At the start of 2008, Calvin College began a re-launch of its Web site spanning three phases: 1) audience research, 2) content management, and 3) continuous improvement. How did we select our goals, draft the request for proposal (RFP), pick a consultant, and bring students, faculty, and staff on board? In Boston, there will be no secrets. Gain valuable insights and a blueprint for re-launching your .EDU Web site.
10. Team Work
Working Group Steering Committee
• Keep it small • Cross-divisional
leadership (aim high)
• Cross-divisional
• Involve the faculty
• Web professionals
• Identify key stakeholders
• Has the trust of the
steering committee
11. Team Roles
Working group Steering committee
• Shapes the goals and • Acts as a sounding board
objectives for the working group
• Identify strengths and • Ensures alignment with
weakness business goals
• Recommend a course • Provides a reality check
– Political sensitivity
of action
– Budget
– Staff
17. So, what happened?
• $100,000 budget approved
• Recommended actions approved
• Web project team appointed:
– Phil de Haan, project champion
– Matt Jeltema, project manager
– Luke Robinson, Web manager
19. RFI vs. RFP
Request for Information Request for Proposal
• An invitation to share • An invitation to submit a
information and show formal proposal for work
interest in the project. on the project.
22. RFP: Executive summary
• Clearly state your request
• Provide contact information
• Outline the project’s time table
• Submission instructions
23. RFP: Terminology
• Be on the same page
– Identify common terms or roles
• Web site, Web presence, domain(s)
• Audience or end-user
• Authors or producers
– Provide a modest set of definitions
24. RFP: About the organization
• Who are you?
• Public or private?
• Where are you located?
• What are you known for?
29. The Tipping Point
Laying the Foundation
Request for Proposal
Picking a Proposal Partner
30.
31.
32. Three Finalists
• Invited consultants to campus
• Kept their names secret
• Four objectives for each interview
33. Award the Project
• Begin contact process with finalist
• Notify the runner-ups
• Celebrate the milestone
• Begin planning the kick-off
34. The Tipping Point
Laying the Foundation
Request for Proposal
Picking a Proposal Partner
Research Findings
35. How often do you use the Calvin Web site
(www.calvin.edu)?
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Prospective Current Parents Alumni Faculty, staff
students students and emeriti
and '08
grads
Daily Weekly Monthly Rarely Never NA
Calvin College Audience Research Study
J. Todd Bennett, Dotmarketing.com
36. Which of the following factors is most important
on the Calvin Web site?
(all audiences)
None or other (specify)
The site is fun and entertaining
Has an attractive visual design
Content is current and well-written
Pages load quickly
Information is easy to find
Search engine produces accurate
results
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
# of responses (n=3054)
Calvin College Audience Research Study
J. Todd Bennett, Dotmarketing.com
37. What tasks are important to you to complete on a
college Web site? Check all that apply.
(Prospective Students Only)
Apply online
Estimate costs
Top Responses
Request Info
Find Majors
0 100 200 300 400 500
# of responses (n=508)
Calvin College Audience Research Study
J. Todd Bennett, Dotmarketing.com
38. Home Page Clicks (excluding Students
& Exits)
People
Sports
News & Stories
Calendars
A-Z Index
Search
Faculty & Staff
Parents
Campaign
Giving
About
0 50000 100000 150000 200000
Off-campus On-campus
Calvin College Audience Research Study
J. Todd Bennett, Dotmarketing.com
39. The Tipping Point
Laying the Foundation
Request for Proposal
Picking a Proposal Partner
Research Findings
Next Steps
40.
41.
42. Short-term
• Focus on findability
• Incremental redesign
• Hire a full-time Web developer
43. Short-term
• Focus on findability
• Incremental redesign
• Hire a Web developer
• Continue to manage expectations and
show results
46. Long-term: Phase Two
• Content management strategy
• Governance and documentation
• Content management system (CMS)
– Focus on scalability, sustainability, and
efficiency for authors and producers
– Support the continuous improvement of
Calvin’s Web presence
Founded 1876 in Grand Rapids, MI4,100 students50% Michigan40% Out of state10% International100+ majors and minors51,000 living alumni
How it all got startedOctober 2006Matt Jeltema, Steve Ruis, Joy’l Ver Heul, Luke Robinson
1) Why are we hearing, “It’s not good enough?”2) What are the needs?3) What do we recommend?
Infrastructure basically unchanged since the late 90’sMultiple, separate solutions for a variety of problems (templates, KV, blogs, galleries, forms, e-commerce)Increasing demand and usage (35% increase per year)80% applications online90% of classes registered online$500,000 credit card transactions50% of tuition paid online
Web author challengesDecentralized ownershipToo many authorsLack of knowledge & trainingToo few resourcesNo budgetRapidly changing landscape and trendsWeb site organized by org. charts!Frustration among content editors/ site ownersNot Web communication expertsNot their primary job- lack of timeWho is the primary audience?What is appropriate to post and where?Pressure to constantly add content
Visitor’s challengesNot user-centricOrg. chart syndromeDuplicate informationInconsistent messagesToo much contentOut-of-dateLittle integration between print & WebCommunication is a one-way channel
Scope: Define the size of the project (i.e. problem)
SWOT + Team + Scope = Set GoalsWanted goals that supported each other.See this project is an ongoing program (not “launch it and forget it”)
Readjust Web organization and structure to meet audience needsRecommend technologies to meet online audience expectationsDeliverablesAudience, stakeholder, and peer research study ($45,000)Overhaul information architecture ($25,000)Recommend use of Web-centric tools ($0)Produce and rewrite content for top-tier pages ($10,000)Develop new design for top-tier pages ($5,000)Project management ($15,000)*Content is king, do not under estimate your content strategy!
Support distributed content ownersConsistently distribute college contentCentralize the site’s design (separation of content and design and behavior)DeliverablesDocumentation and governance ($10,000)Update Web Style GuideEstablish best practices and regulation for technologyBuild communications and oversight plansExpert review and assessmentSelect and implement vendor supported CMS($TBD)Stage testing environmentCustomize CMS using out-of-the-box systems and extensions or programmingIntegrate with college systemsConstruct templates and build-out top-level pagesImplement site management tools (i.e. repositories, workflow, metadata, versioning)Establish best practices and trainingBenchmark performanceProject management($TBD)
DeliverablesSustain energy moving forwardRollout CMS where appropriate (scope)Leverage our Web analyticsFocus on scalability, sustainability, and efficiency for authors and producers (training)Evaluate and recalibrate according to the college’s business effortsDefine key project roles and teams (centrally directed, loosely connected and cross-divisional)Advisory team, Director of comm. & marketing, Asst. director of info. Systems, Web manager, Web developer, Web designer, Web analyst & analytics, Web editor, Subject matter experts, Network engineer, Application administrator, Database administrator, Multimedia specialists, Training & support, Help desk
Expected benefitsIncrease in enrollment demand from improved prospect development and engagementSupport endowment giving and fostering new relationshipsEnhance efficiency, consistency, and creditabilityAlignment of external visitor’s needs with business goalsImprove in-house Web servicesReduce print and mailing costsIncrease alumni and donor satisfaction by honoring communication preferencesDemystify Web publishing (separate tech from content)Improve agility to handle future improvements
Having 3 VP’s on the steering committee was a HUGH plus
RFI includesCompany informationProducts or servicesBusiness philosophyPortfolioClients (names, testimonies)RFP includesExecutive summaryTerminologyAbout the organizationStatement of workDeliverablesCompany information
9 editions and 1 addendum
Go download it at www.calvin.edu/go/webproject
Provided a way to ask questions (we created a blog)State your deadline (yet be ready to be flexible)Request photocopies
Avoid politically sensitive labels (i.e. students as consumers)
State schools often have purchasing offices and strict bidding processes
What is your current situation?BackgroundStakeholdersBusiness model or frameworkStrengthsOpportunitiesDescribe the projectScope (size)What’s in, what’s outGoalsYour definition of successObjectives and/or DeliverablesThe necessary steps to reach a goal“Assess Calvin’s Web presence, recommend audience-focused improvements, implement recommendations to top-level Web site areas, and make recommendations for following phases.”Audience Research StudyInformation ArchitectureUser Interface (UI) Recommendations
DocumentationWritten report, presentation, research studyStrategic plansInformation architecture, content inventory, wire frames, Web design, user-interfaceRecommendationsContent, technology, work-flow, governanceWill the end product move you forward (after the consultant leaves)?Are the recommendations realistic?Insist the recommendations match your reality or detail how to make them a reality.analysis of audiences and authors related to their tasks (how they work), their needs (what tasks are required), and their interests (what sparks their curiosity). Deliverables will make recommendations for long-term organization, prioritization, and maintenance in the area of user experience (UX).
Required documentationCompany name, services, brief historyBiography of proposed team membersPortfolio of similar projects and referralsCompany staff by roleRequirements of selected finalistsDisclosure of financial statements, current or pending complains, conflicts of interest
What are we looking for in plain English:Learn how calvin.edu is being usedLearn what information/services need to be available on calvin.eduConsider how to modify calvin.edu to meet those needsConsider what we can offer via the Web site that people might not know they wantWhat is NOT part of Phase 1:Technology overhaul (i.e. Content Management System)Messaging, writing, photography, artGovernance, standardsSite construction, markupAdvantages to a 2 phase approachResearch identifies the problem and backs the solutionCosts are spread over two budget cyclesAcknowledges the ongoing maintenance (this will not be a fix-it and forget-it solution)
Who to contact?Company, Contact information, Web site, CommentsTop picks, runner-ups12 companies contacted by phone than an RFP “package”Request for ProposalView book and academic view bookMission statementThe SparkBusiness cards
All had questions about budget.One high pressure sales call (“all or nothing”)In the end, 10 proposals received.
January 28th and February 8th, 2007evaluate the consultant’s understanding of our project,assess the consultant’s relative strengths and weaknesses,evaluate a consultant's potential to continue with Phase 2 of project,ascertain the consultant’s culturally fit with Calvin.Two interviews each:Working group interview followed by lunch with steering committeeIn the end, we selected Dotmarketing.Again, plan for rejection and have an explanation ready.
Run everything past the campus lawyersHire the consultant and list them by name in your contact. Your consultant may leave the firm.
April 15-18, 20083 days, 18 separate interviews, 99 participantsStudents the hardest to recruitRecorded all meetings, have yet to listen to the .mp3’s
Lots of discussion about A-Z index, search, navigation in interviews, FG and open-ended questions. Biggest Issue. Consistent, clean, simple design also discussed at length
Calendars #1A top content draw for all audiencesEvent registration a top task for parents & alumniUsers looking for searchable and rich visual calendar