As the world continues its mad dash toward Mobility, colleges and universities once again find themselves challenged to stay ahead of the curve. With the mobile web just a tap away, today’s students expect instant access to you and information about your institution.
Like the proverbial town crier, recruiting expert Bob Johnson, of Bob Johnson Consulting, is spearheading the conversation. He points out, “The number of people using a mobile device (mostly smartphones with small screens) to access the web will grow constantly over the next few years and is projected to pass the number of people using desk top computers by 2015. People will expect to have a mobile-friendly experience or they will not think kindly of your brand.”
Ensuring that students can get the information they want — wherever and whenever they want it — will make all the difference. Johnson advises institutions “to focus on the top tasks that potential students want to do on your website. For first time visitors, that’s finding a list of your academic majors. Be sure that’s included right on the home page of your mobile site. From a marketing perspective, that’s much more important than new news releases or your shuttle bus schedule around campus.”
So optimize your website for viewing on a mobile device. Consider building a recruitment application. Plug your staff into a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that will give them access to student records from the road. Put the upgrade to the mobile web at the forefront of your technological thought processes.
Because a school whose processes aren’t in line with a mobile marketplace could find themselves on the other side of history (or at least, not making their class this year!).
Kevin Corr
Director of Sales
TargetX
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