Website: Strategy

1
Website Strategy Redesign 2003-04
Delivering a powerful, redesigned website that
satisfies the marketing, information management
and usability needs of the students, faculty and
community.

• Chandler-Gilbert Community College
• http//www.cgc.maricopa.edu
• Paul Nixon
• Web/Graphic Design, Media Services
• 480.732.7339
• paul.nixon_at_cgcmail.maricopa.edu

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Presentation Overview

• Importance
• History
• Current
• Successes
• Challenges
• Future
• Proposal
• Roadmap
• Next Steps

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Importance How critical is it?

• Our website is our face to the world.
• It is often the first interaction a potential
  student or member of the community has with
  CGCC.
  
• It is not only used for information, but also
• To get first impressions of the college.
• To satisfy interest from an advertisement.
• To see if the college is credible.
• To see how cool the college is.
• To see if the college is reputable and a
  high-quality educational institution.

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Importance How do we fail?

• Our website fails if we
• Do not make it easy to find and navigate the
  information our clients are looking for.
  
• Do not make a strong first impression with a
  potential students, faculty or members of the
  community.
  
• Do not impress our core target audience
  (students, faculty and community) with our web
  presence.
  
• Create brand confusion by presenting inconsistent
  versions of the same information or marketing
  messages.
  
• Do not reflect the growth, progress and positive
  changes that are underway at CGCC and its
  campuses.

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History How did we get here?

• http//www.cgc.maricopa.edu
• Website established in 1998?
• Redesigns since 1998? 0
• College website typically redesign every 3-5
  Years
  
• Website designed initially by 3rd party
  contractor
  
• Goals Web presence, functionality, usability for
  client
  
• Management 1999?-2003 by Sherri Taylor

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History How did we get here?
CGCC Current Site Design. Same basic design since
inception
New Page Management Back End
1998
2003
Redesign by year 3-5 for most institutions
Other Institutions Most Collegiate institutions g
o through redesign every 3-5 years.
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Current Where are we now?

• New page management back end
• New site and information architecture Role
  Focus Student, Faculty and Community
  
• Still have original design from 1998?.
• Needing long-term strategy and vision for website
  from design and marketing perspectives.

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Current Where are we now?

• We are overdue for a redesign.
• We must begin the work of the next visual and
  strategic direction of our web presence that
  reflects CGCCs growth and progress.
  
• Lets first look at the rationale
• Isnt our current site great? (Successes)
• Why do we need to redesign? (Challenges)

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Successes What weve done well.

• Simple, clean presentation
• Information rich
• New page management back end
• New site and information architecture Role
  Focus Student, Faculty and Community
  
• Technology usage/integration Standards based

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Challenges What are we lacking?

• Site presents branding inconsistencies with
  marketing collateral.
  
• Site lacks marketing message consistency.
• Site does not feel alive lacks soul e.g.
  daily/weekly activity.
  
• Site may fail to appeal to emerging target
  audiences technology or creativity-focused
  students and adults.
  
• Site may fail to establish credibility for
  Colleges technology, arts and marketing savvy.
  
• Site fails to engage and build a relationship
  with students and faculty on a day-in day-out
  basis.

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Challenges What are we lacking?

• Site lacks branding consistency with marketing

Marketing Collateral
Website
Inconsistent Color Palettes
Inconsistent Graphical Styles
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Challenges What are we lacking?

• Site lacks marketing message consistency

Marketing Collateral
Website
Different or lack of marketing messages on website
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Future We must progress.

• If we fail to engage our clients with our brand,
  then how can we expect them to engage us for
  their education.

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Future Where are we going?

• To fully take advantage of our public
  web-presence we must
  
• Define strategy and long-term vision of the
  website.
  
• Align our website with our current branding and
  marketing initiatives and collateral.
  
• Continue to focus on technologies that allow for
  simple page creation and content management.
  
• Bring more life to the website through news,
  personality and student involvement.

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Future Phases of Progress

• Phase 1
• Inception to Feb 2003
• Model Web presence
• Focus
• Have a web presence
• Providing information

• Phase 2
• Feb 2003-Fall 2003
• Model CMS, Style mgmt
• Focus
• Usability
• Content Management
• Self-publishing
• Standards-based

• Phase 3
• Fall 2003-Spring 2004
• Model Incorporates all disciplines. Design,
  Usability, CMS, Style and Marketing.
  
• Focus
• Mission/Vision
• Goals
• Definition/Roadmap
• Branding/Marketing
• Usability
• Content Management
• Standards-based

TODAY
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Future Phases of Progress

• Phase 1
• Inception to Feb 2003
• Model Web presence
• Focus
• Have a web presence
• Providing information

• Phase 2
• Feb 2003-Fall 2003
• Model CMS, Style mgmt
• Focus
• Usability
• Content Management
• Standards-based

• Phase 3
• Fall 2003
• Model Incorporates all disciplines. Design,
  Usability, CMS, Style and Marketing.
  
• Focus
• Mission/Vision
• Goals
• Definition/Roadmap
• Marketing
• Usability
• Content Management
• Standards-based

Phase I 1998-2003
Phase 2 2003-04
Phase 3 2004-???
Phase 4
Web presence (Provide Information / Serve Clients)
Content Management Publishing System (Templates /
Includes)
Publishing System (Uploads / Weblog)
CSS (Easy color, style changes)
Re-evaluate Mission, Value, Long-term Goals
Define and roadmap Web strategy
TODAY
Survey site usage, requirements and buzz about
the old site
Determine marketing and branding direction.
Create new design, gather feedback and move
forward.
Implement Phase 3 website re-design.
Define Phase 4
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Proposal What we can deliver.

• A powerful, redesigned public website that
  satisfies the marketing, information management
  and usability needs of the students, faculty and
  community.

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Proposal What we can deliver.
Sample concept. Simply for visualization
purposes. NOTE Does not take into account miss
ion, objectives and other design parameters.
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Proposal What we can deliver.
A fresh, clean website with modern look and feel
consistent with our brand, vision and marketing
materials.
Marketing consistent with other collateral.
Color palette consistent with other collateral.
Soul, life. A website that feels alive with fresh
news information that brings faculty and
current students back often.
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Roadmap How we will get there.

• Goal Fall 2003-Spring 2004
• Re-launch

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Roadmap How we will get there.

• Path A phased project approach to the
  redesign.
  
• Understanding Phase (1-2 months)
• Goals, objectives, mission and audience.
• Concept Phase (2-3 months)
• Site Definition Planning, Info Arch, Site
  Design
  
• Build Phase (3-4 months)
• Site construction, testing internal feedback
• Launch Phase (1 month)
• Site marketing
• Evaluation Phase (1-3 months)

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Next Steps Where do we start?

• Immediate feedback from departments.
• High-level discussion/approval.
• Begin Understanding Phase by March 15, 2003.