TECHNOLOGY
campusreview.com.au
Providing a superior customer experience
is often the only way in which organisations
can distinguish themselves in a crowded
marketplace.
GAUGING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Digital edge
Why education
providers
should focus
on the digital
experience.
By Chris Gibbs
P
roviding customers with a personalised
experience is no longer just an option
for the marketing department or a ‘nice
to have’ that enhances the core product.
Instead, it’s become a source of competitive
advantage and a critical success factor.
For Australia’s education industry, driving
positive engagement has never been more
important. Higher education has become
highly commercialised, with a plethora of
government and private providers vying for
the ‘business’ of students and prospective
students, from Australia and abroad.
Education was the country’s third largest
export industry in 2017 and contributed $32.2
billion to the economy in that year, according
to ICEF Monitor.
UA chief Catriona Jackson says overseas
students choose Australia because they
believe studying here will give them access
to a world-class education, global alumni
networks, lifelong friendships within Australia
and a great student experience.
Digital interactions which consistently meet
and exceed students’ expectations can be an
effective means of delivering the latter.
KPMG’s 2016 report How Much is
Customer Experience Worth? noted the old
adage that ‘the customer is king’ and it had
latterly become a reality. With 24/7 access
to an abundance of options, buyers are
spoiled for choice and sellers must vie for
their attention.
Gone is the era in which lecturers and
administrators communicated with students
by posting bulletins on a notice board and
elicited feedback via paper-based surveys.
These days, interactions are digitally driven.
Enrolments, subject changes, tutorial
sign‑ups and assignment submissions are all
conducted online. Real-life opportunities for
institutions to garner feedback and gauge
whether students’ expectations are being
met are limited.
It is possible for education providers to
get a handle on how they’re doing on the
customer experience front using digital
metrics, but where should the focus be?
Clicks and social media likes can provide
insight, but experience has shown they’re
shallow measures. They may provide a
snapshot of how an institution is perceived
by students and prospective students, but
they don’t necessarily reflect long-term
commitment and brand loyalty.
So, what should education providers do
to analyse, measure and understand how
they’re doing from a customer experience
perspective? Here are a few tips to consider.
UNDERSTANDING VISITORS’ INTENT
Determining how to deliver an optimal
customer experience to an individual starts
with understanding their backstory. In the
digital arena, that begins with capturing visitor
intent data – information about the problem
or need students or alumni are looking to
address or the reason they’ve sought out the
institution. It’s tough to deliver personalised,
relevant information or tailored responses
to potential queries and concerns in the
absence of this information.
Examining the ways in which students
engage with an education provider’s online
presence can give some insight into their
motivations. Some may have navigated their
way via a social media post or news story
while others may come from a seasonal
spike in activity – exam time, the start or
end of the academic year, or some other
significant date on the calendar.
The amount of time a student spends
engaging with a site is also a good indicator
of whether the ‘value proposition’ on offer
is going to resonate and whether a positive
experience will be the end result.
If students are switching off quickly or
navigating a site haphazardly, it may be a sign
the online experience is poorly designed
and is turning users off, or that the product
offering itself – courses, costs and modes of
study – needs to be reviewed.
GAUGING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Attracting students is one thing, retaining
them for the duration of their chosen course
of study is another. Education providers stand
a better chance of doing the latter if they
find ways to gauge students’ satisfaction,
not just by way of an occasional feedback
survey, but regularly and at every stage of the
educational journey.
Engaged students tend to become loyal
alumni and ‘brand evangelists’ who spruik the
educational experience they enjoyed from
an institution voluntarily, within their business
and personal circles.
A steady stream of referrals and positive
online reviews are reliable signs this is
occurring. Keeping tally of both makes sense
for education providers that are serious about
doing digital experience well.
ENGAGING WITH EMPLOYEES
It’s impossible to deliver excellent student
experiences without an engaged workforce
of academics and administrators. Staff who
feel happy and valued are more productive,
more enthusiastic in their interactions with
students, and more likely to stick around.
Keeping the lines of communication
open, inviting employees’ feedback and
demonstrating that their input is valued by
acting on concerns and suggestions are all
practices that will stand education providers
in good stead.
TIME TO ACT
In today’s crowded and competitive higher
education landscape, potential students –
both domestic and international – have no
shortage of options to choose from.
Education providers that don’t strive
to attract and retain a healthy pipeline of
students by delivering satisfying customer
experiences may struggle to maintain
enrolment numbers and viability.
Finding ways to measure the effectiveness
of online efforts will help institutions that are
serious about doing so up their game, boost
student loyalty, and steer their way towards a
successful and sustainable future. ■
Chris Gibbs is general manager Asia
Pacific and Japan at Acquia.
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