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Eduventures Research Finds Aspects of College Continuing Education Web Sites Hindering Recruitment Efforts

Boston, MA (PRWEB) November 14, 2007 -- A new study from Eduventures - Optimizing School Web Sites as a Marketing and Recruitment Tool (Part II) - indicates that while prospective adult students generally believe that college and university continuing and professional education (CPE) Web sites are effective in assisting them with their enrollment decisions, a number of areas need improvement, chief among them content, multimedia features, and search functionality.

The first-of-its-kind report is based on survey results, interviews, and analysis of real-world trial visits to CPE Web sites by more than 500 prospective adult students. Study participants' experiences indicate that CPE Web sites generally feature strong calls to action, navigation, and aesthetics, but often come up short with respect to content, multimedia features, and search functionality.

While a high percentage of students - 94% of those surveyed - agreed that information on cost is an important focus of their Web site visits, only 59% reported that this information was satisfactory upon visiting actual sites. Similarly, only 56% of study participants felt that the sites' photos and images were "interesting and relevant" and only 63% found their search functionality to be useful.

The report recommends that college deans and directors take steps to improve the quality and depth of Web site content - specifically information related to tuition and fees, schedules and times, and credit transfer policies; incorporate multimedia features that resonate emotionally with prospective students; and upgrade in-site search functions, particularly those used for sorting programs and courses.

According to Sean Gallagher, Program Director and Senior Analyst of Eduventures Continuing and Professional Education Learning Collaborative, understanding how prospective students use Web sites is critical to determining marketing strategies and to ensuring that site visits meet student needs and expectations. "The Web site is a window into the institution," said Gallagher. "In the students' eyes, a quality Web site reflects the quality of the learning experience."

The Optimizing School Web Sites as a Marketing and Recruitment Tool (Part II) study is available exclusively to Eduventures Continuing and Professional Education Learning Collaborative membership. Part I of this three-part series on the role of college and university CPE Web sites and prospective adult students' experiences with them provided key recommendations from secondary research; the final report explored channels through which students arrive at CPE Web sites, including search engines and colleges' main home pages.

About Eduventures, Inc.

Eduventures is the industry leader in collaborative research and consulting for higher education. Eduventures is committed to providing colleges and universities with cost-effective, data-driven research and analysis designed to improve critical operations and practices. More than 300 higher education institutions participate in one or more of Eduventures' six Learning Collaboratives: Continuing and Professional Education, Development, Enrollment Management, Online Higher Education, Schools of Education, and Student Affairs. These collaboratives provide members with research reports on current trends and issues, custom analysis and implementation support, including opportunities to network with fellow professionals. More about Eduventures can be found at www.eduventures.com.

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