University websites have come far in the past two decades. Early on, higher education websites were little more than digital brochures offering a few pages with simple text that read, “Welcome to the University.” Over time, needs evolved (and user interfaces). Today, a well-designed university website can make all the difference in engaging an audience.

If you’re planning a redesign, you already know this is more than a cosmetic refresh. Your website needs to do more than look good—it needs to work hard. It’s where students decide if they can see themselves at your school. It’s where parents look for confidence in their investment. It’s where faculty, staff, alumni, and donors stay engaged.

You want to impact your audience so that they take the next step—whether that be applying to your university or learning more about your programs. Let’s evaluate several considerations to ensure your new university website design aligns with institutional goals and provides the best experiences for your audience. Here’s what you need to know before you start.

1. Understanding Your Goals and Objectives

Before diving into design and development, define the purpose of your redesign. How do you want to showcase your institution’s unique brand and mission?

Ask yourself: Why now? What institutional goals are driving this project? Are you aiming to boost enrollment, improve the student experience, or strengthen faculty engagement? Understanding these objectives puts your project on the path to becoming a strategic tool that serves your university’s mission and achieves its goals.

2. Strategizing Content for Your Audiences

Content is at the heart of your website—it informs, engages, and inspires the people who visit it. As you prepare for a redesign, take a close look at your existing content. Is it relevant, accurate, and engaging? Consider conducting a content inventory to identify what should be kept, updated, or discarded. In the next rendition of your university website design, strive for clear, concise, and compelling messaging that reflects your institution’s values and goals.

Keep storytelling at the forefront. After all, student experiences, faculty research, and community impact make up a significant piece of “who” your institution is today. Integrating narratives can create emotional connections, making your content more relatable and memorable. If it resonates with visitors, then you can successfully convert more leads.

It’s also important to remember who you’re talking to, which will inform how you say it. Universities are serving multiple audiences—prospective students, current students, faculty, alumni, and donors—but you can’t speak to them all individually. That would clutter and dilute your message. Instead, it’s important to identify the key segments of your audience and create tailored content that speaks to their specific needs and interests.

By mapping out audience personas and understanding their unique motivations, you can design a website that highlights the most relevant information for each group. Implementing features like personalized landing pages, segmented navigation, and targeted calls to action can enhance the user experience and drive engagement. A website design that is well-informed bridges the gap between your academic institution and its diverse audience so that everyone finds value in their visit.

3. Benchmarking Your Current Website

If you already have a website, take a close look at what’s working versus what isn’t. A thorough audit can reveal gaps and opportunities for improvement.

A website audit can help assess:

1. User Behavior: What are the most-visited pages? Where do users drop off? Analytics tools like Google Analytics can reveal key insights.
2. Site Performance: Slow load times drive visitors away. Speed tests and performance reports can highlight problem areas.
3. Accessibility & Compliance: Is your site meeting WCAG guidelines? An accessibility audit can ensure it’s inclusive for all users.
4. SEO & Searchability: Are you ranking for critical keywords? If prospective students can’t find you on Google, they may not find you at all.
5. Content Effectiveness: Is your messaging clear and engaging? Are calls to action driving the right behaviors?

Data analytics and user feedback help inform smarter design and content choices, ensuring your new website isn’t just different, but better.

4. Strengthening Visual Appeal

So far, we’ve covered the strategy leading up to the redesigning of your higher ed website—now it’s time to consider how that will look and feel as it’s developed. A strong visual design is more than aesthetics. It makes a lasting impression on the user. Your university website design should stand out, be dynamic, and authentically represent your institution.

To achieve this, consider these elements:

• Dynamic Content Layouts: Video headers, interactive elements, and infographics capture attention and enhance user experience. These features can make your content more engaging and memorable.
• Consistent Branding: A cohesive look can be accomplished across your website with a unified color palette, typography, and imagery. Consistent branding reinforces your identity and helps visitors feel connected to your institution.
• Visual Hierarchy: Users are guided effectively with clear calls to action and a well-structured layout. A strong visual hierarchy directs attention to important information, making it easy for users to navigate and engage with your content.

When your website looks good and is easy to navigate, it feels more welcoming to your visitors. This positive experience keeps them on your page longer and makes them more likely to interact with your offerings.

5. Optimizing Pages for Mobile Accessibility

More than 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices which means having a responsive design is essential. Have you ever opened a website on your phone only to find the text runs off the screen or elements are misaligned? A frustrating mobile experience on your web page can instantly turn visitors away. And since most prospective students browse on their phones for information, it’s important that they receive it in the most cohesive way possible.

To keep people on your page, prioritize fast-loading pages. Visitors today expect quick access to information, and slow-loading sites can lead to higher bounce rates. You also want to ensure your navigation tools are mobile-friendly and accessibility-friendly. A smooth mobile experience not only enhances your user satisfaction, but it’s an important part of giving everyone the ability to interact with your website’s content.

6.Prioritizing Intuitive Navigation

Is your website user-friendly as a whole? If visitors can’t find what they’re looking for quickly, they’re likely to leave frustrated. An intuitive navigation system guides users efficiently through your content without unnecessary hassle.

A good rule of thumb is that no page should take more than three clicks to reach from the homepage. Grouping information into intuitive categories, like Admissions, Academics, Research, and Student Life, helps users locate details without digging through layers of content. Advanced search features and filters also do this job by allowing visitors to find exactly what they need quickly and effortlessly.

On the backend, it’s equally important to consider who will be maintaining the website. Is the content management system (CMS) user-friendly for website administrators? For example, platforms like WordPress offer intuitive interfaces and extensive support, making it easier for staff to update content without technical expertise. This should streamline operations, maintain up-to-date content, and provide a valuable resource for everyone who interacts with it.

7.Planning for Internal and External Launches

One of the biggest missteps in relaunching a university website design is neglecting the launch strategy. A new website is truly exciting, but don’t flip the switch without thinking it through strategically; plan for both internal and external launches.

Internally, prepare your staff by providing training and resources to familiarize them with the new university website design. In the subsequent days of launching, they should be able to navigate it confidently and assist others with necessary updates. It’s also important for your key stakeholders to fully review the website and provide any valuable feedback before launch day.

Externally, you may want to create a marketing strategy to announce the launch. Utilizing social media, email campaigns, and press releases can generate excitement from the public. Launch events also help showcase the website’s new features and benefits while simultaneously creating buzz for your college. A strategic launch will pave the way for your university’s new website to thrive by starting it off on the right note.

Develop a Website That Works for Your Institution

Redesigning your university website is a strategic move, so the same care needs to go into its plan and execution. From setting institutional goals to optimizing for mobile and overseeing launch day, each step plays an important role in creating a digital presence that truly serves your university’s mission.

Once you consider these factors, your university website design will look more than good—it will work effectively for students, faculty, and alumni alike. When you’re ready to take the next step, Frankel is here. We specialize in bringing university websites to life through purposeful research, collaboration, design, and strategic implementation.

See how we helped the UF College of Veterinary Medicine elevate its brand and climb in national rankings.