Comments on: Will Higher Ed Websites Become Irrelevant? http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/ Higher Education Web Consulting Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:24:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Charlie Melichar http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-46527 Charlie Melichar Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:57:19 +0000 http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-46527 Perhaps some of the friction here is around the word "irrelevant." Given many of the good points about old/useless content made above, one could argue that most websites already are irrelevant. Websites can be a great platform for us, in higher ed, to show that we're listening. While social media efforts are, and should be, community centered, the website is the "official" presence and, thereforce, is a source for helpful, accurate answers to the big questions and needs of those seeking information on our institutions. Unfortunately, many sites get bogged down with everything an institution wants to say and how it want to say it, without enough regard for what folks want to know and how they want to hear it. That's the key to relevance. Do that, and the website will live on... and probably have a lot fewer pages. Perhaps some of the friction here is around the word “irrelevant.” Given many of the good points about old/useless content made above, one could argue that most websites already are irrelevant.

Websites can be a great platform for us, in higher ed, to show that we’re listening. While social media efforts are, and should be, community centered, the website is the “official” presence and, thereforce, is a source for helpful, accurate answers to the big questions and needs of those seeking information on our institutions. Unfortunately, many sites get bogged down with everything an institution wants to say and how it want to say it, without enough regard for what folks want to know and how they want to hear it. That’s the key to relevance. Do that, and the website will live on… and probably have a lot fewer pages.

]]> By: Mark Greenfield - Higher Education Web Consulting » More on Higher Ed Websites becomeing Irrelevent http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1767 Mark Greenfield - Higher Education Web Consulting » More on Higher Ed Websites becomeing Irrelevent Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:56:09 +0000 http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1767 [...] Will Higher Ed Websites Become Irrelevant? [...] [...] Will Higher Ed Websites Become Irrelevant? [...]

]]> By: Clearing the cache, part 2 | higher ed marketing http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1566 Clearing the cache, part 2 | higher ed marketing Wed, 21 May 2008 13:28:22 +0000 http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1566 [...] Will higher ed websites become irrelevant? This is an old post from Mark Greenfield that I meant to discuss here but never got around to it. But there’s plenty of thoughtful commentary at the original post, so check it out. [...] [...] Will higher ed websites become irrelevant? This is an old post from Mark Greenfield that I meant to discuss here but never got around to it. But there’s plenty of thoughtful commentary at the original post, so check it out. [...]

]]> By: Mike Caulfield » Blog Archive » The Meaningless Homepage http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1177 Mike Caulfield » Blog Archive » The Meaningless Homepage Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:59:59 +0000 http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1177 [...] Good article today forwarded to me by Jenny Darrow asking whether sites like keene.edu are becoming increasingly irrelevant as marketing tools. [...] [...] Good article today forwarded to me by Jenny Darrow asking whether sites like keene.edu are becoming increasingly irrelevant as marketing tools. [...]

]]> By: Online Communications at Keene State » Diving In http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1166 Online Communications at Keene State » Diving In Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:45:32 +0000 http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1166 [...] Now, onward. Good article today forwarded to me by Jenny Darrow asking whether sites like keene.edu are becoming increasingly irrelevant as marketing tools. [...] [...] Now, onward. Good article today forwarded to me by Jenny Darrow asking whether sites like keene.edu are becoming increasingly irrelevant as marketing tools. [...]

]]> By: KSC Online Communications » Blog Archive » Diving In http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1165 KSC Online Communications » Blog Archive » Diving In Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:28:45 +0000 http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1165 [...] Now, onward. Good article today forwarded to me by Jenny Darrow asking whether sites like keene.edu are becoming increasingly irrelevant as marketing tools. [...] [...] Now, onward. Good article today forwarded to me by Jenny Darrow asking whether sites like keene.edu are becoming increasingly irrelevant as marketing tools. [...]

]]> By: Links of the Week April 18th, 2008 | .eduGuru http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1164 Links of the Week April 18th, 2008 | .eduGuru Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:28:02 +0000 http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1164 [...] Will Higher Ed Websites Become Irrelevant? - Mark Greenfield presents an argument that Higher Education Websites become irrelevant and the discussion continues into the comments. [...] [...] Will Higher Ed Websites Become Irrelevant? – Mark Greenfield presents an argument that Higher Education Websites become irrelevant and the discussion continues into the comments. [...]

]]> By: Kyle James http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1154 Kyle James Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:51:17 +0000 http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1154 Mark I think I'm going to have to go with Ryan and some of the stuff Karlyn is saying here. If the message that you are putting out on Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, or whatever ISN'T tuned with the intent of driving traffic back to your main site then it's off message. I'm not in Admission, but in my opinion, it's the Campus Visits that make or break a student as Karlyn mentioned. The website with web 2.0 stuff (insert videos, blogs, virtual tours, etc) should be to build interest and name recognition. Why is a student going to visit your school if they have never heard of it before? And the name recognition is where the social media fits in. If you can use those other sites to build a presence that stands out and get kids to click through to your main .edu site and they continue to find things they like then maybe you can 'convert' them to schedule a visit or pull the holy grail and apply. Besides if you start loading all these other sites up with content then you run into duplication and redundancy because if you don't have all this content on your main site already then well... Build the portals and let them click on through. Mark I think I’m going to have to go with Ryan and some of the stuff Karlyn is saying here. If the message that you are putting out on Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, or whatever ISN’T tuned with the intent of driving traffic back to your main site then it’s off message. I’m not in Admission, but in my opinion, it’s the Campus Visits that make or break a student as Karlyn mentioned. The website with web 2.0 stuff (insert videos, blogs, virtual tours, etc) should be to build interest and name recognition. Why is a student going to visit your school if they have never heard of it before? And the name recognition is where the social media fits in. If you can use those other sites to build a presence that stands out and get kids to click through to your main .edu site and they continue to find things they like then maybe you can ‘convert’ them to schedule a visit or pull the holy grail and apply.

Besides if you start loading all these other sites up with content then you run into duplication and redundancy because if you don’t have all this content on your main site already then well…

Build the portals and let them click on through.

]]> By: Mark Greenfield http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1153 Mark Greenfield Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:39:23 +0000 http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1153 Jeremiah, I'm not sure how familiar you are with some of the unique challenges of higher ed marketing and the web, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on if .edu sites will become increasingly irrelevant. Jeremiah, I’m not sure how familiar you are with some of the unique challenges of higher ed marketing and the web, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on if .edu sites will become increasingly irrelevant.

]]> By: Jeremiah Owyang http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1152 Jeremiah Owyang Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:33:04 +0000 http://www.markgr.com/will-higher-ed-websites-become-irrelevant/#comment-1152 Thanks for including me on this, great discussions here. Thanks for including me on this, great discussions here.

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