Recent studies from Pew Research and Google showed that
85% of cellphone users aged 18-29 use their devices to go online and half of
that group turn to their phones to surf the web before thinking about using a
desktop or laptop device. The studies also found that 61% of all cellphone
users said they would probably never return to a website if they had trouble
viewing it on their mobile device.
Despite those findings, a new survey reports that a lot
of colleges and universities fail to communicate with their target audience
through their mobile devices. A survey of 200 public and private schools in New
Jersey and Pennsylvania by the marketing agency Princeton Partners found that
more than 70% lack a mobile presence and 50% of the schools with a mobile
presence were deficient in terms of technology, mobile content, or both,
according to a report in University Business.
The survey found that colleges and universities don’t
often replicate the content, design, and navigation tools used in their
PC-based websites for mobile applications. They also don’t create “mobile
responsive” technology solutions that adjust to individuals browsers and
devices.
That’s a problem because there’s so much more
competition for potential applicants, who are constantly using mobile technology.
“An effective mobile capability can validate that a
school is technologically savvy,” said Jeanne Oswald, former executive director
of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and an industry advisor to
Princeton Partners. “As potential students comparatively shop and learn online,
institutions of higher learning can enhance brand perception and market
engagement by communicating effectively with teens and young adults through
their mobile devices.”
