If you are a dedicated professional within the higher education field and you’re,well… reading an article about the digital future of higher education, you probably already understand the pivotal role of a strong long-term digital presence.
On top of having to engage the right students, secure funding, influence policy, and collaborate with stakeholders, one thing is clear – this journey is not without its challenges.
Whether it's the daunting task of planning and launching a new website, or the complexity of upgrading an existing one, handling these intricacies whilst driving strategic growth and innovation is hard, and can often be best achieved through collaboration.
Higher Education’s most important obstacles
To help shine a light on the path ahead, we’ve outlined the barriers you’re likely facing, and have accompanied them with our very own actionable solutions, empowering you to shape your digital destiny in a more controlled and supportive environment.
So you need a new website?
Presuming you’ve decided that you do, developing a completely new website from the ground up can pose a significant challenge in the context of higher education marketing.
In the process of developing a brand-new website from scratch, you’ll be facing a variety of challenges such as:
1. Attracting students overseas
Implementing enhanced multilingual functionality to create an inviting online presence that appeals to international students, helping to make your institution more accessible to a global audience.
2. Faculty engagement
Addressing the online teaching, research, and communication requirements of faculty members, fostering a robust academic environment.
3. Maintaining scalability
Anticipating future growth and accommodating a larger audience, ensuring the website's relevance and efficiency over time.
4. Marketing and recruitment
Providing a robust platform that supports effective marketing and student recruitment efforts is crucial for an institution's growth and success.
5. Website accessibility
Inclusivity goes beyond just meeting legal requirements. It enhances the overall user experience for individuals from all walks of life, ensuring equitable access to essential information and services.
6. Digital compliance
Ensuring adherence to accessibility and data standards is not only imperative to avoid legal repercussions, but it also underscores the commitment to inclusivity within higher education.
Effective cross-departmental coordination
Building a website that not only launches on time and on budget but also delivers a truly engaging user experience is far from a straightforward task. It involves navigating a complex web of internal dynamics, conflicting priorities, and technical challenges.
Within your institution, various parties and departments may be vying for control and influence over different aspects of the site. The internal IT team might seek to retain control over certain areas, while the marketing individuals require the flexibility to convey the institution's message effectively. This often leads to a tug-of-war over the website's direction, potentially hindering progress.
On top of this, the need to integrate the website with critical systems like student record databases and other university platforms can add, yet another layer of complexity.
Missed opportunities in Higher Education
Without the right technical expertise in the collaboration mix, there will be a risk that the most current, or most appropriate technology and solutions may not be considered, potentially leading to missed opportunities for innovation.
This is precisely where an external expert can prove invaluable. They can serve as a bridge, bringing all stakeholders together, offering fresh perspectives, and contributing technical expertise to ensure the website not only meets but exceeds your institution's goals. In essence, this collaboration aims to navigate the intricacies of internal dynamics and technological challenges, aligning efforts towards the common mission of increasing enrollments and inquiries, all in harmony with your institution's vision.
What if you need to upgrade an existing site?
For institutions burdened with outdated websites, keeping pace with evolving technology is not merely advisable; it's imperative.
Transitioning from legacy content management systems, (such as migrating from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 for example), often demands meticulous planning and flawless execution to guarantee a seamless transition and an uninterrupted online experience.
The decision to pursue updates and upgrades is often driven by several key factors unique to the higher education sector:
1. The need for academic research integration
In higher education, integrating academic research and scholarly content into a content management system (known as a CMS) is crucial to showcase faculty and student research, publications, and academic achievements efficiently.
2. Curriculum management and accreditation
Educational institutions face the distinct challenge of efficiently managing and showcasing their curriculum. This process ensures alignment with accreditation standards while providing transparency to stakeholders.
3. Student engagement and collaboration
Enabling student collaboration, research projects, and academic interactions through your CMS is vital for enhancing the student experience and achieving positive academic outcomes.
4. Alumni and donor engagement
The maintenance of a strong alumni network and effective donor engagement is of paramount importance in the educational landscape. Tailoring your website to support these specific needs is instrumental in sustaining successful fundraising efforts.
Digital accessibility in Higher Education
Our extensive experience working closely with Higher Education institutions has given us a deep appreciation for the importance of accessibility.
For us, accessibility isn't just a checkbox; it's an integral part of our approach. We collaborate closely with higher education institutions such as the University of Oxford, to ensure legal obligations such as accessibility standards are met.
In fact, we have an in-house accessibility expert who ensures that accessibility isn't just a consideration, but a well-planned and meticulously executed aspect of our process. Additionally, we offer comprehensive accessibility audits to help institutions identify and rectify any accessibility issues on their websites. This isn't just a service; it's a proactive step toward creating an inclusive online environment.
How we help Higher Education institutions like yours
When you partner with Versantus, you're not just getting a standard web or marketing solution; you're gaining a dedicated digital partner committed to:
Empowering communication teams
We simplify content management with our intuitive visual page builder, making it easier for your communication teams to efficiently manage and update website content.
Brand cohesion
Our close collaboration with esteemed higher education institutions, including very recently, The University of Oxford's Skoll Centre and Saïd Business School, has granted us invaluable insights into the importance of fostering a unique and ambitious brand identity.
In our work, we emphasise the significance of accentuating their distinctive online presence, aligning it seamlessly with both their individual values and the esteemed heritage of the University of Oxford.
Content personalisation
We specialise in crafting personalised content strategies that enhance your online presence, tailoring content to individual user preferences and behaviours through data analytics.
Showcasing accomplishments
We implement seamless user experiences, strong web accessibility features, and clear user journey road mapping to ensure your institution's remarkable work never goes unnoticed.
In conclusion
As a leading Drupal Agency, our central mission is to provide specialised expertise and tailor-made, data-driven solutions, purpose-built for forward-thinking institutions like yours.
Don’t feel that you need to take this path alone, collaboration, expertise and ongoing support is only a call, email (or in person coffee and chat) away.
With this in mind, we warmly invite you to reach out to us, as together, we’re confident that your digital institution's future is incredibly bright.