Nicholls State University rang in a new year with a new website as part of a new marketing campaign to help move the University forward.
The new marketing campaign, launched in the fall of 2012, is called “People Creating Possibilities,” and it will be active for four years.  Because websites are typically the number one tool used by students and their families when researching universities, a revamped website is key in the new campaign.
“It is critical that the University has a site that not only looks good, but also serves the immediate needs of its audiences,” Lee Daigle, marketing and communications specialist, said. “As part of the new marketing strategy, the University also changed the color pallet they use and have adopted new standards to photography and design.”
Daigle spearheaded the change when he took a position in University relations.
“We decided that we needed a fresh look for the website and something that mimicked the new style of the University’s publications, photography and other marketing elements,” Daigle said.
Daigle also said that the University wanted something different from most higher education sites.  Therefore, some inspiration came from other university websites, while much of the theme, design, and look were inspired by corporate sites.
The redesign process from beginning to the release took about a year.  Daigle served as the creative director on the project, while James Planck, University web master, did the physical redesign of the website. Since the physical design of the website was done in house instead of being contracted out, it did not cost the University any money.
According to an e-mail sent to students, there were four major changes to the organization of the home page of the website.
The navigation bar that features current students, future students and other links has now moved to the top of the homepage with drop down menus. Links for Moodle, Banner, student e-mail and others can still be found under the current student menu.
The images that were once showcased on the home page as a slide show now acts as an “electronic billboard,” with information and activities pertaining to the University and students.
The third major feature concerns the bar below the electronic billboard. The bar’s primary purpose is recruiting students to the University, as it includes tabs for submitting applications and checking University calendars. Visitors can also view financial aid information, social media links, Nicholls majors and academic departments, and information about scheduling a tour of the University.
The last feature, the footer menu, will be on the bottom of every page. The menu includes links to other University items.
Daigle was hopeful about the success of the new site and how it will benefit the University.
“The University wanted something that could hold its own in the vast market of online content,” he said.
To ensure the best presentation of the new Nicholls website, web masters recommend that all users upgrade their web browsers to the most up to date software available.