Overcoming Prospective International Student Conversion Challenges - NAFSA 2015

Overcoming Prospective International Student Conversion

Challenges

Mike Elms Hotcourses

NAFSA May 27th 2015

Generating more leads Amend your website to get the right person at the right time

Virtual agency – where we’ve come

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Leads

Where do leads come from?

Articles 44%

Search 24%

Home 15%

Forum 10%

Course detail

5%

Create the

right content and call to

action

Where do leads come from?

Articles 44%

Search 24%

Home 15%

Forum 10%

Course detail

5%

Impact of

open registration

form

What content converts best?

0.00%

0.20%

0.40%

0.60%

0.80%

1.00%

1.20%

1.40%

1.60%

1.80%

Detailed specific

guidance

What content converts best? High volume - generic Low conversion – 1% Low effort - 1 article

Low volume per article High conversion – 5% High effort – Write a lot

UX: Device specific conversion Float mobile interactions Mobile calls Out of office hours form

Small changes = huge difference

Align content and call to action

UX: If they’re gonna leave anyway

Splash pages when users

leave

Generating quality Focussing on the best, filtering out the rest

Search creates informed leads

Unique personal

tech creates informed

researchers

Enquiries

Our conversion funnel

Enrolments

Verified leads

Contacts

Applicants

Filter quality

early for higher

conversion

How to verify leads

Level of commitment

and an accurate

data

Unique visits

Verified leads

0.5% of visits

The lead conversion process

Verified lead

Call 3 times

No answer

Keep warm

Automated email

campaign

Not ready

Interested contacts

Eligible?

Documents after 3 wks?

Exam, visa etc

Recycle and re-engage

users

8.8%

Keep ‘em warm - update Automated

responses to each step – but personal ones

Trust messages

Keep ‘em warm re-engaging

What not to do!

Using technology to convert

Video conferencing with

parents & students – Google

hangouts mock interviews

Rajeev Reddy, Northwest Missouri State Uni, USA

“It was a wonderful experience with Hotcourses. The mock sessions conducted continuously over phone & Skype were very encouraging and helped me in succeeding the Visa interview.”

Speed can make a difference

What impression are you giving?

Efficient, technically

advanced. We want you to enrol

with us!

Average turnaround time from apps to offers 4 weeks

Average applications per student 2-3

Do you measure what works?

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

Contact to applications ratio

Website should convert well,

but with much greater volume

Continual improvement Monitor

performance of your team and learn lessons of

success

Unique visits

Our conversion funnel

Enrolments

Verified leads 0.5% of visits become verified leads

Contacts 8% of leads become contacts

Applicants 41% of contacts become applicants

55% of applicants become enrolments

1 enrolment

2 applicants

4 contacts

50 leads

Mike Elms – Hotcourses

Mike.elms@hotcourses.com