The Web Team defines "recruitment-focused websites" as web properties: 

  • where the primary audience is prospective students and families OR
  • that contain information that is critical to the Admissions funnel and prospective student journey


Since the WSU website is a major marketing tool, recruitment-focused websites need to look and feel cohesive with the other marketing materials prospective students are seeing in ads, emails and print mailers. 


To achieve such cohesion, the general web standards need be supplemented with elements of the overall marketing campaign.


At present, the following standards apply mainly to the Undergraduate Admissions website. The Web Team may choose to apply some of these elements to other websites at their discretion.


Unless otherwise stated in this article, recruitment-focused websites will adhere to the general web standards.


Content


Ensuring an effective recruitment-focused website requires more strategy and intentionality in what information is included on a webpage and how it is phrased. Standards for content include but not limited to: 

  • use of a friendly and inviting tone that balances a sense of fun and expertise
  • use of informal phrases or slang when appropriate
  • frequent use of clear calls-to action (CTAs) for marketing outcomes
  • increased attention to content quality, readability levels, accessibility criteria and SEO


Images & Graphics


Images and graphics are incorporated much more often and most will include some sort of text. 


A typographical graphic will use the following:

  • Short, compelling phrase or statement in stylized text with graphic treatment (using established design templates)
  • Responsive coding to allow the graphic to scale automatically according to screen-size
    • When added with Photo Right page element, set to a maximum width of 300px
    • When added in main content, use proper coding to center it on the webpage and size responsively

See the Undergraduate Admissions Technology webpage for an example.

 

A graphic may be used in the Right Navigation panel in addition to a main content image. 


See these examples: 



Featured Blog Posts  


Student blog posts play a key role in recruitment marketing strategy on the website. Thus, blog posts are incorporated when possible, often with a visual graphic for consistent identification.


Placed in Right Navigation Panel

  

A typographical graphic will use the following: 

  • Short, compelling phrase in stylized text with graphic treatment (using established templates)
  • Purple "wave" button with a custom call-to-action phrase
  • A link to the blog post (added through the Photo Right template)
  • Photo Right page element set to a maximum width of 300px


See these examples: 


A blog profile feature will use the following: 

  • a circle-starburst graphic with photo of the profiled individual (placed in a Photo Right)
  • short descriptive text (placed in Facts Box) 
  • a purple "wave" button with a custom call-to-action phrase (placed in Facts Box) 


See the THAD homepage for an example.

  


Placed in Main Content 


A blog profile feature can also be placed in the main content.  It includes the same graphic/text elements with the addition of the responsive coding for the image. 


See the Undergraduate Admissions Outcomes webpage for an example. 


The other option for a blog post feature is to use a purple "wave" button with a custom call-to-action phrase.

 

See the Undergraduate Admissions Campus Life webpage for an example.