How Missouri State University Enhanced Its Virtual Tour Experience to Boost Inquiries
Large Public Institution Using Appily Tours
- type
- Large Public
- location
- Southeast
- undergraduates
- 27,000+
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Challenge
As more prospective students delay in-person visits and rely on digital tools to search for colleges, Missouri State University recognized the urgent need to keep its virtual tour experiences relevant and engaging.
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Specialty Tour Enhancements
In early 2024, Missouri State revitalized their College of Business Virtual Tour with thoughtfully curated stops and refreshed imagery. These improvements aligned with a broader marketing initiative that encompassed both digital advertising and print promotions. The upgrades highlighted the university’s commitment to innovation through the introduction of several exciting new stops:
- McDonald Entrepreneurship Lab
- Merchandising and Fashion Design Lab
- Linda Bailey Interior Design Studio
- Judy and Mike Breeding Accounting Analytic Lab
These enhancements drove measurable impact within one year. The College of Business tour experienced a 12.7% increase in inquiries and a 16.1% higher inquiry rate, indicating improved visitor-to-lead conversion.
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Main Tour Enhancements
At the same time, the admissions team improved their Main Virtual Tour to provide a more immersive experience for all visitors. They added new content, improved their photo captions, and introduced an interactive inquiry form to boost engagement.
Other key updates to the main tour included:
- Expanded Content: Immersive stops that showcase cutting-edge facilities, paired with interactive media galleries.
- Improved User Experience: Clearer audio guides, embedded videos, and informative text callouts that enrich visitor interaction.
- Visual and Functional Enhancements: Brighter CTA button colors and captions in action zones that increase clarity and accessibility.
- Technical Fixes: Repaired broken video links and optimized Google Maps locations to streamline navigation.
These changes resulted in notable year-over-year gains, including a 9.7% increase
in inquiries and a 17.6% higher inquiry rate.
Missouri State University’s Virtual Tour
Interactive motion graphics and embedded videos bring key locations to life, helping students better understand program options and facility features, while live demos from professors give students a firsthand look at classroom environments and foster a more personal connection.
