By Emma Stenzel
Cardinal Staff
Since its launch in March 2009, the new Saint Mary’s University website has been successful so far, said Bob Conover, vice president for communication and marketing.
“The website functions well,” said Conover. “People tell us they like it among all the comments and feedback.”
Though the basic material of the website has been completed and is working well, improvements are still being made every day. “A website is never, ever finished,” said Conover. “We welcome suggestions. We want the website to look good, work well, be accurate and, especially, be useful.”
The new undergraduate catalog has recently been added to several areas of the website. The web team designed it to be used as an interactive publication. “It’s a very slick and fun way to work through the catalog,” said Conover. The team is looking to include other catalogs, brochures and even editions of the Cardinal in this interactive format, Conover said.
More changes to look for include additional photos and videos, revised virtual tours, an interactive campus-wide calendar and compiled information about H1N1. The sports, performances and library websites, as well as several SMU blogs, are also being improved, Conover said.
The main purpose of rebuilding the website was to place more focus on the pages that reach the external public. These external pages help recruit new students, inform parents of current students, and work with alumni, media and benefactors, Conover said.
According to Conover, a second focus was placed on improving the inside information for current SMU students, faculty and staff. Navigation was made simpler with the help of quicklinks and a search engine.
Conover, acting as the website’s project manager, worked on the website for over a year, along with several individuals from both the Winona and Twin Cities campuses.
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