More links and a cleaner layout welcome visitors to ColoradoMtn.edu
After 51 weeks of service, the current home page will make way for a new design. The new home page of the Colorado Mountain College website steps up on Tuesday, June 1, 2010.
Based on user feedback, the home page was re-designed by said Web Content Editor Frank Martin in collaboration with the marketing team. The page features:
- Prominent links to class information
- Accordion-style links to collapsible menus for campuses and commonly used pages (Quicklinks)
- Prominent links to social media with large photo rollovers
- Expanded sets of links to show pages under the primary tabs
- RSS feed from eNews
The changes are in response to user traffic data, recent focus groups at the Edwards Campus and over 800 responses to a recent exit survey on the site. Practically speaking, the challenge is juggling the need to be all things to all visitors and fulfill the primary charge of the site: market the college! Consequently, several themes emerged.
Classes, classes, classes
The highest volume of users come for class-related information. Future changes on the site include: improving class search using WebAdvisor and express-checkout for non-credit classes. The new online-application launched May 19.
How can I find…
With over 1,000 pages and scores of documents, it’s an on-going challenge to show visitors where to go. The new homepage features a sitemap-like list of links. Visitors can see pages and grasp how the content is organized. Harder to find pages, such as the Webstore/Bookstore, are now linked directly from the home page.
Social Media & Marketing
Our Colorado Mountain College Facebook page has over 2,200 fans — and an untold number of lurkers. We have Flickr slide shows of International Studies trips to Guatemala and recent Outdoor Orientation trips. Our YouTube channel of videos is constantly growing. And tweets help spread the word. Our engagement with prospective students is vibrant and effective at sharing the CMC experience. Front and center placement on the home page is our emphatic invitation to get to know us. Now!
What’s the News?
A dynamic RSS from eNews puts fresh headlines on the home page. There’s also a place for teasers and links promoting special events or services. A scrolling list of open classes could spark your interest in… Culinary Bootcamp.
What’s Next?
We want feedback from visitors via the link to the suggestion form. Soon we will be reworking the Flash slide show at the top of the page, and launching a mobile Colorado Mountain College website!