University Relations
Digital Design and Development
Focus Group: Fulbright.uark.edu
University Relations
Digital Design and Development
Focus Group: fulbright.uark.edu
Prepared by:
Chad Woodard, Content Strategist
M.Ed., University of Arkansas
Kelly Bostick, Training & Support Specialist
M.S., Arkansas Tech University
Contents
Executive Summary 3
Content 3
Social Media 3
Navigation 4
Detailed Findings 5
Action– Find information about scholarships offered through the Fulbright College. 5
Questions – How did you navigate to this website? Have you looked for scholarships offered by the Fulbright College? Is this page helpful? Is there anything about this page you would change? 5
Action– Find information about your area of study that interests you. 5
Questions– How did you find information about your area of study? Was this information helpful to you? Why or why not? 6
Action– Find degree requirements. 6
Question– Was everyone able to locate this information? Was this page helpful to you? What information do you want to see in a degree requirements page? 6
Question– What is your impression of this website? 7
Question– What question do you want this site to answer? 7
Question– How important is information about cost? 7
Question– Is the home page content appealing and if not, what would you like to see on the home page? 8
Question– What would bring you back to this website? 8
Question– Would you like to see more social media prominence on this page? 9
Question– How important is a website in your college decision making? 9
Question– Are you more likely to visit this website on a mobile device or a desktop? 9
Question– What are some additional things you would like to see on this website or you think would improve it? 9
Question– What do you feel is the most important information to be listed on this website? 9
Handout One 11
Research Methods 14
Research Goal: 14
Research Design: 14
How the Information Will Be Used: 14
How This Project Fits Into Our Department: 14
Expected Results: 14
Why This Method Was Chosen: 15
Focus Group Agenda: 15
Strategy for Analysis 17
Specifications for Time and Location 17
Who Fulfilled the Leadership Roles of the Focus Group? 17
Appendix A 18
Google Search Application 18
Google Analytics 18
Executive Summary
Content
All participants agreed that cost, major, scholarships – including the number of scholarships given – and how to visit the college are the most important pieces of content when visiting a university website.
All participants agreed that news and events appeal to parents and alumni but not to prospective students.
All participants agree that cost is very important and that this information should be presented.
Four out of seven participants stated that not presenting the cost is deceiving.
All participants agreed that average acceptance rates, jobs and salary information would bring them back to this website.
Five out of seven participants wanted more information about classes.
Recommendations
· Create a clear funnel on the uark.edu homepage for scholarships. See Appendix A.
· Create clear funnels on the landing page for majors, scholarships, cost and how to visit the university.
· Focus less on news and events on the landing page and create one funnel on the landing page for news and events.
· Create new program pages similar to this nursing page that provide content pertaining to acceptance rates, jobs and salary information as well as a call-to-action to apply.
· Create a spotlight on program pages with a short, professor profile and a few exciting classes with information about the class.
Social Media
Only two out of seven participants would like to see more social media integrated with the website.
All participants agreed that deadlines, i.e. scholarships, are valuable content for social media.
Recommendations
· Provide information pertaining to important deadlines on social media.
Navigation
All participants agreed that side navigation is easier to use than top navigation for a college website.
Six out of seven participants stated they would like a one-stop-shop for scholarship applications.
Recommendations
· Conduct a usability test to improve the information architecture and order of navigation items for Fulbright.uark.edu.
· Look to improve and simplify the scholarship process on all University of Arkansas sites.
Detailed Findings
Action– Find information about scholarships offered through the Fulbright College.
00:01:16
Questions – How did you navigate to this website? Have you looked for scholarships offered by the Fulbright College? Is this page helpful? Is there anything about this page you would change?
00:02:45
· Participant #1 found the site quickly by using the search bar at Uark.edu and searching for fellowship. Felt like the process was intuitive enough. Participant #2 and #7 used the same steps and agreed that the process was intuitive.
· Participant #5 found it quickly by using Google ‘University of Arkansas Fulbright College’ and then clicked on academics and scrolled to the bottom but scholarships didn’t take me anywhere after a couple of tries. Ended up searching scholarships in the site search when Google didn’t yield the correct location. The used the search bar and found it. Participant #4 did the same.
· Participant #6 stated that they scrolled a lot and did not use the tabs.
· One out of the seven participants had searched for this information before.
· All but one participants agreed that they would like a one stop shop for applications and related information. One form for all would be easiest. Six out of seven people would like a direct link to apply.
Action– Find information about your area of study that interests you.
00:07:19
Questions– How did you find information about your area of study? Was this information helpful to you? Why or why not?
00:08:48
· Participant #6 used the tabs in the top navigation starting with Social Sciences and then Psychology.
· Participant #1 and #3 also used the top navigation. Participant #3 felt that the process was4 typed in the search and looked for ceramics. Did not find class information though.
· Participant #5 could not find it by using the search bar.
· Participant #6 found it a little helpful and thought that it would be more helpful to have comparative info that is easy to find.
· Participant #7 used the side navigation and never looked at the top.
· Participant #2 and #4 found it easy and had a lot of good information.
· 5 out of 7 participants would like more information on specific classes.
Action– Find degree requirements.
00:12:06
Question– Was everyone able to locate this information? Was this page helpful to you? What information do you want to see in a degree requirements page?
00:014:20
· Participant #7 didn’t locate degree requirements. They clicked on study undergrad and then requirements and it said page not found.
· Participant #5 had to do a couple of tries. Started with degree and then went to natural sciences.
· Participant #4 search the site for degree requirements.
· Everyone things it is easier with a side navigation.
· Participant #6 found it easier.
· Participant #5 likes the Hours Needed information and likes things more broken down into chunks. All participants agreed.
· All but one participant did not like PDFs to print as forms on websites.
· All participants did not like multiple paged pdfs to print.
Question– What is your impression of this website?
00:19:26
· Participant #6 stated that it is overwhelming with information and photos which makes it very distracting. Too much clutter.
· Participant #1 prefers the sidebar. The top navigation has too much information.
· Participant #7 stated that with a little experience the site is easy to navigate and information is easy to find.
· Participant #4 stated that the top navigation should be for major categories and the side navigation to be drilled down of what you are looking at and to use the search bar for specific information. It is a lot of information.
· Participant #3 stated that the site was well organized for the amount of information it has and that the breadcrumbs help. The side navigation is easier to navigate.
Question– What question do you want this site to answer?
00:23:08
· Participant #3 feels that this site should answer what degrees are offered, what those degree requirements are, applications and scholarships. Participant #4 agrees and states that events and what is going on does not matter to him. All participants agree that the news does not apply to them.
· Participant #7 does like the stories about the scholarships. Participant # 3 thinks this pertains to parents and alumni more than it applies to perspective students. All participants agree.
Question– How important is information about cost?
00:26:19
· All participants agree that cost is very important and that putting cost up front is very important.
· Participant #5 stated that finding a cost calculator is very helpful and that there aren’t any tabs for this. It is off-putting that the cost is not given to you up front.
· Participant #6 stated that not presenting cost up front comes across as lying.
· Participant #3 stated that if the cost is hidden it appears like the fine print of a contract.
· Participant #4 stated that it is frustrating because scholarship applications ask for that information and having it in an easy chart would be very helpful.
· Four out of seven participants feel that it is deceiving to not have the cost listed up front.
Question– Is the home page content appealing and if not, what would you like to see on the home page?
00:29:32
· Participant #3 said the page flows well.
· Participant #4 likes the information but should be closer to the top. The page is laid out well.
· Participant #6 said there is a lot of blank space and it is not too cluttered but wonder if something isn’t loading when there is so much blank space.
· Participant #5 wants to know if buttons to the different majors could be added to the blank space.
· Participant #1 stated that when they searched for Fulbright it took them to the course catalog.
· 3 out of 7 participants agreed that the homepage is good for news and events.
Question– What would bring you back to this website?
00:33:02
· Participant #1 stated that the things that would bring them back are the average acceptance rates, jobs and salaries. All participants agreed.
· Participant #6 stated that future possibilities and prospects would bring them back.
· Participant #3 added that statistics would bring them back.
· Participant #2 stated that graduate school acceptance rate would bring them back.
· Participant #4 would like to see a link to degree requirements or a pdf of that.
· Participant #1 stated that having no outdated content would bring them back.
Question– Would you like to see more social media prominence on this page?
00:35:25
· Only 2 out of 7 participants would like to see more social media.
· Participant #5 stated that Facebook would be good for more on events with a content link to websites. For Instagram have eye-catching scholarship image deadline that links to websites. Participant #4 agrees.
· All participants agreed that deadlines are good content for social media.
Question– How important is a website in your college decision making?
00:38:26
· 2 out of 7 participants said that the website plays a big role in deciding but is not a deciding factor.
Question– Are you more likely to visit this website on a mobile device or a desktop?
00:40:25
· All participants prefer to use a desktop because the format is more comprehensive.
Question– What are some additional things you would like to see on this website or you think would improve it?
00:41:10
· All participants would like information on classes and professors like Rate My Professor so they now about professors teaching/learning styles.
Question– What do you feel is the most important information to be listed on this website?
00:42:11
· All participants agreed that cost, major, scholarships including number of scholarships given, and how to visit is most important.
Handout One
Demographics
Participant One
Age: 18
Gender: Male
High school grade level: Senior
Are you planning to attend college? Yes
If so, what college? University of Arkansas
Is a university website a determining factor of where you plan to attend and why? No, but it did play a small role in how easy it is to use the website making it more likely I would apply.
Participant Two
Age: 17
Gender: Male
High school grade level: Senior
Are you planning to attend college? Yes
If so, what college? Undecided
Is a university website a determining factor of where you plan to attend and why? Yes because it leaves a first impression on the looks of the school
Participant Three
Age: 17
Gender: Male
High school grade level: Senior
Are you planning to attend college? Yes
If so, what college? University of Arkansas
Is a university website a determining factor of where you plan to attend and why? Yes, because a place’s information is probably most reliable coming from itself and not other websites.
Participant Four
Age: 18
Gender: Female
High school grade level: Senior
Are you planning to attend college? Yes
If so, what college? University of Arkansas
Is a university website a determining factor of where you plan to attend and why? Yes. The website is important for researching the University quickly. Easy access to information about housing, tuition, etc.
Participant Five
Age: 18
Gender: Female
High school grade level: Senior
Are you planning to attend college? Yes
If so, what college? University of Central Arkansas
Is a university website a determining factor of where you plan to attend and why? No.
Participant Six
Age: 17
Gender: Female
High school grade level: Senior
Are you planning to attend college? Yes
If so, what college? University of Central Arkansas
Is a university website a determining factor of where you plan to attend and why? No. I like to see more of the campus environment not the website. If does make it easier if the website is easy to navigate.