The use of Google Analytics to improve the College Website as a Student Recruitment Tool

Abstract

This project includes a series of three instructional video tutorials, intended to not only demonstrate the usefulness of Google Analytics, but also assist with the duplication of the most significant configurations within the tool. The main audience is higher education professionals who are interested in making data-driven decisions to optimize a college website as a student recruitment tool. Each video tutorial was guided by three principles outlined in Universal Principles of Design: signal-to-noise ratio, depth of processing, and flexibility-usability tradeoff, to enhance usability, influence perception, increase appeal, and make better design decisions. Usability testing methods and Morain and Swarts’ assessment rubrics were used to tighten gaps and produce an effective video. The videos are available through a YouTube playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAaBiDU0dFs3wFA5mYODYZ0eZrzGhlMbq.