create a solid strategy FOR YOUR WEBSITE AGA SIUDA design principal | KATHERINE TILL Senior visual designer BROOKE HANSEL business development manager

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[ AGENDA ] Content is King §  How to create most effective messaging and information architecture §  Why your site navigation matters

The Power of Simplicity §  Why it’s good to keep your main calls to action direct §  Brand clarity §  Design principles rediscovered – think mobile first!

UX Design §  Tips on creating more user-friendly interfaces §  How to engage and interact with your audiences

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[ CONTENT IS KING ] Tell the story. YOUR story. §  Highlight your unique value and brand qualities right on the home page §  Use direct language that defines “what’s in it for me” for the prospect

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[ CONTENT IS KING ] Tell the story. YOUR story. §  Use multimedia and interactive design elements to keep the user

engaged

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[ CONTENT IS KING ]

Full Sail University uses video in the slideshow area to give a look into an every day student life at Full Sail.

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[ CONTENT IS KING ] Tell the story. YOUR story. §  Structure the content hierarchy on each page based on your users main

tasks and needs. §  Not everything can be equally important. Prioritize for maximum impact.

For an example of strong content hierarchy and clarity, see Lenoir-Rhyne University website at http://www.lr.edu/

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[ CONTENT IS KING ] Tell the story. YOUR story. §  Structure the content hierarchy on each page based on your users main

tasks and needs. §  Not everything can be equally important. Prioritize for maximum impact. §  Take it a step further and expand your story beyond the main home

page. Develop Admission websites, like this one for TCU Admissions: http://viewbook.tcu.edu/

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[ CONTENT IS KING ] Create a pathway for your users. §  Your main website navigation is there to help you get your users to the

right places on your website.

guide them. Probability of success drops from 64% to 28% when we go from an easy to a difficult search problem. [ Converting Search into Navigation: http://www.nngroup.com/articles/search-navigation/ ]

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[ CONTENT IS KING ] Create a pathway for your users. §  Keep the naming conventions consistent with your brand tone but

intuitive and simple. §  Think about how navigation options will be presented on mobile §  Look at your Google Analytics to see what people are searching for the

most and offer that content to them in the navigation. §  TEST IT! Running a quick card sorting exercise with even a small group

of users can tell you what is intuitive to them so you don’t have to guess. Use an online tool like Optimal Workshop

When appropriate, show off your uniqueness within your navigation by highlighting your specialty.

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[ SIMPLICITY ] Keep your calls to action easy to understand. §  Unless it is part of your branding and you know your audiences will

understand it, keep your main calls to action simple. For example, some clients may use MY “UNIVERSITY” to give access to a student portal, while others will simply offer “LOGIN” as a point of entry.

the power of

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[ SIMPLICITY ] Keep your calls to action easy to understand.

the power of

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[ SIMPLICITY ] Communicate the main idea about your brand. §  It is important to let the prospects know how you are DIFFERENT from

your competitors. §  Form a concise statement, in which you communicate your PROMISE

to your constituents. §  Answer WHY should I go there or donate to them. §  Toot your own horn a little. Show off statistics that you are proud of in

an INFOGRAPHIC format.

the power of

38 STATE Championships

**** SINCE 2000 ****

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[ SIMPLICITY ] The mobile first concept. §  Explore LIMITATIONS and POSSIBILITIES of both, mobile and desktop

design §  Think through how to ORGANIZE content and actions on mobile when

designing your site §  Create a solid information architecture that uses clear labeling and is

INTUITIVE to your audiences §  Maintain clarity and FOCUS

§  While mobile users today expect to find the same content as on your desktop website, decide if it makes sense to alter some content areas to present information in an easier to access format.

the power of

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[ SIMPLICITY ] The mobile first concept.

the power of

http://xkcd.com/773/

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[ UX DESIGN ]

Improving the usability

[ease of use]

Human-computer interaction

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[ UX DESIGN ] Have you performed user testing on your website?

14%

86%

YES

NO

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Quick tips for creating a better user experience.

§  Think like your users. §  Analyzing your audiences and their tasks will help you

prioritize content and decide on how to present it. User personas to help you better identify with your users.

§  Use Google Analytics to discover specific details about how your users interact with your website.

§  Google Analytics allows you to see things like mobile/non-mobile visitors, top pages visitors enter your site through (i.e. landing pages), how long they stay on your site and how many pages they visit that will help you gauge their user experience. What's even better is that you can track how often visitors are reaching an important page - like your donation form - which helps you judge how successful you are at driving conversion paths (this is done through Google Analytics' goals)

[ UX DESIGN ]

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Quick tips for creating a better user experience. §  It is OK to make them click more than twice, as long as the user path is

logical and easy to follow.

[ UX DESIGN ]

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Quick tips for creating a better user experience.

§  Let them play and explore but always give them an easy access back to the home page

§  Less is more when it comes to presenting action items.

[ UX DESIGN ]

Experience our beautiful campus and meet our

students. Schedule a tour of the school by clicking

here.

VS TAKE A TOUR

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Quick tips for creating a better user experience.

§  Give users choices in how they consume content §  For example, use short videos in addition to text descriptions

§  Try using Vine, a short-form video sharing service, to communicate with prospective students. For example, it can be a great way of establishing an emotional connection by giving them a glimpse into your campus life.

[ UX DESIGN ]

website SLAM

Thank you for attending

create a solid strategy FOR YOUR WEBSITE AGA SIUDA design principal | KATHERINE TILL Senior visual designer BROOKE HANSEL business development manager