Your Higher Education Marketing Link of the Week… National University: Home Page Academic Program Search… 14 February 2020

Academic Program Search Dominates National University Home Page

National UniversityTwo “top task” areas dominate for potential students seeking to enroll at a college or university and visiting websites as they start to explore: (1) academic program information and (2) cost information.

National University gives pride of place on the home page to academic programs with a large “you can’t miss this” search box visible immediately as the page opens on laptop and desktop computers or on mobile phone.

Visitors will first see that National offers “75+ On-Campus and Online Degree Programs” followed the the large “Find Yours” prompt to use the search feature to find a program of interest.

Curiously (to me at least) the home page makes almost no mention of costs. There a link to “Military Tuition Discount” in a section for veterans and another link for “Scholarship Opportunities” in a section for transfer students. That’s it.

3 steps to your program…

The search feature will take you through 3 steps to arrive at your special program. Type “Criminal Justice” in the search box and you don’t go immediately to the criminal justice programs available.

  • You’ll first select from 6 degree levels.
  • Next you’ll select an “area of study” from one of 6 available, including “Criminal Justice and Law.”
  • Then you tell National if you are looking for an online or on campus program.

Most people will complete those steps and then see 5 available criminal justice or related programs. It took me longer to type this than it did to complete the 3 steps and arrive at the program description for a master’s degree in criminal justice. Design on this page is clean and simple… no photos or other images on a page where they would only get in the way of completing the task.

Each program page includes an “Request for Information” form and an offer to “chat” about the program. The info form is admirably brief. A phone number is required.

Permission to call and text…

Completing the form gives National permission to call and text. That’s not immediately obvious. You’ll have to follow the link to “Terms and Conditions” to see this note: “I also consent and agree to receive email communications, pre-recorded messages, phone calls, and/or SMS/Text Messages – using automated technology – about educational opportunities from National University, the National University System and/or its affiliates.”

Follow the Link of the Week

See how National University employs a prominent search box for top task fulfillment for new students when you visit the home page.

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