Content Management, Web Development
Give Your Users the Web Experience They Want and Boost Enrollment With KWALL CMS Support
A poorly maintained website and CMS can send prospective students to your competition
Higher education has been forever reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. It accelerated technology adoption and shined a spotlight on the importance of a robust and well-maintained website that meets the information needs of all stakeholders and attracts new students.
A strong online presence requires a holistic approach that includes research and discovery, design, development, and CMS support. In short, you need a 360-degree strategy that positively impacts enrollment, engagement, retention, and your school’s reputation.
The stakes are high. Competition is fierce and enrollment is down 2.5% versus a year ago. You need a website that draws students in visually, is easy to navigate, and is backed by the CMS support you need to present relevant, up-to-date, and engaging content. The design draws them in, the experience makes it easy to find what they need, and the content keeps them on your site.
At KWALL, we have the expertise you need, with more than 14 years of experience and over 600 education websites launched for more than 75 colleges and universities. You get a high-performance web platform built by experts in educational strategy combined with talented web designers and adroit developers. We leave no stone unturned and no component unaddressed.
Research, strategy, and design create an engaging digital experience
Design isn’t just about making your website look nice. It means creating a place that’s easy for the visitor to navigate and understand, and one that’s tailored specifically to the education market and potential students. Your school is unique, and a one-size-fits-all solution won’t do.
Understanding the users of your higher education website is the key to a design that draws them in. Through research that combines surveys and focus groups, we collect information about your site users that includes what they need and want and what they don’t, including frustrations and objectives. This deep knowledge of your user personas informs the design process and allows us to optimize the experience for your audience. We also keep accessibility in mind and always build sites that are compliant with WCAG standards (up to level AA), ATAG 2.0 standards, and ADA Section 508.
While your website design might catch the eye, it has to be more than a pretty face. If your website. doesn’t have the relevant, up-to-date information they want and need, prospective students will turn to your competitors. This is what makes CMS support so important.
Open-source content management technology that supports your goals
Open-source technology is publicly accessible code, which means it requires no licenses and literally has no limits. It’s a product of programmers – including many at KWALL – who believe in the principles of open exchange, collaboration, transparency, and community-oriented development. Updates, modifications, and customizations can be made much more quickly than proprietary software.
KWALL leverages every technology offered by the web to meet your needs, and each and every customized, open-source solution has the following features:
No license required: This means no licensing fees, no paying for updates and upgrades, and no long-term software usage agreements. Ultimate flexibility: There’s a large community of committed and talented developers who collaborate to contribute code that improves current solutions and design new ones based on our customers’ needs. Proactive security: Collaborating developers include security experts who test and analyze code for any security weaknesses, while the large user base means issues are reported and resolved quickly. A user-friendly interface: A what-you-see-is-what-you-get editor (also called a WYSIWYG) makes formatting and editing easy. A full version history provides version control, and you can easily control editing access.
In addition, KWALL provides support services to not only ensure that your entire digital platform is operating at peak levels but also to provide CMS support and peace of mind that if something goes awry, the expert team at KWALL is standing by to address any issues.
3 types of support services to meet your needs
KWALL’s dedicated team is at your service with three types of support based on your requirements. These are comprised of:
1. Site Health Maintenance: This includes a monthly site audit and status report, critical security updates, module upgrades, and basic CMS version upgrades along with:
Monthly Site Speed Check Access to Asana Access to KWALL’s Support Ticket System Project Management New Employee CMS Review
2. Accessibility Monitoring and Remediation: This service includes a monthly accessibility audit and remediation plan in addition to:
Monthly Remediation Tasks Access to Asana Access to KWALL’s Support Ticket System Project Management
3. Flex Hours: This service includes a bank of hours for each month to be used for any service KWALL offers. The hours do not expire and are offered at our discounted rates. Flex hours can be used for:
Design Services New Feature Development Research Services Content Uploads Technical Consultations Ad-hoc Requests
As the premier web partner for higher education, KWALL knows you have a lot riding on your website and its content. This makes your website, and particularly CMS support, mission-critical. We make sure you have a smart, functional online ecosystem that engages, informs, and increases enrollment.
You can count on KWALL to support the development of your higher ed website, help you implement a CMS, and support you while you use it. We can also help you create a maintenance and support plan that works, so you can focus on managing content through your content management system.
KWALL specializes in helping colleges and universities increase student engagement through the quality of their websites. Reach out and contact KWALL today to talk about how we can help you.