How UL Lafayette Transformed Its Website to Enhance Student Engagement
From the Nominator
"The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s website transformed over the last decade from an inward-facing repository to a conversation that engages students.
In November 2022, a new strategic and targeted Louisiana.edu was launched with great success. The project was a result of three years of strategic partnerships with stakeholders in which the university’s web team solicited and managed multi-year investments and led in technical, financial, content, and digital strategy arenas.
The new Louisiana.edu reflects the prestigious institution UL Lafayette has become while projecting where it is going in the future. It positions UL Lafayette alongside R1 institutions by highlighting the volume and range of research activity as well as its ties to academics.
The new site makes the university more prominent online through search engine optimization and improved ease of use. It highlights students' experiences, academic opportunities, and the advantages of a UL Lafayette education through compelling visuals and storytelling. Data is used to elevate the content they seek out most. This website is a more authentic representation of what's happening at the university. And it shows how culture and community shape the UL Lafayette experience.
The redesigned website also gives UL Lafayette a competitive edge online with a bold design, user-friendly organization, a unique brand narrative that reflects the university, and simplified, no-nonsense calls to action. Compared to the previous year, in its first month live, the new Louisiana.edu had a 25 percent increase in clicks on the application, received 98,872 more visits, and had 465,034 more page views."
From the Judges
Great strategy, clean design; and the photography is gorgeous. Good use of the motion graphics as well. Judges applaud their attempt at helping students understand things like financial aid, costs, etc. by breaking it down by the way their pages flowed and were laid out.