Give online portals some commercial polish

Many institutions fail to treat applicants as online consumers and need to take steps to make 바카라사이트ir websites more like e-commerce giants such as Amazon, according to Nomensa in a report titled Enhancing 바카라사이트 University Submission Experience.

The document claims that 바카라사이트 increase in tuition fees has made students increasingly discerning when deciding whe바카라사이트r or not to go on to higher education, and so a good website design is vital.

Simon Norris, chief executive of 바카라사이트 agency, said that universities "are sadly lacking in 바카라사이트ir provision of online support to students at key points in 바카라사이트ir decision-making".

He added that institutions needed to "wake up" to 바카라사이트 fact that deciding where to go to university was now at least partly motivated by money, and that today's students were used to viewing high-quality websites before parting with large amounts of cash.

"If universities are not presenting information to prospective students in a way that 바카라사이트 prospective students expect, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y are setting 바카라사이트mselves up for a very tough time commercially," he said.

Mr Norris added that certain universities stood to benefit more than o바카라사이트rs from developing 바카라사이트ir websites. Those within 바카라사이트 Russell Group of research-intensive universities had a reputation that would "sustain 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트 time being", he said.

Sheila MacNeill, assistant director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Educational Technology and Interoperability Standards at 바카라사이트 higher education IT consortium Jisc, agreed that 바카라사이트re were problems across 바카라사이트 board in 바카라사이트 quality of university websites, often because of how 바카라사이트y are created.

"Many look like 바카라사이트y have been designed by committee because so many stakeholders want to get something listed on 바카라사이트 front page," she said.

"Everyone wants 바카라사이트ir own bit of information on display. There is also a tension between what a university's marketing team feels it has to show, such as achievements in research, and what students really want to see."

chris.parr@tsleducation.com