Q. What is new or significantly changed on the website?
A. Key recruitment pages and a series of new pages (listed below) will have a new contemporary look, with the goal of providing an improved user experience for prospective students and others who visit the site. Visitors to viu.ca will see some significant changes on the following pages:
- New Homepage
- Enhanced program search on homepage
- Improved navigation menu on all pages
- New Future Students page
- Improved Program Areas of Study homepage (links to 18 program area pages, which in turn link out to the existing official Calendar program pages)
- New Program Search page
- Updated About VIU page
- Updated Campuses page
- Updated Apply Now page
- Updated Admission Requirements page
Q: Why is the website being changed?
A: The goals for the website redesign project are:
- To have a contemporary look aligned with VIU’s brand and values
- To improve the user experience for both prospective students and other site users, making it easier to find the information they are looking for
- To make the website mobile friendly – a large percentage of current and prospective students view websites via cellphones
Many of the changes have been designed to attract, engage and support the growth of our domestic student population. They not only make it easier for prospective students to find the information they are looking for, but they also provide a clearer navigation pathway for potential students, from their first engagement with the website to when they submit an application.
Q: Who is involved in this project?
A: The website project is supported by a collaborative process involving an internal and external team. Strategic Marketing, Web Management, Recruitment, the Office of the Registrar, Communications and Public Engagement, Office of Planning and Analysis, Information Technology and International worked together on the project, guided by research and best practices, ongoing user testing, and the engagement of a User Experience Expert.
Q: How will the changes affect current students?
A: The effect on current students is minimal. Current students will navigate from the new homepage to a dedicated landing page that includes tailored content for their needs. The top navigation bar will be present on every page of the website for easy access.
Q: How will the changes affect faculty and staff?
A: The effect on faculty and staff is minimal. Faculty and staff will navigate off the new homepage to a dedicated landing page that includes tailored content for their needs. Employee services such as payroll and the employee directory can be accessed via the new employee landing page link at the top of the new homepage. The top navigation bar will be present on every page of the website for easy access.
Q. How will students find out about my programs?
A: One of the goals of the new website is to make it easier for prospective students to learn about VIU’s programs. The home page includes a search box where students can search for specific program information.
Q: Will I still be responsible for updating my department’s web content?
A: Yes. The process for updating web content will not be impacted by these changes.
Q: What is a ‘call to action’ and why is it important?
A: A call to action (CTA) is content intended to induce a viewer, reader or listener to perform a specific act, typically taking the form of an instruction or directive. The CTA buttons on the VIU website remove barriers and help prospective students get easy access to information. The CTAs, launched in mid-October, have already begun to support our recruitment process, generating nearly 500 new inquiries from prospective students and others seeking information.
Q: How do I get my area’s website updated?
A: In this phase of the project, only the pages listed above will be updated. Future phases will include migrating all existing pages to the new design.
Q: I’d like to provide feedback on the new website. Who should I contact?
A: We encourage you to let us know what you think! Feedback can be emailed to University.Relations@viu.ca. If you have a technical issue, please email IT Services at ITHelp@viu.ca.
Q: What’s next?
A: We are conducting ongoing quality assurance and user testing. Information on this and how to participate will be shared out through email and the VIU Digest in the new year. We will also be applying the new design to existing VIU sites over the coming months.