Students are mobile, are you?

Forrester Research tells us that 97% of Millenials own a cell phone and 58% have a smartphone. Perhaps it is no surprise then that mobile is becoming an increasingly important component in student, prospect, and alumni engagement. In a recent survey of 500 university administrators, 92% of respondents said that mobile plays an important part in recruitment marketing. However, other observers have pointed out that many mobile efforts miss the mark in this respect, often reflecting more of an orientation to serving current students (e.g., with information on local services, campus events, etc.) than engaging prospective students. Reinforcing the strong role that mobile can play in recruitment, another recent survey of 2,300 college-bound US students found that 52% have viewed a school’s website on a mobile device before (conducted by Noel-Levitz with OmniUpdate, CollegeWeek Live and the National Research Center for College and University Admissions). The following six items were most in-demand among those prospects that had accessed a school's website via a mobile device. 1.    Academic programme listing 2.    Cost/scholarship calculators 3.    A calendar of important dates and deadlines 4.    Specific details about academic programmes 5.    An application process summary 6.    Online application forms