Beyond the Cool Factor

Beyond the Cool FactorLatest Trends in Higher Ed Web Sites

Eric HodgsonJuly 19, 2007

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Critical Web Principles

• Web sites are built for visitors—plain and simple

• A Web site must serve a purpose.

Critical Web Principles

Key Takeaway from Today:

Replace the word ‘control’ with ‘communication’

Digital Future Report – Key Findings

• Average number of hours online has risen over the past year by one hour to 8.9 hours

• 1/3 of Internet users watch less TV than before being connected

• 63% of internet users are on high-bandwidth connections

• In general, high-speed users are on the Internet longer

• Two thirds of users 17 and older consider the Internet to be a very important or extremely important source of information

• First upswing in reliability in past three years

Source: The Digital Future ReportUSC Annenberg School Center for the Digital FutureNovember 2006

Web Usage - Facebook

• 1% of all time on the internet is spent on Facebook

• 6th most visited Web site

• 1 billion photos are hosted on Facebook

• 6 million photos are uploaded daily

• 50% of registered users come back to the site every day

Sources: Facebook Company data, press reports

Speak Their Language

User Generated Content

• Blogs• Commenting• Syndication

Opportunities to Open Communication

• Blogging– Open to site visitors beyond commenting– Stay focused on the “college experience”– No editing (either delete or post)

Opportunities to Open Communication

• Page-level Content– Allow posted commenting on every page – Supply a contact point for content owner– Frequently asked questions to be

sprinkled throughout site

Extendable Formats and Methods

• RSS• Microformats• Trackbacks

Hit Them Where They Are

Social Networking Opportunities

• Events• Photos• Video• Announcements

Ohio University SecondLife Campus

Where’s the Mobile Web?

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Thank You!

Eric HodgsonWeb ConsultantEstrada

[email protected]

?Let’s take some questions