Survey into web content management in Higher Education - results now available

Eduserv today announces the key findings from its Investigation into the Management of Web Content in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The investigation represents one of the largest pieces of research activity into the subject, with 134 respondents from 103 universities taking part in the research via an online survey.

The key findings based on the responses of those who completed the survey include:

• Increasing demands upon web teams are not always matched by the necessary resources - there was a strong feeling (99% of respondents) that senior management considered the institutional web presence to be more important than they did five years ago. However it was also thought by many that funding of the web team did not match expectations of the website.
• Only 44% of institutions have a web strategy – half of those with a strategy had implemented it this year.
• 43% have systems for publishing content to style, content and branding guidelines.
• The most important audience for HEI websites is potential students (UK and Overseas).
• 85% of institutions use a Content Management System (CMS).
• The future of web management in HE is likely to be characterised by the rise of greater, richer media content and a shift towards user-led, personalised websites. 
•  Most institutions have in-house provision for video material (73%), audio (69%) and online social networking (41%).
• 63% of university web teams do not have enough resource and strategy to keep up with technological changes and only 20% were confident that these would become available.
• Dealing with time pressures is the most significant challenge faced by web management teams, closely followed by maintaining standards of authorship across the institution.
• Most HEI web teams are small (between one and four people) and require a mix of technical and managerial skills. They tend to sit between IT and marketing, or are partly or fully in one of these departments, which can lead to confusion about what web teams actually do.
• An effective institutional web manager needs an all-rounder skillset to navigate the worlds of digital media, ‘old school’ university culture, business and marketing.

Eduserv commissioned the Social Issues Research Centre to carry out the research, with the aim of improving HEIs’ understanding of how other institutions are currently managing their web content and to raise awareness of trends and future directions. The survey findings will also inform Eduserv’s strategic plans to meet its charitable mission to deliver the benefits of IT for learners and research.

While there has been significant study into the benefits of learning via the web and the general implications of ICT for the future development of HEIs, research into the management of web content in those HEIs is relatively scarce.

University websites make an increasingly important contribution towards promoting the institution’s brand at local, regional and international levels, which is vital for competing for students and staff. University websites are also the hub for the ‘connected institution’, delivering crucial operational and communication benefits. HEI websites feature unique characteristics such as a diverse audience of prospective and current students, staff, businesses and alumni; multiple departments and satellite websites, and potentially hundreds of content contributors.

The full survey findings are available for download at www.eduserv.org.uk/research/studies/wcm2009

Download the press release.

For media enquiries, please contact Lisa Price, Online Communications Manager (Tel: 01225 474300; email: lisa.price@eduserv.org.uk).