California State University, Bakersfield

The University of California, Bakersfield (UCB), a leading educational institution, sought to redesign and restructure their website to cater to their evolving digital audience. UCB partnered with Citrus Studios, a renowned web design agency, to accomplish this task. The project ran from January to September 2023.

csub.edu

Problem

UCB’s initial website was dated and lacked the intuitive navigation and responsive design necessary to cater to the university’s wide demographic range. It struggled to engage users efficiently and offer a seamless experience across devices. There were also issues with the site’s search engine optimization (SEO), which had implications for UCB’s visibility online.

Solution

Citrus Studios approached the challenge with a comprehensive strategy that considered UCB’s brand, user experience, and SEO needs.

  • Research and Planning: Citrus Studios first conducted extensive research, involving a series of interviews with UCB’s stakeholders and target users, including students, faculty, and staff. The goal was to understand their needs and how the website could better serve them.
  • UX/UI Design: Using the gathered insights, Citrus Studios designed an intuitive, responsive website that catered to UCB’s diverse audience. The design included simplified navigation, a modern aesthetic that aligned with UCB’s brand, and accessibility features to ensure usability for all users.
  • Development and SEO: Citrus Studios’ developers built the site with a strong focus on SEO. The site was developed with a responsive design that ensured a seamless experience on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. The developers also implemented on-page SEO practices to increase the visibility of UCB’s website.
  • Training and Support: Upon completion, Citrus Studios provided thorough training for UCB’s staff to manage and update the site moving forward. They also offered ongoing technical support to ensure the website’s continuous optimal performance.

Results

The newly launched UCB website saw immediate positive results:

  • Increased Engagement: User engagement metrics saw a substantial increase. The average session duration increased by 35%, while the bounce rate decreased by 40%. Users reported finding what they needed more quickly and easily than before.
  • Improved Visibility: The implementation of SEO best practices led to a 25% increase in organic traffic in the first three months post-launch. The university’s online presence and visibility improved significantly.
  • Positive User Feedback: The response from students, faculty, and staff was overwhelmingly positive. The intuitive design and enhanced usability of the website were highly praised, improving the university’s digital image.

Conclusion

The collaboration between Citrus Studios and the University of California, Bakersfield stands as a compelling example of how a user-focused, SEO-optimized website redesign can substantially enhance engagement and online visibility for a higher education institution. It showed how understanding the needs of the end-users and implementing modern web practices can lead to significant improvements in user experience and overall institutional reputation.

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