Northwestern University Before and after - Optimized

The Challenge

Despite Medill’s century of authority, its website couldn’t serve five distinct audiences through a single platform.

Below-Benchmark Conversion Rate

The site converted at just 0.60%, below Higher Education industry standards.

High Bounce Rate Across Traffic

Overall bounce rate ran at 61.98%, climbing to 86.32% for paid traffic, against a 57.36% benchmark.

Slow Load Times & Weak PageSpeed Scores

Desktop pages loaded in 3.4 seconds, with Google PageSpeed scores of just 33 on mobile and 70 on desktop, against a recommended 90+.

Fragmented Journeys Across Five Audiences

Undergraduate applicants, graduate applicants, IMC professionals, IMC full-time students and short-course learners each had different needs and decision timelines, with no distinct path for any of them.

Accessibility & Competitive Gaps

The site fell short of WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessibility standards, while competitors like UNC, Berkeley, Columbia, USC, NYU and CUNY ran clearer conversion funnels and sharper positioning.

Northwestern University cs single 3

The Solution

Digital Silk led a full digital strategy engagement to reposition Medill’s website around its audiences, programs and competitive standing, then carried that strategy through to execution.

  • Competitive & Audience Research

    We audited competitor sites, benchmarked conversion funnels and value propositions, and built detailed personas for each program.

  • Unique Value Proposition

    We built a school-wide UVP anchored on Medill’s alumni network, real-world experience and career outcomes, plus program-specific value propositions.

  • Website Planning & Navigation

    We defined 10 landing page web designs, restructured navigation around each program, and built a sitemap organized around how audiences search and apply.

  • Marketing Roadmap

    We recommended social media tactics, SEO copywriting priorities, and retargeting and nurture campaigns for each prospective student segment.

  • Full Site Redesign & User Experience

    We built the complete website, translating a century of reputation into an elevated visual identity, mapping dedicated journeys for each audience, and bringing Medill’s scale front and center on a stat-driven homepage.
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Northwestern University cs 3 pages right

The Results

We started with competitive research and built a school-wide unique value proposition, the brand positioning work for Northwestern Medill that shaped everything after it.

We then carried that strategy into a complete website redesign for the Chicago-area school, with 10 landing page designs, five dedicated audience journeys and a legacy-driven homepage built around 104 years of history and 18,000 alumni.
  • 5 Audience Journeys
    Distinct paths from undergraduate applicants to executive education learners
  • A Legacy-Driven Homepage
    104 years, 5 campuses, 18,000 alumni and 32 travel programs
  • Benchmarked Against 6 Peers
    UNC, Berkeley, Columbia, USC, NYU and CUNY
  • A Scalable Template System
    Built to support Journalism, IMC, Executive Education, News and profiles long-term
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