December 20, 2023
Ferris State’s website, with personalized experiences for students, named one of the 10 best collegiate sites in the nation
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Ferris State University’s website has been named among the 10 best collegiate sites in the nation for the second year in a row, with experts praising the site’s ability to create a more personalized experience for students.
Ferris State’s ferris.edu website was recognized for excellence in website design and management by Modern Campus, a content management firm that works with about 4,500 college and university websites.
The winning websites were recognized for their effectiveness at providing students with informative content and engaging user experiences, driving conversions, maintaining interest, and improving enrollments, the company said.
“The recognition as one of Modern Campus's Top 10 Higher Ed Websites in 2023 underscores our dedication to students and their needs, showcasing a user-friendly website that effectively highlights the opportunities offered by our university,” said Eric Hazen, Ferris State’s executive director for Digital Experience and Marketing. “By streamlining the usual complexity associated with higher education websites, we have successfully created a straightforward and robust online experience.”
Ferris State also was recognized as a Top 10 Higher Ed Website in 2022.
Websites were saluted for factors including engaging website design, easy navigation with clear calls to action, mobile friendliness of the website, integrated catalogs with up-to-date career data, personalized experiences, and brand consistency across subdomains.
The Ferris State website was saluted for creating a personalized experienced tailored to the visitor’s profile. The website’s clickthrough rate increased by 2,800 percent using personalization.
“Modern students are used to personalized digital experiences, and they expect the same level of engagement from higher education institutions,” the company said of the Ferris State site. “Ferris State has elevated its marketing approach through impressive personalization, tailoring calls to action based on individual student application statuses. This ensures that website visitors promptly access pertinent information and are guided seamlessly toward the anticipated next steps.”
"With decreasing enrollment rates mounting with increasing student expectations, it's encouraging to see colleges and universities are becoming creative with their websites and digital properties," said Kimberly Prieto, senior vice president for product at Modern Campus. "I'm thrilled that we can recognize these 10 institutions that are delivering exceptional student experiences while supporting their brand with their websites. These websites demonstrate the institution's unparalleled commitment to quality, creativity and student centricity."
Joining Ferris State on the list of best websites are College of DuPage, Duquesne University, Florida A&M University, Kennesaw State University, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Pepperdine University, Rock Valley College, University of Montana, and University of Wyoming.