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Better Serving Prospective Students with Refreshed Landing Pages

The SHSU Online Promotions Team is implementing a new, student-focused Program Landing Page (PLP) design. The pages are designed to cater to both prospective students early in their decision-making process and developed to be accessible for students, staff, and faculty who access the university’s pages in a variety of ways.

By building a comprehensive information strategy based on student needs while utilizing inclusive, often subtle, design elements, the Promotions Team developed a set of templates that highlight essential information and provide a quick reference for students, staff, and faculty.

The refreshed Program Landing Pages display the important information prospective students are looking for, in one easy to scan page. Key call-to-actions are front and center, along with the degree program's classification, delivery options, and a link to an overview video.

A side by side comparison of the previous PLP template from 2015 and the refreshed 2018 template.

View a full-screen comparison of the previous landing page design and the refreshed look rolling out this summer.

Information and Student Needs

The most apparent changes to the PLPs are the organization and presentation of information to prospective students. In the early stages of choosing a university or degree, students primarily look for an easily scannable overview of the programs available. This redesign focuses the student’s attention on the most important information such as program features, a summary of the program requirements, and application deadlines. Most importantly, the next step in the student’s decision-making process — requesting more information — takes prominence at the top of the page, right under the program title.

For students who want to dig deeper into the culture of their chosen academic department, are curious about the availability of financial aid, or wish to review similar degrees, they can navigate to that information using the in-page menu.

The new PLP displayed on an iPhone X.

The new PLPs are responsive, ensuring information is organized and displayed in the most useful way, no matter the device.

Inclusivity and Standards

Less visible to the casual visitor, the new pages now meet or exceed current web and accessibility standards. Students at multiple levels of capabilities can now find the information they need through the technology they are most comfortable using. In the redesigned pages, flexible visual elements replace rigid page-structures to work across different devices and screen resolutions. This strategy means that students who prefer reading at larger text sizes, as well as students on mobile devices, can access the pages without discomfort or inconvenience. Everything from the structure of the HTML code to the contrast ratio of the text and links works toward a better student experience for all students.

Undergrad PLPs Are Live; Graduate PLPs Are Rolling Out Now

The Online Promotions Team dedicatedly serves prospective students and seeks to help students of all abilities through their decision-making process. The updated undergraduate PLPs rolled out in the spring, and the team is working with graduate-level stakeholders to ensure page content is correct and up-to-date.

At the time of publication, graduate-level criminal justice and education Program Landing Pages have rolled out, with the remaining colleges expected to roll out weekly throughout the remainder of the summer.

If you have any questions about Program Landing Pages, please contact Jana Richie, Director for Program Coordination and Strategic Support, at janarichie@shsu.edu.