Some Intelligence for those Summer Projects
Commencement activities are finished and campus has quieted down. What does that mean? Summer projects, of course! The time is ripe for something new that will help you accomplish the many items on...
View ArticleAs Open Source Evolves, So Do My Views
My, how my views on open source software have evolved since I wrote ‘OPENSOURCE: GREAT IN THEORY, DIFFICULT IN REALITY’! But then again, a lot has changed since 2006. First, let’s get the definition...
View ArticleGoogle Tag Manager Facts and Fiction
With the recent move to Universal Analytics, Google is encouraging the use of Google Tag Manager, a tool released in the fall of 2012, to manage tracking code on websites. Google continues to add...
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Webinar Series: Web Analytics for Higher Education
Register now for mStoner’s three-part webinar series Getting Started with Google Analytics Tuesday, September 30 at 2:00 p.m. EDT / 1:00 p.m. CDT Intermediate Google Analytics Tuesday, October 14 at...
View ArticleWhen Open Source is Free, But Definitely Not Equal
One of the big advantages of open source software (OSS) is that any developer, anywhere, can modify it—and release those modifications publicly so anyone can use them. And therein lies a challenge that...
View ArticleUniversal Analytics, Tag Manager, Webmaster Tools – Where to Start?
Just when Google Analytics became the nearly unanimous single source of web analytics for higher education, new tools came around. Google launched their own new tools — Universal Analytics was released...
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Google Tag Manager: Tips and Tricks
Last month mStoner hosted our three part webinar series on web analytics. One of the topics that we touched on in each of the three sessions was the use of Google Tag Manager to manage tracking code...
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Putting Web Forms Online (Beyond the PDF!)
Register now for this complimentary webinar. Putting Web Forms Online (Beyond the PDF!) Tuesday, December 2, at 2:00 p.m. EST / 1:00 p.m. CST This webinar will last approximately 60 minutes. Session...
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SEO Tips: Why do some .EDU pages rank higher than others?
Everyone wants their respective web pages to rank No. 1 on a Google search engine results page. But what does it take to get there? Ranking high on a results page requires more than killing it with...
View ArticleHow to Select the Best CMS for Your Institution
It feels like there are a million decisions to make when redesigning a website. What will the site look like? What colors and fonts should we use? What about photography? Don’t let one of the most...
View ArticleWhat Does It Mean To Be ADA Compliant? Find Out.
In my role as a quality assurance manager, I often hear clients, prospective clients, and others in the industry say they want to have an ADA-compliant website. I know what they mean — but how,...
View ArticleGoogle’s Mobile Search Algorithm Update Affects Higher Education
Earlier this month, Google started rolling out changes that reward mobile-friendly sites with higher rankings in search results. Wondering how Google’s revised search algorithm affects higher...
View ArticleSocial Media Integration on Higher Ed Sites
Social media integration is a best practice for higher education websites. So it’s no surprise that this is one of our clients’ most common feature requests in website redesign projects. Content...
View ArticleFour Steps to Better Web Analytics and Measurement
Looking to step up your website analytics game? Let’s talk about four things you can do immediately: 1. Plan an Account Structure to Track Your Properties. Institutions of all sizes benefit from...
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New Academic Year? New Website?
There’s just something about the start of the academic year. New students, new campus initiatives, and for some … the planning for a new website. Are you starting the academic year with a website that...
View ArticleCMS Selection Key Criteria: Navigating the Nuance
Selecting a new content management system (CMS), or deciding to use a CMS for the first time, most often occurs in parallel with a website redesign. I shared an overview on how to select the best CMS...
View ArticleThe Best Timing For Your Next Usability Test
If you’ve ever conducted a website usability test you know how valuable they are. Frequent, informal tests are a great way to fine-tune your site and make quick improvements. Formal usability tests are...
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Mythbusting Admissions: What professionals know (and don’t know) about how...
Based on what we read online and in the newspapers, and through personal observation, we all know about teens and their devices, don’t we? So we easily can imagine how they’d use them to conduct their...
View ArticleIs Your Visitor Experience Stuck in the CMS with You?
We talk with our clients about content management systems (CMS) during discovery for projects. A lot. It’s an important piece of the puzzle, and a topic virtually anyone involved with the web at a...
View ArticleTools of the Information Architecture Trade
Building a well-structured information architecture (IA) is one of the most important steps when redesigning your higher education website. Beautiful pictures and action-driving content mean nothing if...
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