Technology Alphabet Soup

Paul RedfernDirector of Web Communications &

Electronic MediaGettysburg College

Introductions

• My background

• Gettysburg College

• Gettysburg Web Structure

• What do you hope to get out of today?

Questions for today

• What do you need to know to maximize the impact on your institution?

• What should you be thinking and asking about as it relates to your institution?

• What are strategies for benchmarking and assessing the impact of these tools?

What do you need to know to maximize the impact on your

institution?

The world of web 2.0

• The web used to be a place where information was provided - now the web is interactive

• Authenticity– Blogs– Youtube

• User Generated Content - Comments- Rating- Share

What are the buzz words we use?• CMS

• E-communication

• CRM

• Portals / Online Communities

• Social Networking

CMS

• Content Management System

– Trend in higher education web redesign

– Costs vary between systems

– Decentralized way to manage web content

E-communication

• Many different tools and costs

• E-mails / E-postcards / E-newsletters

• Sends and manages mailing lists

• Provides data on opening rates and where recipients click to and from a campaign

CRM

• Customer Relationship Management

• Many different definitions

• Used by higher ed at varying levels

• Manages interactions between a customer and the institution

• Examples – Amazon & Netflix

Portals & Online Communities• Gateway provided by the College

• Multiple audiences use multiple vendors

• Different look and feel from public website

• Personalized

• Provides Services

Social Networking

• Networking opportunity offered by a third party

• All audiences are participating

• Examples – Facebook / mySpace

– Gettysburg Class of 2012 – 131 members– Gettysburg College Alumni – Over 800 members

What do you need to know to maximize the impact on your

institution?

Questions/Discussion

What should you be thinking and asking about as it relates to your

institution?

Gettysburg College Web Decision Making Philosophy• Strategic

– What technologies give us the most return on the investment of our time and money?

• Execution

– What can we execute well?

How do we execute the philosophy?• Resources

– How do we take advantage of current resources?

– Do they need to be realigned?

– Which ones do we need to advocate for?

• Data and Assessment

– Data (user data & focus groups) drives decision making

– Use benchmark data to assess decisions

Gettysburg TimelineDec 2004 – Presidential decision to redesign web

June 2006 – Launched new redesign/CMS

June 2006 – Added Web Communications Office / web budget

2006 – 07 School Year – Started incorporating video & podcasting

May 2007 – Added integrated E-communication tools

July 2007- Realigned communications resources to support web

Fall 2007 – Launched CRM prospective students/alumni

Winter 2007/Spring 2008 – Starting to add Web 2.0 tools

Where are the gaps?

• Intentionally

– Social Networking

– Blogs

• We can’t execute

– Print to Digital

– Print on demand

What can we do better?

• Video– Using youTube– More Authentic

• Connecting print and web– Reusing content– Alumni Magazine

What should you be thinking and asking about as it relates to your

institution?

Questions/Discussion

What are strategies for benchmarking and assessing the

impact of these tools?

User Data

• Hits - Unique visitors - Time on site

Macro Data

Detailed Data

Other Data

• How do we measure success of redesign?– 15% increase in applications for admission– 133% increase in number of online gifts– 85% increase in total amount of online gifts– 75% increase in Conservatory Auditions

Focus Group Data

• Prospective Students

• Current Students

• Faculty

• Staff

• Alumni

What are strategies for benchmarking and assessing the

impact of these tools?

Questions/Discussion

Questions for today

• What do you need to know to maximize the impact on your institution?

• What should you be thinking and asking about as it relates to your institution?

• What are strategies for benchmarking and assessing the impact of these tools?

Thank you

Questions / Discussion

Paul Redfern

Director of Web Communications & Electronic Media

Gettysburg College

predfern@gettysburg.edu