website branding: experience counts

Bob Johnson Consulting, LLCBob Johnson Consulting, LLC 11

Building Respect for Your Brand Online:Building Respect for Your Brand Online:Experience, Experience, ExperienceExperience, Experience, Experience

©Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. 2008©Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. 2008

Adult Students: You Best Option for Enrollment GrowthAdult Students: You Best Option for Enrollment GrowthThe Aslanian GroupThe Aslanian Group

Boston, MABoston, MANovember 29-30, 2008November 29-30, 2008


Your brand is…Your brand is…

What people think about you and say about you when What people think about you and say about you when they hear your name…they hear your name…

Every organization has a brand…Every organization has a brand…

Even if it isn’t always what you want it to beEven if it isn’t always what you want it to be


Sometimes you just know a brand…Sometimes you just know a brand…

BMW is… BMW is…

Harvard is…Harvard is…

Pepsi is…Pepsi is…

New York City is…New York City is…

France is…France is…

Ikea is…Ikea is…

Superman is…Superman is…

Amazon.com is…Amazon.com is…

Volvo is…Volvo is…

Notre Dame is…Notre Dame is…

Coca Cola is…Coca Cola is…

Los Angeles is…Los Angeles is…

Norway is…Norway is…

Wal-Mart is…Wal-Mart is…

Spiderman is…Spiderman is…

eBay is…eBay is…


Some colleges claim a brand position…Some colleges claim a brand position…


Experience… more important than the claimExperience… more important than the claim

Experience often starts at your website…Experience often starts at your website…

– The power of your website as a branding tool is The power of your website as a branding tool is

determined by the determined by the experienceexperience your visitor has… your visitor has…

your ability to deliver what people want from youyour ability to deliver what people want from you

– This means close attention to content and usability…This means close attention to content and usability…

Can people easily find what they want?Can people easily find what they want?

Can they easily interact with you after they find it?Can they easily interact with you after they find it?

How fast will you respond to a question by email or Instant How fast will you respond to a question by email or Instant

Message?Message?


8 tips for brand safety on the web…8 tips for brand safety on the web…

People are impatientPeople are impatient









Eliminate frustration points…Eliminate frustration points…

No broken linksNo broken links

Links that take people to what they expect to findLinks that take people to what they expect to find

No out-of-date informationNo out-of-date information

Content people can scanContent people can scan– No long blocks of dense textNo long blocks of dense text– Subheads and bullet pointsSubheads and bullet points

Brief inquiry formsBrief inquiry forms

Search engines that workSearch engines that work


Your brand promise on the web…Your brand promise on the web…

Create your promise by defining elements of what Create your promise by defining elements of what makes you special…makes you special…


First, find your distinctive points…First, find your distinctive points…

What elements makes you special?What elements makes you special?– The people who enroll?The people who enroll?– The way your courses are taught?The way your courses are taught?– The way you treat people?The way you treat people?– Success rate after graduation?Success rate after graduation?– A special mission that people can understand?A special mission that people can understand?– Something you really do better than others in Something you really do better than others in

your category?your category?– The highest reputation?The highest reputation?– The lowest price?The lowest price?– The best location?The best location?


Then create your brand promise…Then create your brand promise…

The brand promise has to reflect realityThe brand promise has to reflect reality– Reality is the experience people have with youReality is the experience people have with you– Reality is the word-of-mouth people hear about youReality is the word-of-mouth people hear about you

A clear statement of something special that can A clear statement of something special that can be both seen and felt by someone be both seen and felt by someone – On their first visit to your website On their first visit to your website – In their first contact with real peopleIn their first contact with real people– And in their continuing contact with you… in any formAnd in their continuing contact with you… in any form


Stories to validate your brand promise…Stories to validate your brand promise…

Stories must have credibility…Stories must have credibility…

– Stories told by people enrolled in your programs build Stories told by people enrolled in your programs build

credibility better than anything else you can docredibility better than anything else you can do

– For ongoing engagement, blogs and social networks For ongoing engagement, blogs and social networks

are the best way to tell those storiesare the best way to tell those stories

Must build on the strength of what you areMust build on the strength of what you are

Must be relevant to your customersMust be relevant to your customers


Social networks expand the brand Social networks expand the brand experience…experience…

http://mysocialnetwork.umaryland.edu/http://mysocialnetwork.umaryland.edu/


Ohio State and University of Phoenix…Ohio State and University of Phoenix…http://www.osu.edu/features/2008/socialmedia/http://www.osu.edu/features/2008/socialmedia/


Video story telling expands the brand…Video story telling expands the brand…http://realpeople.waldenu.edu/video-tim.cfmhttp://realpeople.waldenu.edu/video-tim.cfm

http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/programs/emba/advance/balance.cfmhttp://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/programs/emba/advance/balance.cfm


K.I.S.S.K.I.S.S.

Creating a friendly website…Creating a friendly website…

Keep the first page as clean as possible…Keep the first page as clean as possible…

Visitors want to quickly get someplace elseVisitors want to quickly get someplace else


Peterson’s… old style websitePeterson’s… old style website


Peterson’s new style website…Peterson’s new style website…http://www.petersons.com/http://www.petersons.com/


What we’ve just seen is…What we’ve just seen is…

The power of a front page to connect from the The power of a front page to connect from the first viewfirst view– This is the most overlooked power of web brandingThis is the most overlooked power of web branding

– Not many higher education sites do it wellNot many higher education sites do it well

The faster you connect, the better you The faster you connect, the better you communicatecommunicate

If you don’t communicate, you don’t create brand If you don’t communicate, you don’t create brand identityidentity


Creating your branding tools…Creating your branding tools…

Website examples that create brand impactWebsite examples that create brand impact


Quick exit from the front page…Quick exit from the front page…


Brand statement + clear audience paths…Brand statement + clear audience paths…http://www.pfeiffer.edu/http://www.pfeiffer.edu/


Brand statement continues… a story beginsBrand statement continues… a story begins


Video expands the onsite experience…Video expands the onsite experience…


Another strong experience…Another strong experience…http://www.stedwards.edu/future.htmhttp://www.stedwards.edu/future.htm


Blogs aren’t just for teens…Blogs aren’t just for teens…


Blogs… especially for adultsBlogs… especially for adultshttp://blogs.targetx.com/umbssw/http://blogs.targetx.com/umbssw/


Easy to find academic programs…Easy to find academic programs…


10 high visibility program choices…10 high visibility program choices… http://admission.emerson.edu/graduate/http://admission.emerson.edu/graduate/


Clear academic program presentation…Clear academic program presentation…


Easy to scan for key points…Easy to scan for key points…http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/iMBA.shtmlhttp://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/iMBA.shtml


Easy task completion…Easy task completion…


Inquiry form…easy to find and completeInquiry form…easy to find and completehttp://www.mbaregis.com/http://www.mbaregis.com/


Another strong example…Another strong example…


Summing up points to boost the brand…Summing up points to boost the brand…

Find and eliminate things that don’t work on your Find and eliminate things that don’t work on your website website Stay with simple designStay with simple designIdentify key things that shape your brand identityIdentify key things that shape your brand identityLearn the content that’s important to people Learn the content that’s important to people visiting your website…visiting your website…– Make sure you have it and people can find itMake sure you have it and people can find it

Program information is top ratedProgram information is top rated

Use students to create brand impressionsUse students to create brand impressions– BlogsBlogs– VideosVideos


Thank You!Thank You!

Bob Johnson, Ph.D.Bob Johnson, Ph.D.President and Senior ConsultantPresident and Senior Consultant

Bob Johnson Consulting, LLCBob Johnson Consulting, LLC226 Chauncey Court226 Chauncey CourtMarshall, MI 49068Marshall, MI 49068

248.766.6425 248.766.6425 [email protected]@bobjohnsonconsulting.com

Customer Carewords Research for Online Marketing Success: Customer Carewords Research for Online Marketing Success:

http://www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/customercarewords.htmlhttp://www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/customercarewords.html

website branding: experience counts

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