Nicole Montgomery, Director of Digital Communications at York College of Pennsylvania, is one of the 12 presenters of the 2018 Higher Ed WEBSITES Conference.
In this 4-question interview, Nicole tells us about the best website advice ever, the most challenging part of the job of a higher ed web pro, a great web tool and shares a top 3 of favorite higher ed websites.
1) What is the best advice you’ve ever been given about higher ed websites?
The best advice that I’ve ever been given is to not overthink things and sometimes less is more.
Many times as web-savvy professionals we get wrapped up in stylized, elaborate designs when in reality our target audience (17-year-olds) aren’t going to notice. I’ve been able to apply the mantra “Keep it Simple” in both my professional and personal life.
2) How do you cope with the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of my job is wearing 4 – sometimes 5 – hats in a small higher ed shop.
From website and social media to video marketing and media relations my daily workday changes by the hour or even by the minute. Finding the time to produce quality content is sometimes a struggle.
By setting aside time each week dedicated to writing website and social media content I am able to set aside the interruptions of my other “hats” to write engaging and creative digital content.
3) What is your favorite tool?
My favorite web work tool is my project management system. Recently we began using Airtable to track our social media content, website projects and video marketing.
It allows us to organize the countless website projects/updates, story ideas and content calendars. This tool has allowed us to streamline the workloads within our team as well as following up with key project deadlines.
4) What are your top 3 favorite higher ed websites?
- Johns Hopkins University
The video content on their homepage grabs your attention and keeps you watching. The balance of academics, student life and athletics provides you with a good perspective of what it’s like on their campus.
- University of Maryland
The sleek design is very interactive and super easy to navigate. It is a different approach that stands out among peer institutions. On the Undergraduate Admissions page, as you scroll, you progress through the funnel from requesting information, applying and finally visiting the website.
- University of Chicago
Instead of placing paragraphs upon paragraphs of text on the website, the University of Chicago keeps the text to a minimum and lets the imagery do the “talking”.
A conference focusing on higher ed WEBSITES?
The 2018 Higher Ed WEBSITES Conference (now available on-demand!) is a must for higher ed web professionals and teams looking for inspiration, ideas and best practices to kick off their summer projects.
Read below what a few of your higher ed colleagues who attended the 1st edition of the Higher Ed WEBSITES Conference say about the experience.
Tags: HEW18, Higher Ed News