NSU Florida

Undergraduate Admissions Subdomain: undergrad.nova.edu
75-page content strategy engagement including information architecture, on-page strategy, custom UI kit based on CMS capabilities, copywriting, and interactive media.

 

CHALLENGE

NSU first partnered with EAB on Enroll360 in 2016 to revamp their recruitment marketing approach and grow undergraduate enrollment. In the first three years of partnership, they achieved a 91% increase in undergraduate enrollment. While this was a revolutionary accomplishment, NSU’s leadership realized the one factor that did not contribute to their enrollment or overall brand was the school’s website.

The site had a multitude of strategic and technical issues, and the university’s team simply did not have the bandwidth or expertise to repair it. In 2019, NSU turned to EAB’s Agency team for support. To start, we did a thorough site audit and identified the following issues:

  • Low engagement traffic

  • Limited search-engine visibility

  • Disjointed navigation and website experience

  • Dry, transactional content

SOLUTION

After conducting an exhaustive baseline assessment of NSU’s site, we recommended a multiphase, comprehensive site strategy. The first phase of partnership was initiated in March of 2020. EAB applied key principles of enrollment-optimized design to develop and improve NSU’s new site in the following areas:

  • Created a centralized undergraduate experience with a dedicated subdomain

  • Introduced on-page navigation to address UX limitations of the primary navigation

  • Focused on content hierarchy and interactive features while implementing NSU’s recently updated visual design system

  • Activated website copy with strong CTAs and student focused language

  • Revised messaging to put focus on value

  • Made content real for students via testimonials

IMPACT

Nine months after the launch of Phase 1 and the implementation of NSU’s new undergraduate subdomain, the site saw a dramatic improvement in the key performance indicators below.

  • +500% Web-generated requests for information

  • +500% “Apply Now” web-generated clicks

  • +300% Average time spent on site

  • +15–50% Organic sessions (dependent on page)

  • -26% Bounce rates

In addition to the outstanding site performance results, NSU also experienced impressive downstream conversions. As a result, we have been asked to expand our engagement to support four additional NSU colleges.

17 of 75 page layouts and custom Figma library shown above.
All content was delivered in design-matched page layouts that were easily circulated for internal approval.
This was particularly important since the design style was a departure from what was present on the live site.

Partner Testimonial

Kyle Fisher, Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing, and Creative Services, NSU Florida

What blew us away was the exceptional, sophisticated, highly customized and substantive creative product we received that truly stood out from a very crowded field of competitors.

Every would-be web partner talks a great game at the pitch and then delivers a cookie-cutter solution once you sign on. EAB truly did custom build our UGA site in year one. It’s the best work my creative director & I have come across in all of our combined years in higher ed.

Not only is the site an amazing marketing tool, but it’s a 75-page web experience that is a lead generation powerhouse to this day.