key component of the updated Contacts feature will be allowing categorization and better
searching for end users. The application will work to support Brookdale Experience by providing helpful
guidance and making it easy to locate and communicate with departments and individuals in the college.
The updated Contacts feature will make it easy for individuals or departments to tag or categorize
themselves, and will offer methods for requesting approval for the inclusion of new tags and categories into
the global dictionary.
Add a new website feature: User submitted content for inclusion on the homepage
To enhance the freshness of key areas of content on the homepage, including the homepage video and photo
gallery, news and events list, content contributors should be able to submit for approval their own
content. A feature will be developed that will allow members of the college to submit news articles, events,
and other media for inclusion on the homepage. The feature will include a form for users to submit content,
and an area where Marketing staff can edit / approve the content before it is displayed on the homepage.
Add a new website feature: Detailed Analytical Data and Content Freshness Reports
21
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
To help the website stay relevant, up to date, and organized according to users’ needs a comprehensive
website analytics solution will be integrated throughout each page of the site. The solution will allow users to
view detailed statistics for each page of the website and create custom reports on that data. The ideal
solution will be directly integrated with the content management system, pushing information to content
contributors, rather than forcing users to request it. The solution will also provide the marketing department
and content contributors quick access to reports detailing the date content was last updated, helping
Brookdale keep content fresh, timely and accurate.
Add a new website feature: Online e-commerce solution to allow for ticket sales and potential
payment for lifelong learning courses and other fees.
During the discovery sessions, it was mentioned several times that the process for selection of and payment
for lifelong learning courses was cumbersome and if improved might increase the online conversions. During
the project implementation phase, care will be taken in the selection of specific technologies to ensure that
the selected solutions could integrate with an e-commerce payment processing gateway. The solution will
allow for pre-determined number of tickets or “seats”, allow for discounts and sale prices, and contain the
features required for a successful e-commerce solution.
STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS
STEERING COMMITTEE
Brookdale should form a steering committee led by the Director of the Marketing Department, consisting of
Brookdale’s functional leadership, and one expert in web marketing, accountable to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Define the strategic direction of Brookdale’s branding and messaging, web and social media
presence;
Present strategically prioritized marketing and web related initiatives to executive leadership for
approval;
Develop and oversee Brookdale’s web and social media standards and compliance policies;
Direct the Marketing Department to execute approved branding, messaging, web and social media
standards and policies.
Create and oversee a Compliance Taskforce responsible for:
o Validating resources (training, content templates, standards, etc.) for content authors are
available, accurate, and up to date.
o Regularly scanning Brookdale’s websites for 508 non-compliance.
o Notifying the steering committee of non-compliance (with required mediation steps and time
frames),
o Monitoring website compliance remediation.
Appoint an ad-hoc research taskforce when necessary to research the benefits and risks of potential
strategies suggested by Brookdale’s functional leadership, and evaluate the strategic impact of the
findings;
Appoint and oversee project teams responsible for implementing approved strategies;
The newly formed steering committee should focus on finalizing the branding and messaging, the marketing
priorities (including the website redesign project), the [www.Brookdale.edu]’s redefined service map, and
web and social media policies and standards.
22
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
CONSOLIDATE WEB MANAGEMENT CONTROL
The scope of responsibility for the Marketing Department should be to broaden to include the ownership,
accountability, and management of Brookdale’s entire public web and social media presence, content
management system ecosystems and staffing resources. In order to achieve this, Brookdale’s web
management functions should be consolidated under the Marketing Department, with a Web Manager
providing oversight and direction to all of the web resources. Outlined below are the roles2 and
responsibilities to support the consolidated Web Services operations under the Marketing Department:
•
Web Manager
o Oversee daily tactical operations.
o Strategic project and resource planning.
o A web strategy subject matter expert available to the Steering Committee.
o Tactical project plan development and management.
o Accountable for 508 compliance audits and remediation.
•
Web Designer (provided by SunGard Higher Education)
o Graphic web layout design.
o User Experience/ User Interface Design.
o Front-end development.
o Tactical communication with Web Developers, Information Architect, and Customer Liaisons.
•
Web Writer/Editor
o Web content copywriter.
o Revise, edit, and approve content.
o Dedicated to web-only content.
o Provide training for web writers.
o Write call-to-action marketing messages.
•
Information Architect (provided by SunGard Higher Education)
o Macro and Micro site content architecture.
o Service-oriented IA creation and implementation.
o Develop web properties’ hierarchical and navigational site content structure.
o Develop the architecture to support the service-oriented model.
o Advise content owners on micro-site architectures.
•
CMS Administrator (provided by SunGard Higher Education)
o Relationship owner with third-party CMS vendor.
o CMS Power-user, familiarity with technical details.
o Provides training to content owners and developers.
•
Customer Liaison
o Requirements gathering.
o Point of contact, requirements changes.
•
Web Developer (provided by SunGard Higher Education)
o Programming support
o CMS & API programming support.
o Web applications development.
o Advanced front-end development.
With its new organizational structure, the Marketing Department will be positioned to:
•
•
2
Serve as the Subject Matter Expert on issues related to branding, messaging, web marking, and web
content management.
Be the single source of direction, oversight and ownership of the entire public facing web presence.
These are not actual positions with a one-to-one relationship to available personnel; they are responsibilities
separated into key roles in which one person may be able to fulfill more than one role.
23
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
•
•
•
•
Provide support for marketing, Web development, graphic design, and content creation, including
copywriting and search engine optimization to the Web content owners at Brookdale.
Implement and manage a web content review and approval process to ensure that content in
compliance with branding, messaging, format and quality standards.
Publish the following standards according the policies set by the Steering Committee:
o Branding and Messaging Guidelines;
o Writing for Web Guidelines;
o Social Media Guidelines
o Official web content templates.
Develop and facilitate training to certify that Web Content Owners are knowledgeable in how to follow
the guidelines and effectively utilize the Content Management System.
OIT should continue to serve in an infrastructure and technical support capacity for the newly defined
Marketing Department.
TECHNOLOGY
The section that follows outlines technology requirements and recommendations for the Brookdale website for
the top three items discussed during the discovery sessions, Content Management System, Events and
Calendar Solution, and Analytics. The section will provide a high level overview of the needs and
recommendations. Further detailed recommendations and selection of specific technological solutions will
take place during the actual project implementation phase.
CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
As the Web has grown, the requirements of developing, managing and maintaining a robust, user-centric
website have drastically changed. Users demand more from a website than simply browsing information,
they are now seeking engaging content that is customized and tailored to their needs. These users require
timely, fresh, and pertinent content on a consistent basis. As the expectation of the end users has evolved,
so has the need to more efficiently manage and maintain the multiple applications and web features required
to build a modern and successful website.
Modern content management systems provide a powerful platform and will go beyond basic page and HTML
management. Modern content systems allow customization of templates and themes in an approved
manner, provide opportunities for plug-ins and modules to supply and modify content, organize content into
logical groupings beyond just the structure of where it resides in the hierarchy of pages, and allow an ease of
use for content providers.
During the project implementation phase, a detailed review of content management systems will be
conducted. The final content management system recommendation will align the goals and requirements of
the Web Project with the features and capabilities of the selected platform. A detailed review of required
features will be used to build a selection matrix that will drive the final decision.
CALENDAR AND EVENTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
There are many open source and closed source options available for calendar and events management for
websites. Our initial review of requirements from content contributors and discussions with IT staff, we
would recommend a solution based on the open source content management system, WordPress, and
extended with a module, Events Calendar Pro.
This recommendation will allow for federated management of events, categories, tags, taxonomies. Content
contributors will be allowed to create single events, recurring events, and in the future could integrate the
events system with an online e-commerce ticket selling solution.
Events Calendar Pro is a highly customizable solution, provides robust out of the box display options, and
provides developers with a programing interface that can be used to add on / modify any feature that
Brookdale would require in the future.
24
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
WEBSITE ANALYTICS
During the discovery session, almost every group met with discussed the requirement for effective, easy to
use website analytics software. During the project implementation phase, a detailed comparison will be
completed based on the following feature requirements.
Features
• Multiple Site Monitoring
• Customizable Dashboard
• Bot and Spider Filtering
• Social Media Monitoring
• Detailed Visitor Information:
o Browser
o Geographical Location ( Country, State, Zip Code )
o Browser Features (JavaScript, Flash, etc.)
o Operating System
o Language
• Detailed Statistics:
o Time on page
o Bounce Rates
o Entry / Exit Pages
o Time on Site
o Visits Per Day
o Unique Visitors
o Returning Visitors
o Traffic Sources
• Report Scheduling / Saved Reports
• Real Time Data
• Integrated with Content Management System
• Campaign Tracking / Conversion Reports
• Cost
• Various File Export Options
• HTTPS Compatible
There are various paid and free options available which will meet the requirements outlined above. On initial
review of the requirements for Brookdale, WebTrends and Google Analytics are two recommended options for
an analytics solution. Detailed analysis and final selection will be completed once final a final decision has
been made on the content management system.
PROJECT ROAD MAP
Task / Activity
Resource(s)
Notes
Project Governance/Scope
Steering Committee / Web
manager
Must be done first. All else
follows / builds on.
Project Communication
Web manager / staff designate
select & design - technical
support from Technology
Services
Collaboration site must be
done early. Difficult to
retrofit after project has
started. For continuity, start
early.
25
BROOKDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – WEBSITE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
Immediate follow on the
scoping.
Web Site Branding
Web manager / staff designate
Audience Engagement Life cycle
Documentation
Information architect /
associated staff / interns
Content Catalog
Information architect /
associated staff / interns
Can be done in parallel with
branding.
Information Architecture
Information architect
Follows branding and
documentation efforts.
Content Management System ( CMS
) and associated Technology
Selection
Web manager / Web Committee
- technical support from
Technology Services
Should follow Information
Architecture step - but can
begin earlier.
CMS Installation, Web Site Feature
Development
CMS admin - technical support
from Technology Services
CMS Templates
CMS admin & designer
Content Provider Training
Content Contributors
Content Generation
Content Contributors
Web Site Pilot / Mock Release
Web services team
Finalize release schedule
Web services team
Release
Web services team
Can begin before final
templates are complete.
26