This is the first article of a series of articles on building a Microsite.
Overview
Element451 offers Microsites, which are highly personalized supplemental web pages or clusters of web pages that institutions can use to provide tailored and engaging experiences for different student populations. These Microsites are used mainly during the admit phase. Still, they can be customized to suit any population or funnel stage of students, providing a unique and personalized experience tailored to each student.
With the help of Microsites, institutions can easily design and implement various sections with content and tools that students can explore. Each section is crafted to provide essential and relevant information that will benefit the student and help keep the institution top of mind. Academic planners, career explorers, social media feeds, and more can be added to these sections. These personalized touchpoints along the student journey help to improve engagement, yield, and campus fit.
📙 Note: In Microsites, only system-delivered tokens are available. To access these tokens, click the tag icon when adding text.
Accessing Microsites
Navigate to Engagement > Microsites
Before Creating Your Microsite
Before creating your Microsite, consider these questions and gather the necessary assets outlined below.
Questions to Consider
What is my audience for this Microsite?
Should all populations see the same content on this Microsite? If not, what content should be shown to specific labels? Examples can include declared major, term start, funnel stage, etc.
Do you have a plan to keep your Microsite fresh with new and updated content? How often do you plan to refresh it?
When and how should students gain access to the Microsite?
How will you drive traffic to and back to the Microsite?
Will the Microsite need to be attached to the admitted student portal?
Should a Magic Link be generated via a Campaign to provide access?
Consider all of your advertisement options, such as email campaigns, social promotion, and use of your main website/student portal.
Is there a particular action I want students to take on this Microsite, such as paying a deposit or registering for an event? Consider using labels to display content based on action or no action.
Are you using “signature events” in your instance that you can promote via your Microsite? Consider orientation, open houses, campus tours, etc.
Assets to Gather
Institution and program accolades
Student and faculty spotlights (pictures and text)
Four-year program curriculums
Career-related clubs
Internship examples
Popular locations around campus and in the local community
Recommended to have at least 30 locations
List of next steps or checklist items to complete
Fun survey questions
Links to social media sites or group pages
Video footage, high-resolution images, logos, and favicons
The Anatomy of a Microsite
The Login Page
To access Microsites, students must first authenticate themselves. This can happen in two ways:
Through the Login page, use the credentials created during the account creation process to complete an application
Using a Magic Link that is provided through a campaign
The login page is designed to cater to all audiences. As the user has yet to log in, limited customization options are available. However, our configurations allow you to make your page branded, visually appealing, and engaging.
Content can be added to the Login page via blocks. Only text, factoid, and call-to-action blocks can be used on the login page.
Click here to view an example login page
Click here to view an example login page
The Dashboard
Once a student is authenticated through the login page, they are taken to the dashboard. The dashboard of the Microsite is the personalized page that displays relevant content, designed to make a student feel like the page was customized specifically for them.
Content can be added to the dashboard in two ways— blocks and sections.
Each content block and section can be configured to display for all students or targeted to specific audiences using labels. This allows you to provide customized experiences based on interests, demographics, funnel stage, and more!
Learn more about blocks and sections below:
Content Blocks
Content blocks are designed to present relatively short snippets of information at a glance and can sometimes be expanded within the dashboard page. Because of their size, content blocks are displayed in a card format.
Content blocks include narratives on student life, photos and videos of campus, student and faculty profiles, featured events, featured locations around campus, call-to-action, factoids, and more.
Content Sections
Content sections, on the other hand, are designed to hold more significant amounts of content and provide a more interactive experience. Because of this, sections create a supplemental page within the Microsite and are linked in the header and footer. In addition to the page, depending on the content type, the section may also create a content block (or card).
Content sections include tools like the academic and career explorer, the location explorer, checklists, documents, and more.
Click here to view an example dashboard
Click here to view an example dashboard
Creating a New Microsite
Navigate to Engagement > Microsites > All Microsites
Click the blue + button in the top right corner
Name the site and choose a general look. You can change your choices later.
General: Name the site (ex. Admitted Student Microsite)
Theme: Choose either a light or dark theme
Design:
Cards Style: Select one: soft rounded, rounded, or squared cards
Buttons Style: Select one: soft rounded, rounded, or squared buttons
Click Next to save your changes and create your new Microsite
Now that the site has been created, Part 1 of the process is complete, and it's time to configure your design, layout, and settings.