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.

1. Fonts are an important attribute of a Web site.  It is essential that fonts are large and clear enough for viewers to easily read.  Although it is tempting to use fancy, script-like font styles, the content’s message is lost in translation.  Not only can some fonts be hard to read, all computers do not have the same font files, causing them not to load properly.  Universal fonts are safe to use, including Arial, Times New Roman, and Verdana.  The standard font size advised is 10 point.  If you have another style or smaller size of font on your current Web site, you may want to reevaluate its use.
2. Branding is an important online marketing practice.  A company usually has a unique color scheme/logo that sets them apart.  To build more effective branding, the online presence should reflect offline marketing materials.  If different colors or images are used, consumers may become confused or think that the company is unprofessional.  If something familiar doesn’t immediately jump off the home pager, they might not even recognize you.   Always consider offline marketing materials when designing or redesigning a Web site.
3. Imagery is as important as the content of a Web site.  Results-oriented imagery is the most effective way to get the consumer’s attention.  Consumers can better relate to seeing a happy family standing outside of a brand new house rather than Joe President or Mary Saleswoman on the home page.  Imagery needs to assure consumers what they can achieve with the product or service being marketed and produce imagery that reinforces those feelings.
4. Web site content should always be in text format.  Web site content in an image-based format wards off search engines.  If you are not sure, ask your Web developer how the content is formatted.  This can seriously hinder the Web sites search engine rankings, because search spiders cannot easily pick out important keywords that are partially responsible for boosting your rankings.
5. There should never be broken links on a Web site.  It is a simple task to periodically check the links of a site to verify that they are working properly.  Broken links are a huge setback in search engine optimization, especially for an issue that can be easily monitored and fixed.
6. Clear navigation is another very important feature of a successful Web site.  Confusing navigation is a major reason why Web surfers leave Web sites.  Setting goals and tracking the steps to achieve them can help analyze the effectiveness of a site’s navigational structure.  For example, submitting a Contact Us form on a Web site is a very important goal.  Using Web statistics software, like Google Analytics, is an efficient way to track the path prospects must take to submit the form.

Creating an effective Web site can be a challenge and there isn’t a clear-cut path to success.  However, there are many aspects  you can control that will help the process.  Streamlining and regularly maintaining a Web site’s content, links, and images may not solely drive a business to become a Fortune 500 company, but it can help  to significantly increase the bottom line. Take advantage of NuRelm’s free Web Site Assessment services that can help you drive more relevant traffic to your company’s Web site.  To speak with a NuRelm representative about your Web site, please call 1-877-2NuRelm.

Open source software is not what you would expect.  Just as Wikipedia (an open, collaborative encyclopedia) has become a standard reference source for most of us surfing the Web, a number of open source software packages have become ubiquitous, trusted tools used by anyone from a lone developer to the world’s largest corporations.

In order for us to help our clients keep their costs down, NuRelm staff is constantly scouring the Web for solid, dependable, easy-to-use open source software we can recommend.  The only cost is for customization and integration into an existing Web site, which is much less than purchasing other software packages or building an application from scratch.

Whenever a client comes to NuRelm with a Web application project, the first thing we do is look for existing open source applications, rather than charging the client to “reinvent the wheel”.

One way to keep from paying too much for the software you need for your Web site is to do some research yourself on what’s out there.  Simply go to the Google (or the search engine of your choice) and see what comes up in your search. NuRelm actually does this research, free of charge, for all our clients, but it’s still a good idea to familiarize yourself with the specific open source offerings available – especially if you are working with a Web application development/Web design firm that wants to charge you a small fortune to build a routine Web application from scratch. How do you know if you are asking for a routine Web application (interactive component of your Web site) that may have an “out of the box” solution that is cheaper than what the Web application firm in question may be proposing? Do some cursory research on the Internet yourself, or call NuRelm staff at (877) 268-7356 and we’ll tell you.