Colleges and universities have more competition than ever before, especially in the digital space. With alternative options, from remote education portals to independent trade learning opportunities, students can access knowledge faster and more easily these days. However, educational institutions can improve their performance online if they switch to responsive website design.
Students Use Their Smartphones for Education
A growing number of people use mobile devices to research education and to take courses.
The Pew Research Center reports that 30 percent of all smartphone owners have used their phones to look up information on educational resources or to take a class. With many students juggling school, work, family, and other obligations, they’re on the go more frequently. Since they carry their smartphones more than their laptops, they depend on them as resources.
Responsive design ensures a website functions optimally across all platforms and devices. The site’s design shrinks to fit a smartphone screen and expands when viewed on a larger device. By utilizing responsive design in your higher education marketing campaign, you’ll immediately tap into a market that uses mobile technology more than the alternatives.
Younger People Use Mobile More Often
According to Comscore, the most avid smartphone users are between 18 and 34 years of age. While an individual can pursue higher education at any age, it’s important to focus on your core audience when developing a higher education marketing strategy. If your target market accesses your website from their smartphones, you don’t want to make it more difficult for them to do so.
You Have Competition
Higher education institutions can compete more easily when they implement responsive design principles on their websites.
University Business reveals that, in 2012, only 15 percent of surveyed institutions had implemented responsive design on their websites. In 2013, more than 50 percent of respondents had upgraded to responsive design. As responsive web design becomes increasingly ubiquitous, higher education institutions must upgrade their own systems to compete.
Not only must you compete with other higher education institutions, but you also have to compete against individuals selling private courses and trade schools offering distance learning courses. Additionally, self education has become much easier thanks to the wealth of free information available on the Internet.
Any competitive advantage you can give your college or university helps. It starts with a higher education marketing strategy that incorporates responsive design.
Template: Website Redesign Request For Proposal (RFP)
Responsive Design Matters All the Time
While most of the benefits of responsive website design concern mobile device usage, it’s actually more important than that. No matter how potential students access your website, you’ll fare better in the search engines if you’re using responsive design.
As of February 2015, Google penalizes websites with static design and rewards those that adopt responsiveness. If you want to rank for your top keywords in your higher education marketing campaign, you’ll need to upgrade your website.
If you want to optimize your higher education website, contact us to discuss your specific needs. We can help you make sure that your school’s website reaches as many prospective students as possible.
