With fall just around the corner, students are eagerly getting ready for college. Across the board, student enrollment has been on the decline since 2010, but there is good news on the horizon. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, undergraduate enrollment is expected to increase by 14 percent between 2015 and 2026. We know that colleges and universities are excited for this new trend. We are too.
Knowing that enrollment numbers are projected to increase, what can you do to prepare your higher institution for success? Check out our tips for boosting enrollment numbers.
Give Your Website Some TLC
When was the last time you checked on your website? Your website is usually the first place prospects visit when they want to learn more about you. Making a great first impression is crucial, otherwise prospects may not consider you for their educational futures.
As you review your website, look at it from a prospect’s point of view. What information can you give that will help them convert? Most students like to know program costs, program lengths, and the credentials they will receive upon completion.
Also, don’t forget the basics of delivering a good user experience. Your site should be easy to navigate and include simple forms, relevant content, fast load times, and cross-browser compatibility.
Increase Conversions on Social Media
Social media is a great tool for your college or university. With thousands of students on campus, plus sports teams, campus clubs and a full staff, you should have no problem filling out your social profiles with new, interesting content.
There’s more to social media than being social, of course. You should also be seeing conversions from your social posts. Provide your followers with engaging content, program offerings, student experiences and more so that they have many opportunities to convert.
Calls to action can be helpful for this purpose. Let’s say that you create a short video that highlights your campus facilities: library, computer lab, cafeteria, bookstore, etc. To increase action, you would add a CTA that takes students to a landing page where they can sign up for a campus tour.
Identify Breaks in the Funnel
It’s not always obvious when something is preventing prospective students from converting. This is why it’s important to pay attention to key metrics. Take a look at your enrollment funnel and determine where there are breakdowns.
For example, you might have strong numbers from Click to Lead and Lead to Application, and then they trail off. What might be stopping students from submitting their application? Is it too difficult or time consuming? Is there a problem with the way the application needs to be delivered? Understanding breaks in the enrollment funnel allows you to focus on key areas that need attention.
With a new school year starting in a few weeks, it’s exciting to watch our nation’s higher institutions stabilize and grow their enrollment numbers. Which tips will you follow to increase student enrollment in the coming years?
