CASE District II Conference Monday March 23, 2009 In December, 2004, Gettysburg College’s president directed Information Technology and the Enrollment Division to collaboratively redesign the website. If the web is truly a reflection of who we are and who we want to be, an institutional unified web strategy is critical to all institutions. The project is a model of cooperation across divisions to maximize budget impact and broad based acceptance. The session includes key players in this cooperative strategy and will review the strategy and decisions, their outcome and evaluation of their success, as well as future plans. Barbara Fritze, Vice President of Enrollment and Educational Services Gettysburg College Paul Redfern, Director of Web Communications and Electronic Media Gettysburg College Rodney Tosten, Vice President for Information Technology Gettysburg College

1. How to build, maintain, and assess
an institutional web strategy?
CASE District II Conference
Monday March 23, 2009

4. Collaboration is a key building block
– Based on Enrollment Management Model
– Builds consensus across campus
– Informed by data and research
– The VP of EES and CIO are partners
– Different viewpoints enhance the final product

5. Strong governance structure helps to
maintain for years to come
• 2004 President and PC charged the Web Task
Force with the developing and guiding the web
strategy for the college
• Since the redesign in 2006 it has continued as a
collaborative group
• Every division represented
• Vice Presidents / Associate VP / Directors

6. Information Technology Web Support
Structure
• Combine Web and MIS departments to form Data
Systems Department
• Support Institutional ERP-Type Software Applications
Web Site Related Systems
• Two major Vendor ERPs, In-House Portal, Open-
Source CMS
Maintenance and Support
• Data Movement, Upgrades, Custom Programming

7. Reshaping a traditional communications strategy
into a web 2.0 model
Shared
Social Media Resources
Online Print to
Content Digital
Video

8. gettysburg.edu Enhancement Timeline
• December 2004 – Web Redesign Project Announced
• April 2005 - Design Firm chosen
• April 2006- Video/podcasting initiative begins
• June 2006 – Hard Launch
• November 2007 – CRM myGettysburg launch
• August 2008 – Homepage enhanced
• November 2008 - Web 2.0 News Center launch
• January 2009 - Facts & Figures launch
• June 2009 – Enhanced Academic Department sites
• July 2009 – Online Alumni Magazine
• April 2010 – Enhanced Online Catalog

10. E-communications as an integrated
part of your strategy
• Relevant
• Timely
• Segmented
• Personalized

11. Social media’s role as a part of your
overall web strategy

12. How to maintain momentum following
a major redesign?
- Keep structured organization strategic and operational
• Web Task Force/Web Liaisons
- Training
• Multiple opportunities and methods
• Build in-house expertise
– Continue to leverage existing content
– Continue EES/IT partnership
– Systems Maintenance
• Multiple instances
• Upgrades
– Continue to set priorities
– Realize that your user both internal and external will become more
web savvy

13. Setting Strategic Web Priorities
Web Task Force Retreat- May 2008
• Audience landing pages
• Social Networking
• Events
• myGettysburg

14. How we measure success
• Google analytics • Admission data
• Small focus groups • Alumni data trends
• Faculty liaison group • Usability testing
Unique Web Visitors
120000
100000
80000
# of Visitors
60000
40000
20000
0
June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
2006-07 52815 51167 59625 80610 84361 76765 55848 63873 80129 81554 86675 66754
2007-08 65943 58061 65124 98071 104511 91592 67345 76080 99802 92095 105235 68109
2008-09 63907 57659 57623 100021 100067 89009 75596 78464

15. Things to Ponder…
• Who do I need at the table?
• What/Who is driving our strategy?
• What resources already exist?
• What additional resources are needed?
• How has our web audience changed?
• In which areas can we be most creative?
• What does success mean?

16. Questions
– Barbara Fritze
Vice President of Enrollment and Educational Services
bfritze@gettysburg.edu
– Rodney Tosten
Vice President of Information Technology
rtosten@gettysburg.edu
– Paul Redfern
Director of Web Communications & Electronic Media
predfern@gettysburg.edu @coachfern
http://highedwebmarketing.wordpress.com