New Waterloo Homepage Feedback

Presented to Web Advisory October 17, 2012

Overview

• Summary of feedback report• Preliminary usage data• Lessons learned

Feedback sources1. About Waterloo website feedback form

2. Direct emails to Manager, Social Media and Community Engagement (contact listed on About Waterloo feedback form)

3. Direct emails to Associate Director, Internal Communications (contact listed on Daily Bulletin website)

NOTE: Social media sources were monitored and responded to throughout the initial launch period and ongoing, but not included in this report.

Feedback report

• Based on 563 comments

• 39% anonymous vs. 61% email included

• All respondents who including emails were contacted

• Full report will be distributed to the mailing list

General - Negative29%

General - Posi-tive9%Daily Bulletin

20%Design of the Site9%

Pathway Issues

6%

Search Issues3%

Looking for Email4%

Looking for LEARN

3%

Library 1%

Link Issues18%

Web-site Feedback Overview

Summary of findings

• The main concern of stakeholders was finding frequently used links. Once they found those links they became more satisfied with the new homepage-level site.

• Key issues, such as mobile usage and accessibility, were not reflected in any of the web-site feedback. NOTE: direct emails from students regarding mobile were sent to the Director, Digital Initiatives from STAC and IMPRINT representatives.

• Black and gold design confusing to many students who were unaware that these are the school colours.

Preliminary usage dataSeptember 1-30 2012• 705k visits with 246k unique

visitors (67k uwaterloo visitors) for 1M unique pageviews

• Top 5 pages after homepage: – Faculties and Academics– Current Students– Email– Offices and Services– Campus map

• Google primary entry point even for uwaterloo hosts (3:2 over direct visits)

• Primary user path is Homepage > Pathway or Directory > exit

• Secondary user path is exiting the homepage directly

Preliminary usage dataTop homepage exits

1. findoutmore/programs

2. graduate-studies

3. hr/mycareer

4. campaign

5. findoutmore/ouf

6. bookstore

7. findoutmore/coop#video

8. feds/welcomeweek

9. In the media: Nature article Quantum teleportation

10. varsity/registration

Associated content type:• Future students panel: 1,2,5,7• Current students panel: 8,10• Header link: 4• Staff panel: 3• Call to action: 6• News item: 9

NOTE: 35% of homepage visits resulted in a tracked event, 45% resulted in an exit

Sept 1-30 2012

Lessons learned

• Technical implementation– Watch for dependencies across campus, including sites outside of WCMS.– Test, test, test.

• Design implementation– Resource ahead of time rather than during the process.– Communication between communications (CPA) and technical (IST-WCMS)

teams is critical.– Presenting design choices in full context of content strategy and wireframe

results in excellent actionable feedback.– Accessibility is more work than you think.

Lessons learned

• Content coordination– Ambitious, content heavy design. Content was (and is) the biggest project risk.– Started early on collection and education, but could have started earlier.– Resource your content (Digital Initatives, Communications Council Core Working

Group).– Have a project management plan that itemizes content specifically.

Questions?