Web and Mobile Presence Audit
Evaluate your web presence and program landing pages
In response to community colleges’ growing interest in optimizing their online presence, the Community College Executive Forum has developed Web and Mobile Presence Audits that evaluate partners’ unit websites and program landing pages. Audits review partners’ desktop web presence and/or mobile sites.
Areas audits evaluate
Homepage usability
This portion evaluates the visual appeal and design of the website. Students simultaneously search a half dozen (or more) websites at any given time. Students invest considerable time and independent energy in an education search as long as they are reasonably confident that they can easily find the information they seek.
Homepage content
This section evaluates the findability and completeness of information provided on the homepage. For students who are just beginning their education search or students looking for specific information, it is important that they can easily locate certain pieces of content. For a student looking more critically at a program, they will be more concerned about the completeness of the content provided.
Landing page content
Landing page reviews evaluate the findability and completeness of information provided on a specific program landing page. Landing page viewers must easily find complete information on the program and how the program addresses the student shopper’s needs.
Calls to action
Website calls to action include calls that address general concerns (e.g., request for information) or specific concerns (e.g., avenues to ask personal questions), and tools that enable students to commit to a program (e.g., application or enrollment option).
Testimonials
Audits evaluate the presence and quality of testimonials on the homepage and program page. Absent a friend of colleague who has attended a continuing education program, prospective students rely on testimonials for approval from “a person like them.” Students perceive testimonials as similar to trusted “word-of-mouth” recommendations.
Mobile optimization
Finally, audits consider how the homepage translates to mobile formats.
We’ve created a sample of the Web and Mobile Presence audit. After reading the sample, if you are a Strategic Advisory Services for Community Colleges partner and are interested in launching your own web and mobile presence audit, please fill out the form below.
Your Strategic Leader will follow up to discuss the current state of your website and your goals for the audit. You will also be able to choose two program landing pages that our research team will audit, in addition to your institution’s homepage.