3 Consumer Behaviors that Determine Your Enrollments

Whatever development your prospective learner looks for, there’s one area in which they need no education: Shopping.

Your learner is a professional online shopper. Many of them have at least a decade’s worth of experience browsing and comparing items for purchase through online retailers, and they know what they want. The eCommerce companies that perform best are ones that cater to their need for simplified interactions that A) demonstrate the product’s value clearly, and B) let them direct and complete the transaction quickly.

Higher ed often finds this difficult. A quick look through the average college or university’s home page often leaves learners with more questions than answers: Too often, websites are a mishmash of critical and non-critical information, communicated in such a way that it can’t help but push learners back out the way they came. It’s a far cry from the “Amazon” experience they’re used to in other facets of their digital lives—and one that may be limiting your enrollments in the process.

Understanding your learners’ online behaviors and building your school’s digital infrastructure around them is the best way to rope them in on their first visit. 

Behavior 1: They Compare Multiple Programs at Once 

Almost 60% of US online shoppers say they leave a site because they’re “just browsing” or “not ready to buy”. Another survey found that out of 1,000 consumer respondents, 78% like to compare prices from different sources before making purchases.

It’s common for your learner to compare offerings and programs on multiple sites, with multiple tabs open, as they evaluate which ones fit their needs. It’s modern consumer behaviour to browse several options at once when considering an online purchase. They load up their digital cart, understand the pricing and continue to shop around to make sure they’re getting the best deal possible. 

Their process is nearly identical when your learner shops for a program or course. They have multiple tabs open, and are likely comparing the program at your institution to a similar-sounding program at your competitor’s. The point for them is to narrow down their search: Offerings and institutions that don’t immediately speak to their needs are the first to go.

It’s imperative they see the value in your school’s programming from the first touch. 

Your Response: Engage Them Quickly

The world’s biggest eCommerce companies engage your learner by making sure their products connect quickly with their customer’s needs. Search histories, past purchases and more give them all they need to build a connection quickly when they’re comparing similar products elsewhere. The value of the product is immediately apparent.

Your institution’s website can capitalize on this with the academic equivalent: Clear learning outcomes that showcase where taking a course or program will place them in the job market.

Daniel Nieman, Web and Digital Media Producer and Senior Information Technology Analyst at West Valley College, said having a “Job Market Outlook” feature on the college’s website lets them showcase specific career outcomes for every offering right up front for the student.

“Students can see an overview of those currently employed in a specific position, as well as average salary and employment trends,” Nieman said. “They can see the top occupation for people in their area, then see a description of the occupation.” 

This first-glance overview is critical for keeping their attention, especially as they browse similar programs at other institutions. At West Valley, each visitor can also make easy career comparisons by cost, completion time and median salary; a point of conversion most other school websites neglect. 

Institutions that offer learners a clear picture into their future can match the high-touch product marketing that the largest online retailers leverage.

Behavior 2: They Leave to Check Back Later

Not every learner is mentally or financially ready to find, evaluate and pay for your offering at lightning speed. Once you’ve done the work of engaging them with a clear, intuitive web experience, some of them will still need time to consider their options.

But if they’ve left a loaded cart with programs for appraisal, they’ll be inconvenienced to find that none of their selections were saved; demanding they remember and locate all offerings they were interested in a second time. This isn’t how business is done at successful eCommerce companies, where this significant extra step can lose a customer. 

Your Response: Save Their Shopping Cart

Your learner isn’t ready to buy now, but they may be later. Your institution’s website should save the learner’s cart and all its contents, freeing them up to review and pay for the offerings they added with the ease they’re used to elsewhere online.

Ensuring they can view the cart and enjoy the same experience on all devices is also a necessity, as your learner is unlikely to be browsing on just one screen. 

Your institution’s digital shopping cart should reflect the intuitiveness of your website in providing a student-centric, highly engaging experience that reflects your commitment to their ease and comfort.

Behavior 3: They Forget to Return

Maybe they intended to come back, but forgot. Maybe they hadn’t considered returning at all. For whatever reason, your learner has left their digital shopping cart with one or more items unpurchased.

It’s possible your offerings simply don’t align with their needs at the moment, but it’s equally possible they became distracted with other tasks; and that a well-placed reminder could call them back. If your registration system doesn't tap them on the shoulder, you’ll never know.

Your Response: Remind Them to Come Back

When your student customer leaves their cart while shopping with another major online business, the business’ website should automatically email them a short time later to remind them of the transaction. This can lead to nearly 20% of visitors becoming customers, returning to make the purchase they might have otherwise not given a second thought to. 

Heather Chakiris, then the Chief Student Experience Officer at UCLA Extension, said it’s important to continue your engagement with students, even as they leave the site. 

“If students abandon their carts without making a purchase, ensure your design requirements include automated reminders with calls to action,” Chakiris said.

A simple nudge in the right direction can often be the point of conversion for many learners.

Understanding Learner Behavior Generates Enrollments

Your learners come to your website with a long list of expectations, whether they’re conscious of it or not. This doesn't have to be a roadblock, though. There are ways to capitalize on their needs, turning them into registrations borne of a genuine connection with your institution and the programs you offer. 

Building an understanding of the behaviors that inform their enrollment (or their exit) allows you to create experiences that drive your institution’s growth. 

 

---

Enrollment Growth Student Experience

Last updated: August 31, 2021