Data & Insights
Optimizing Website UX to Increase Student Inquiries for a Higher Education Institution
A private health sciences institution based in the Illinois Medical District, with degree and certification offerings spanning over 40 programs, wanted to make requesting more information on its website easier and faster for prospective students.
The Challenge
The university partnered with Marcel Digital to understand why prospective students were not submitting more information requests through the website. Although traffic was strong, conversions lagged, which signaled friction within the user experience. Marcel Digital’s CRO team was tasked with uncovering the obstacles preventing users from taking action.
Identifying Hidden UX Barriers
The university needed to understand where students were getting stuck, abandoning forms, or failing to engage with key pathways.
Lack of Visibility Into On-Page Behavior
Without behavioral data, it was unclear which page elements confused users or created unnecessary friction.
Need for Actionable, Data-Driven Recommendations
The goal was not only to diagnose issues but to translate insights into clear changes that would improve form submissions and overall conversion rates.
The Solution
After analyzing heatmaps and click behavior, Marcel Digital identified the homepage as the primary point of friction in the conversion journey. To improve visibility of key actions and create clearer pathways for prospective students, the team developed and tested strategic variations of the homepage and high-value program pages.
Optimizing the Homepage for Stronger CTA Visibility
The masthead was reduced in size to bring calls to action higher into the user’s immediate view. This adjustment ensured prospective students saw their next step sooner, increasing opportunities for engagement.
Enhancing Program Pages With End-of-Page CTAs
A clear call to action was added at the bottom of program pages so users reaching the end of the content had a direct, timely opportunity to request more information, reducing drop-off and guiding users toward conversion.
Running Live A/B Tests for Data-Driven Validation
Each variation was tested against the existing design by splitting live traffic. This controlled experiment allowed the team to measure performance accurately and identify which updates meaningfully improved conversion behavior.
The Results
The optimized page variations delivered a clear improvement in user engagement and conversion behavior. By reducing friction and increasing visibility of key calls to action, Marcel Digital helped the university capture substantially more inquiries from prospective students.
63% Increase in Program Page Submissions
The added end-of-page call to action drove a dramatic rise in “Request More Information” submissions on key program pages.
60% Increase in Homepage Submissions
Improving CTA visibility on the homepage significantly boosted conversions from users entering through the primary landing experience.
