1.) Recruitment- With close to 80% of the American population online, it is safe to say that most college-bound kids use the Internet to research where they would like to attend school. A college’s Web site is the most important tool for informing prospective students about available programs of study, campus atmosphere, locations, social scene, and much more. Not only is a highly searchable Web site key, a corresponding online marketing campaign is also very important. In some geographic areas, there could be multiple colleges battling for student enrollment. By increasing Web site traffic and visibility online, chances are that your college will beat out the competition. How? Some great ways to increase traffic is through search engine optimization. One program to check out, Google Adwords, is a pay-per-click ad campaign manager that helps boost search engine rankings by the keywords people use to surf the Net. Not only is Adwords an effective solution, it is also budget-friendly.
2.) Scheduling- Online course catalogs allow students to view available programs, choose dates and times, and check if a particular class is at capacity. Most institutions use separate systems to enroll students in classes, however online catalogs can be integrated into existing systems to enable students to enroll themselves online. Click Here to check out a great example of an online course catalog NuRelm developed for the Community College of Beaver County.
3.) Staff Communication- Students are not the only ones relying on the Web. Teachers and faculty can use the Web to make their jobs easier as well. Intranets are a great way to give staff access to all the information no one else needs to see. Policies, procedures, and grade books are just a few items that can be stored on a college-wide intranet.
4.) Event Management/Important Bulletins- With the use of content management software, updates to the Web site can be instantaneous. If important events or disastrous situations occur, the Web site can act as an instant mass communication tool. Content management tools allow for all administrators to control content on the Web. Some colleges elect an IT person to make content changes because of the required technical knowledge, however that knowledge is not needed with a CMS tool. NuRelm has set up several Online Demos to show you the ease a CMS offers. Not only does it enable the right people to make changes, it helps promote consistency throughout the site to give a more professional appearance.
5.) Online Classes- E-learning is a widespread education tool today. E-learning applications can eliminate many costs involved with physical classes. More students can learn with less teachers, reducing salary expenses. Since most applications are built with customized reporting tools, manual grading is practically eliminated. For the working adult who would like to further his/her education, E-learning is the best solution.
Spark any ideas? If your college isn’t utilizing their Web site to eliminate manual processes or you think that more could be done, please contact NuRelm for ideas at 1.877.268-7356 ext. 204 or check out NuRelm’s Website assessment page for a free Web site assessment.
Heather Jewell is the VP of Business Development of NuRelm. As an integral part of NuRelm's Online Marketing department, she has an extensive background in promoting Web sites and writing for the Web. NuRelm is a Web software and services firm that focuses on helping non-technical professionals utilize on the Web to build business. For more information, please visit www.NuRelm.com.